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rutvij · Last edited by rutvij on Fri Jun 22, 2012 2:31 am; edited 14 times in total

.
Hi Gang, here is My First TR Please Bear with me....coz its long! After all, this was a LR flight! Laughing

Background :

This Trip was something really special for me. After a long hiatus of almost 2 yrs, I was back to flying Long Haul. This was also going to be my first trip to da States. Naturally, I was quite excited & was looking forward to this one more than anything else.

I was destined for Indianapolis (IND). Initial Plans called for a Booking on the BOM-FRA-ORD sector ( AI-127 on Air India's Old B744s ) and then an AA Regional Jet to IND. But the lure of AI's new 777s forced me to alter my Itinerary & use 'The Non-Stop' instead. New York was added.....what a Dream come true. This also meant hasty Reservations of Youth Hostels, Statue of Liberty Cruise, etc. All of this 2 Days before my last university paper ( Maths-4 )!

The Actual Flight :

Airline : Air India (AI / AIC)
Flt No. : AI-141
Sector : BOM-JFK
Aircraft : B777-200LR
Reg : VT-ALB ‘Arunachal Pradesh’

Scheduled Departure : 0045 Hrs
Actual Departure : 0050 Hrs

Scheduled Arrival : 0710 Hrs
Actual Arrival : 0645 Hrs

Check-In:

I reached the Airport almost 3 Hrs before Scheduled Departure Time. Crawling through bumper-to-bumper traffic at the start of the Departure Ramp, our Cab arrived at Gate 'A'. A whole 10 min lost here. As I said before in an earlier post, this Departure Level was a complete mess. Construction Work was going on all around. Barricades were put up everywhere which created further problems, blocking traffic even more.

The Departure Level.

The Sea of People ( also Read: See Off Ppl ) made it almost impossible to enter the Terminal. I hope this thing ends in 2012 when the new Integrated Terminal comes up. I made my way through the maddening crowd at the Entrance, & proceeded for Baggage Screening only to see just 2 X-Ray Machines Operational. Both of them had atleast 25-30 people waiting in the Queue. Took this opportunity to snap some pics of the Renovated Interiors, while my Mom & Dad stood in the screening Q.

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Queues Galore!

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From the Other Side...

I reached the Check-In Counter at 2215 Hrs, thanks to the crowd & the X-Ray machines. Though a good 2.5 Hrs before Scheduled Departure, I was the only one Checking In. The Check-In Agent was a 30 something nice, beautiful Lady. Hot. As always, I requested a Window seat. She gave me an angry look which quickly dissolved into a teasing Smile. I knew I had got one. In 2 min, the Boarding Pass was handed over.

Refreshingly New. Made an Immediate Impact with its Colors, just like the Incredible India Ads. A welcome change from the old eye-sore Green & White (OR) Yellow & White Designs.

Before going for Immigration, we went to the AI Airport Office where Dad met some old friends of his. 20 mins passed by and I decided to break free and roam around a bit.

It was 2245 Hrs, almost the start of the ‘Peak Hrs’ of the Night. This was precisely the time to enjoy this airport’s buzzing Atmosphere & crappy Interiors. Lots of EU, US and Asian Departures. Some late Pax were Checking-In for SQ 423 ( SIN ). Other Departures included OS ( VIE ), MH ( KUL ), TG ( BKK ), AI ( B744, A310 & A320 Night Flts to HYD, BLR, TRV, AMD & COK ). There were also some AI Flts going to HKG & AUH ( A310s ) and SIN ( A332 ). Just 2 X-ray machines for these many Flts?

After a good 25 min here and there, it was time for Immigration. A long walk to the Extreme Left of the Terminal & I was at the Immigration Area. Quite a lethargic affair, this one. The GOI guys looked as if deprived of sleep for weeks together. Another 15 min lost here. Security Check at the lower level was quick though.

Boarding:

It was 2330 Hrs and time to head to our Gate. Gate 15 it was. This one was really hard to find, as it was totally secluded from the rest, and the entrance to it required a long De-Tour. It was a small 'L' shaped waiting area with Seating Capacity for around 100-120 Pax, I guess....which had walls on both sides ( almost looked like a Lounge Area, minus the facilities ). So, sadly for me, there was really no info on the action happening at neighboring Gates. All Thanks to Totally Secured America !!

There was a 2nd Security Check in this area, with another X-Ray Machine. This Check also required all to remove Shoes and other Footwear. I'm told that AI was ordered to buy these Advanced X-Ray Machines, especially for this Non-Stop Flt, by TSA. Now, I had never done 2 Security Checks in BOM, and never with shoes removed…...maybe for this Non-Stop Flt. BTW,
have any one of you experienced this at BOM ??

I was the last one to go through this 2nd Round of Security Check. Thank God, they didn't order me to go through the X-Ray Machine......I was reminded of Tom Hanks in 'The Terminal'.

With around 50 min left before SDT, I freshened up a bit. Tried guessing the Loads on this Flt. Even the 100-120 Capacity seating area wasn't full. So the loads were less than that…somewhere around 80-90 in Y ( 40-45% ). There were just 4 Free Pax ( AI Employees ) on this Flt. There was absolutely no clue of Premium Loads, but it is said that AI was doing much better in F/J on this Route.

Boarding started at 0010 Hrs, a good 35 min before Scheduled Departure. As expected, all the ppl stood up and rushed to the Gate as if there was a 'Free Seating Policy' & the A/C was leaving the gate in 2 min. Resulted in another Big Q. Some one really needs to counsel them! There is really no other Option. I sat back & tinkered with my Camera Settings.

In another 10 min, the Q vanished. Except for a GSA, there was no one around. As silent as it could get. I headed for the Opaque Jetway.

In-Flight:

In a jiffy, I was inside this 1 yr old B777-200LR ( VT-ALB ) christened ‘Arunachal Pradesh’. A young smiling FA greeted me. Boarding was through the very front door, unlike on the Return Leg. Hence, was able to take a good look at the F and J Seats. They were Huge Pods. The Orange-Red-Orange Combination in Y Class looked great as well. Top Notch Hardware on offer. Light Music comprising Themes of Hindi songs from the 1970s & 80s took the Cabin Ambience a lot higher. Impressive! But, personally, the Yellowish Cabin Lights pulled it down. ( I don’t like Yellows & Golds ). Maybe Avbuff could help on this with his SQ 77W Experience. Is this by default from Boeing? Is this not Customisable by Airlines?

Took a very shaky Video & proceeded to my seat, 31K. Here are some frames from it.

Really very Hard to take Snaps of the Entire Pod...

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The PTV for this Pod..

The J Cabin. Loads seemed OK.

At CSIA, this person on the Left ( a son of an AI Pilot) forgot his Passport & Boarding Card ( which his Mom was holding ) & was going forward for completing his Immigration formalities. He was aptly reminded by his father!! It happens sometimes....
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Seats were intelligently allotted with 1:3 ratio for most of the Pax. I was the last one to check-in....so maybe, I may have just 1, I thought. Aah! There it was. 3 Seats with an equal no. of Blankets & Pillows eagerly waiting for me.

The Y Cabin...

I stowed away my very small bag and set out for another round of pics. The Cockpit was buzzing with activities...the Flt Engineer also seemed around and Preparatory Checks were going on. Opportunity 1 missed!

Superb....

When I returned to my Seat, an old Lady asked me to shoot a video of her & her 2 sisters ( seated in the 2 rows before her ) with her Camcorder. One of them demanded that I also shoot the front of the A/C. That made me look like a child…..first shooting wid a Digicam & now wid a Camcorder.....quite embarrasing...but I was happy for them. The Enthu in that lady reminded me of Nalini, our 1st Female Aviation Enthusiast on AI.net. We really lost a Gem.

It was 0030 Hrs now, 15 min before Pushback. There was this Nice, Tall, Slim-Trim FA standing at the back of the Cabin. Though old, she looked quite Gorgeous. Engaged in a small Chat with her. This mostly revolved around these new AI 777s, the FJY product on offer, the Loads on these Sectors, the ‘Premium Flight’ Fare games, the Delta effect, etc, etc. Lots of smiles were exchanged between us.

I took some more pix in between.

The Seats seem high, don't they?

5 min later, I returned to my Seat. Soon, SQ 773 pushed back for Changi. It was replaced by an AI B744 ( VT-ESP ) that arrived from the West. Besides that was another AI B744 ( VT-AIS ), both donning the ‘Konark - Swan’ Fusion Livery. The Cockpit Crew began checking the surfaces. Flaps were fully deployed & retracted back. Spoilers came up as well, and went down just as quickly.

Here is the Tarmac with the LR Flaps deployed.

‘Before Take-Off’ Service Run on this Flt was as follows :

-- A 'Mystery' Item Run ( I missed it as I was busy roaming around taking Pix! )
-- Cold Towel Run.
-- Then, the Amenity Kit Run.
-- Small Toffees ( Éclairs ), Fruit Juice & Salted Peanuts.
-- All Clearing.

At 0050 Hrs, we pushed back. Animated Safety Instructions were played on all PTVs and Overhead LCDs. Cabin Lights went off. Quick Announcements about this ULH Flight followed. We were introduced to the Cockpit Crew.....usual AI stuff.

While Pushback.

Animated Safety Instructions.

It was 0055 Hrs now. The Airside was full of Heavies. SAA A343, 9W 77W, AF 777, LX A332, BA 744, a couple more AI 744s, the usual line-up of the AIX 738NGs, AI A310s and the 'Soon to be Retired' AI 743 Combi at the Remote Bays. Our 777LR taxied past them. We were 3rd in line for Take-Off, behind the AI A332 (to SIN ) and OS 763 ( to VIE ).

At 0105 Hrs, after holding on A4 for about 5 min, we were on the Active & were Immediately Cleared for Take-Off heading 271. The GE-90s roared to full power with the typical 777 Acoustics, as we thundered down runway 27. Take-Off Run was quite smooth, lasting for about 18 - 20 seconds. Mumbai was at its best at Night. Nice, Orangish with hardly any traffic on the Highways ( WEH ). That’s when it feels a pleasure to drive! All of this for one moment, as we bid-Adeu to Mumbai and sneaked into Darkness.

With a Quick Right turn and a minor Left turn, our LR stabilized on the Heading Front.

20 min into the flight, the Seat Belt Signs went off. Lights came back on. The FAs came around handing out the Menu Cards for our 16 Hr journey. It was time for da Biryani Run !

Nice Design again! Savour the Flavour.

There were 2 Options. I opted for the Non-Vegie Menu. This Midnight Meal consisted of :

-- Murg Biryani served with Dal & Raita.
-- Phirni with Nuts.
-- Tea/Coffee.

Firni (or Phirni) is a North Indian / Pakistani / Afghani dessert made from ground Rice & Milk, very similar to Kheer.

After a Nice & Tasty Biryani ( Full Marks! ) & an ultimate Phirni ( I really love the Deserts on AI ! ), it was time to switch ON my PTV. AVOD on this 77L was on 10.6" Touchscreen PTVs in Y, 17" in J & 23" in F Class. This 77L, unlike the recent ones, was equipped with Thales i-4000 system....i guess. All that i-5000 gaga, that was supposed to be for the A380s, wasn’t there on this LR…..as this was among the first lot of AI LRs. The i-4000 system was a lot on the slower side when it came to Navigating around the Menu, almost like a Pentium 2. But, I was split for choices when it came to the Content. Lots of Options here, especially Hindi and Regional Movies. Plus, there were almost 40 English Titles. And many Days of Music was loaded onto the Hard Drives. There was USB port below each PTV. I had no way to enjoy it......as my Cam AV Cables were in my Checked-In Sack.

My PTV...

8086 Instruction set.....

Enjoyed some French music for 20 min, couldn’t find Alizee though. It was almost 0230 Hrs IST. I was feeling sleepy…..and this is where the Seat Comfort came into picture. The Seat Width was good. These were the Next Generation ones with Sliding Base. Hence, the total Recline was quite Good. Footrest with a Massage Roller was also there……just what Jitendra Bhargava demonstrated that day at Farnborough Air Show. I had nothing to do with the single seat.....I had 3 for the entire 16 Hrs. However, even with full loads, comfort wouldn’t have been as big an issue on this ULH Flt, thanks to the 34” Seat Pitch. ( Some seats even have 35”, as per my knowledge! ) Frankly, there was more than enough legroom to achieve an almost Slumbrette Position! The Headrests were a lot higher than expected. Even the backrests were tall / huge. Privacy from the front & back Rows or what??

Keeping ourselves hydrated through 16 hrs was just as important. These Bottle Nests helped.....3 bottles in my pouch before TO.

Seat Pitch was something similar to what I had on the Return leg.......something like this....

A good 4 hrs passed by. I freshened up. The lavoratories were clean, equipped with Freshener, Mouthwash, Perfume & every other thing required on this flight. I was pleasantly surprised!

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It was now 0700 Hrs IST. We were overflying Western Kazakhstan now, it seemed. The Nose Camera was ON. Saw it on the PTV as well. Excellent Sights. Bright Sunshine outside the window.....but just a couple of shutters were open. Mood Lighting was On. Pleasant Light Orange Ambience depicting the Sunrise was the Mood of the hour.

This AI Centaur Logo used to pop up in between the Airshow....

The Airshow......

Flight Info.....

Some Jazz was tried on the IFE ( I am falling in love with this ! ) Then, it was time for Breakfast. This one had no options. Just a Veggie Menu. But no problems….I never liked Chicken at 7 in the Morning! However, there should have been some Veggie Options on offer.

This time we had :

-- A Croissant.
-- Mawa Cake.
-- Papaya Cubes.
-- Tea / Coffee.

This was an OK Breakfast. For most of the time during & after Breakfast, I was glued to the PTV watching Sitcoms like Friends, Mr. Bean & Office Office ( Hindi ). Haha Hehe continued....

Comic Options available on board......

Mr. Bean, confused as always......

We were already 8 hrs into the Flt. After hapless searching for 'Casablanca' & 'The Bourne Ultimatum', I settled for the Harrison Ford starrer 'The Fugitive'. Now, I was at least hoping to watch those on the Return Leg.

Still from 'The Fugitive'.

The Movie was good. But, the Headphones were even Better. They simply were THE Best in Y. Nice Big Earcups, Crystal Clear Sound, Good Bass & Treble Reproduction.....what I heard wasn't wrong....they just drained out all the Cabin Noise. They did justice to ‘The Fugitive’. ( I sincerely hope, this thing isn’t lifted off from these Aircrafts by the typical Indian Crowd. Anyways, they have a 2 pin connection -- unlike the single pin for our Phones, Lappy, Walkman, Discman, etc…..so that will be of help to AI. They won’t be Cheap ….with such HQ. )

In between, I felt like munching something. FA call button was punched right away. In 20 sec flat, a FA came around asking & within 2 min, this FA happily handed over to me >> Some huge Cookies, a Croissant and glass of Orange Juice. No Questions asked, no blank faces…..just a Smile. Now, that was an amazing service!

Browsed through the Menu and watched some Music Vids. ’Beat of my Heart’ & ‘Come Clean’ by Hillary Duff were great, as usual. They sounded even better with those big earcups. Did some ‘Wing view’ Photography. And also walked down the Aisles a couple of times, which really helped. The Old ppl around were already doing that.

The 777s Rock....the LRs rock...the Raked Wingtips are Amazing.

11 Hrs In flight, it was time for ‘Juno’, which was nominated for 2007 Academy Awards. Just after this Shot & before snapping the GE90s, my Camera batteries foxed me. The spare battery & charger was in the LR Belly. I wish I had them with me, in my small Hand Bag. Anyways, returning to the Movie....Juno was a good one.

13 Hrs inflight, Drinks service began. White wines, Red wines, Beer, Miniature Bacardi & Gin Bottles were on offer. I opted for a Can of Heineken. Trial Run.....this one, for me! Side by side, I was back to some more French Music ( ‘Marilyn & John’ by Vanessa Paradis ) I didn’t knew a bit of french, but somehow they had striked a chord in my heart 2 yrs ago…..both Alizee Jacotey (Oh! She is so Cute..) & Vanessa Paradis. Some 15 min later, the Drinks Cart came on for a second time, mostly for Top-Up.

14 Hrs Inflight, the main Lunch Service began. This one had 3 Options. The Menu was something like this :

-- Hors d'oevre ( Small Savoury Dishes served as an Appetizer )

-- Paupiette of Lamb with Devilled Sauce ( Accompanied by Roast Potatoes & Sauted Vegetables )
Or
Awadhi Murg ( Served with Corn palak Puloa & Spiced Vegetables )
Or
Shak Makhanwala ( Served with Makhmali Chawal & Spiced Vegetables )

-- Shahi Nawabi Tukda ( Light crisp bread slices soaked in Rabri, and garnished wid Almonds & Pistachios )

I opted for the Non-Veggie ( Chicken ) offering. The Appetizer never arrived. Nevertheless, the Murgi ( Stuffed chicken breast simmered in creamy sauce ) was awesome. Tender, soft and as succulent as it could become. As always, the Desert was ultimate. Deserts on AI never ever disappointed me! Full-to Paisa Vasool.....

For an hour after Lunch, I explored the IFE for some more Music Videos, Games & ofcourse, the Nose Wheel Camera. Soon, it was time to freshen up again. The lavoratories, this time, had become somewhat dirty. Some tissues lying around, water accumulated in the sink, etc. I don’t think the Crew was to be blamed for. It is the duty of each and every Pax to keep the lavs clean, for the next user. All this was even more shocking………as it was clearly and boldly written around inside, and even Demonstrated on PTVs during ‘Safety Instructions Video’, before Take-Off. Still ??? And that also on a Premium Flight as this ?? Sare Jahan se aacha, Hindoostan hamara, hamara!! Nowhere in the world can one find such ‘Knowledgeable’ crowd as the Indians! LOL

When we were an hour away from JFK ( 15 Hrs Inflight ), 2 FAs, a Junior and a Senior one, could be seen almost coming to blows as to who will distribute the Arrival Cards. The senior FA was the one I had a chat with, before Take-Off. There was this hunger to serve. The entire Y Cabin burst into laughter!

At this time, we started our Descent into JFK. Seatbelt Signs went On. In no time, there was a heavy line-up before the lavs. LOL

Arrival:

There was a lot of cloud cover this morning over NY Area. Low Visibilty. But, Arrival into JFK was a speedy, No-Nonsense affair. We went straight through without any go-arounds. We were approaching Rwy 22L. At around 0645 Hrs EST or 1630 Hrs IST, we touched down smoothly.......the GE90s roared again. We almost reached the end of the Rwy. Our LR ‘rapidly’ exited 22L, held around for 2 min before Active 22R. Once that was crossed, we were already in front of T4. We docked besides a Lan Chile 767. Heavies like TAM A332, TG A345 were also there along with a bunch of VA A320s. As expected, there was an abundance of DL & AA MD-80s, 757s, 763s, etc. EL AL 777 was also present.

The Nose-Wheel Cam provided a superb view as we docked at T4. And yeah, the lines were there even b4 the door opened. Sawaal_ich Nahin! While I was waiting for this LR to get empty, I saw an FA hugging the old Lady for whom I took a Video, on her Camcorder before Take-Off. The FA was the one who was assigned for our section…the same one that brought me some extra Snacks with a Big Smile. Smile

Walking through the Concourse was a Heart-break as I missed the Spare Batteries like never before. Immigration and other formalities were completed in no time. And my Sack was waiting for me. 0700 Hrs it was.

When the Spare battery came out....

Flight Routing :

Routing was over Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Aral Sea, Kazakhstan, Major part of Southern & Western Russia, Central Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Southern Tip of Greenland, Eastern & South-Eastern parts of Canada. Total Flying Time was a little over 16 Hours. Total Sleeping time was a little over 4 Hrs.

Summary & Trip Ratings:

The Plus Points:

-- Check-In was Lightning Fast.
-- The Aircraft was Clean & as good as New.
-- Seats were Comfortable.
-- A good 34” Seat Pitch for Y Class.
-- Audio Video On Demand (AVOD) was Good.
-- AVOD Content was Large enough for at least 10-15 more such flights. A Mix of everything.
-- Headphones (They do need a special Mention!!) >> The Best in Y.
-- Cabin Crew was a friendly bunch. No forced smiles or blank faces. High level of Service was on Display.

The Minus Points:

There were hardly any, except for the Yellowish Lighting.

The Ratings:

Check-In : 10/10
Punctuality : 10/10
Aircraft, Interiors & Cleanliness: 10/10
IFE : 9/10
Seats : 10/10
Food : 9/10
Crew : 10/10

Overall : 9.71/10

PS:

1. A week later, my Parents arrived in the US using AI-127 BOM-FRA-ORD. It was an old 744 without the AVOD, but as per them, the Flt was good.

2. Now I know, writing a TR isn't that easy a job. Many thanks to Sreenath.

3. Queries / Suggestions / Criticism always welcome….

Regards,
Rutvij.

Thanks to my Sack, i was able to spot around. Some Pics from the semi Spotting I did at JFK.

View from outside of T4. Foggy all around....

As i went close...

Just this fence....

Delta Terminal 3 now wears an almost deserted look....Just 2 of them now

View from T3.

So what if not in BOM...atleast here I spotted this one.

TG A345.

Alpha Lima Bravo being towed away to the Hard Stands........Great Job Mate! .....16 Hrs....

VA 320. Tower backdrop.

VA 320 Quick pushback.

The Airtrain showed me.....how massive JFK was! This one from the same...

Thanks for Reading!

the_380 · Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 5:53 pm Post subject:

Finally !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm planning to try the LR to JFK somewhat soon...

Btw just noticed ... doesn't the food quantity seem less compared to this TR?

Also J Class Config seems like Premium Economy Config 2-3-2 no wonder AI J Class BOM-JFK is under 200,000 while EK BOM-DXB-JFK J Class is about 226,000. Exclamation

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avbuff · Member Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 5031

con spirito · Member Joined: 07 Apr 2007 Posts: 577 Location: Inflight

Superb man.... what an awesome TR...always look forward to read an AI TR. Feels good even after 1 year of non stop service AI has maintained the bird very well.
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The only problem is........all the wealth is distributed in the wrong hands.

rutvij · Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 6:14 pm Post subject:

avbuff · Member Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 5031

Aseem · Member Joined: 15 Dec 2006 Posts: 2841 Location: YYZ

which plane was it?? Andra Pradesh??
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vivekman · Member Joined: 26 Dec 2006 Posts: 1897 Location: BOM

Excellent Trip Report Rutvij!!! Nice pictures as well Smile

The AI Non-stop product continues to be great. Good to see you enjoyed the flight.

- Vivek

rutvij · Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 8:47 pm Post subject:

airindia787 · Member Joined: 18 Nov 2007 Posts: 770 Location: DAB & ZTF

I had the yellow lighting for about 1/2 of my EK A380 flight yesterday. fortunately they turned it off, as it bdoes get tiring.
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Jaysit · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 4346

sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

Rutvij, thanks for a very nice TR!
One question: are there power ports in Economy?
Jet seems to have them at the base of the seat.
Thanks, Sumantra.

rutvij · Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 6:54 pm Post subject:

No Idea man! My charger was in da 77L belly. So, I didn't bother to check. AirIndiaOne might be of help.

Regds,
Rutvij

stealthpilot · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 2325 Location: BLR, DXB

Great TR, great pics.

Nice to hear that the headphones are not the ratty old ones (no surprise there).... but I was a bit disappointed by the food presentation. Im sure it tasted great tho.
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Nimish · Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 11:30 am Post subject:

Hey Rutvij,

Great TR man, sounds like you had a swell flight on AI and the non-stop really worked out for you. I hope AI is able to maintain the a/c and the service at high standards, and eventually folks will come to choose AI as a first option...
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We miss you Nalini!

sshank · Member Joined: 16 May 2007 Posts: 377 Location: NYC

Great report! I cant wait for AI to become part of *A. There are a lot of people who are now held hostage by LH who will bolt to AI if they keep up this level of service.

Spiderguy252 · Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 1:59 am Post subject:

Rutvij! This was an amazing one for a first timer, just like Hybrid Theory! One question though - was there an AI 77W parked at JFK in one of the pics or was it your LR?

-Varun
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Yeah.

airindia787 · Member Joined: 18 Nov 2007 Posts: 770 Location: DAB & ZTF

^^ the 77Ws don't show up at JFK until the afternoon. That was a 77L in the picture.
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rutvij · Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 7:19 am Post subject:

It was our LR. It was shortly towed away to the Hard Stands.

Manny · Member Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 292

One of the best TRs i have ever read! Awesome work.

HAWK21M · Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2008 3:12 am Post subject:

Fantastic.Def one of the best TRs on this forum.
regds
MEL
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Think of the Brighter side !!!

rutvij · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 9:16 am Post subject:

Many Thanks to all. I was inspired by Spiderguy252.

Regds.

sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

Any recommendations on a Y window seat for taking pictures comfortably?
20A and 20K are not too nice, I hear.
What about 31? I guess Rutvij's TR mentions 31K, and the view is nice.
Thanks, Sumantra.

rutvij · Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 8:15 pm Post subject:

31K or 30K better! All seats before 24-25 are on Wing!

Regds

sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

Thanks a lot, Rutvij - that'll sure help.
Cheers, Sumantra.

karatecatman · Guest

Air India One and Ruts,

Someone 'Big' in Air India has read your TRs and "is happy".

AKLDELNonstop · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1066 Location: Auckland

Nice report Rutvij. TRs like this really add value to the forum. Well done mate. AI flight seems to be pretty good. Agree with you on the yellow lighting though. Not a fan.

Well I am hoping the SQ 77Ws have decent headphones in economy.
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sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

AI's new 777s have powerports in Y!
(Experienced them first-hand yesterday/today on AI101, VT-ALE
`Haryana'). The arrangement is much like the 9W one: 2 powerports
for 3 seats. Fantastic product - the new AI!
Cheers, Sumantra.