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PNQ-MAA on Jet Airways

 
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COUGAR
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Joined: 01 Jan 2007
Posts: 986
Location: Bangalore

PostPosted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 8:54 pm    Post subject: PNQ-MAA on Jet Airways Reply with quote

Introduction:
Had to travel to Chennai for an HR-interview and conference call with US based director scheduled for late Friday evening. By a happy coincidence, my 4WD group (www.jeepthrills.in) of which I am member was having its anniversary meet on Saturday and Sunday. Normally I would have booked Jet both ways since they are the only carrier to have a same plane service on the route (barring DN: an airline that is too “middle-class” for my tastes! ). However I managed to get a killer fare of 3255 for MAA-BLR-PNQ on IC though with a change of plane at BLR. Another advantage of this option would be that I would be on a Alliance Air 737-200 on MAA-BLR- have been wanting to check out these babies once before they are sent to the scrap heap! So IC it is for the return!

Outbound flight:
Airline Jet Airways
Flight: 9W446
Route: PNQ-BLR-MAA
Class of Travel: Y
Fare: INR4450
STD: 1335 STA 1620
ATD: 1505 ATA 1800

The morning mess in Delhi meant that flights were being delayed across the board. Predictably 9W446 was delayed by over an hour as well. However I received an SMS at 6 in the morning (!!) informing me that my flight was delayed along with the expected time of departure and arrival at MAA. Again at around 1030 am I received a personal call from the airline informing me of the delay, apologizing profusely and letting me know what time I could come for checkin. I had already used the web-checkin facility and the extra hour meant that I could drop in to the HR persons cabin for a man-to-sissy chat: da bitch has been introducing some new rules for employee travel and I needed to let him know what me and my finger thought of them! Wink Anyways full marks to Jet Airways for keeping the pax informed at all stages. Impressed!

On reaching the airport was informed of a further delay. It wasn’t just 9W, but flights of ALL airlines were delayed. IC passengers to BLR were invited upstairs to the restaurant for lunch. We weren’t given that courtesy! I sat back with some chilled beer in the airport restaurant while IC passengers were tucking into some superb chicken biryani served buffet-style! Man the smell was awesome and I was hungry as hell! While I was into my second beer, an Air Deccan A320 VT-DKW rolled in and rolled out less than 20 mins later! Impressive turnaround! And DN sure is getting good loads!! An Air Sahara CRJ (DEL-NAG?) also came in at the same time along with a 3-engined large private jet (Falcon? Reg-N25MB). Total of 7 Private jets and 3 King Airs parked on the GA ramp to the left of the main apron!!

Just as I was about to order some of that chicken biryani I saw a Jet 737-800 make its way in. It could only be MAA flight! Hurriedly downing the rest of my beer I rushed through security and barely 10 mins later was in my seat 17A onboard VT-JNZ. Incidentally or otherwise, I seem to get either VT-JNZ and VT-JNJ almost all the time I travel with Jet Airways!

Inflight Service: Pre-Takeoff drink served but no Towel service round: perhaps to make up for lost time: aircraft turned around in barely 25 mins. We had a full load in economy and around 3-4 pax in J. I was famished and could barely wait for the meal carts to be pulled out!

Meal Service: Had placed a special meal request over phone. I do this often just to test the airlines systems. Another advantage of this is that you get your meal served before everyone else! Jet usually gets it 9 times out of 10, while IC’s record is more like 3 out of 10. This time however it was one of the exceptions.

The non-vegetarian and veg meals were exactly the same:

Main dish: Chutney Pulao with a Veg Korma and Potato Bhaji.
Salad, Desert: Some kind of weird besan barfi. Completely inedible.

Non-veg had an extra dish with some killer Chicken. And BOY!! It was ABSOLUTELY fantastic! Cooked South Indian ishtyle with coconut milk and a very obvious hint of coconut oil and absolutely tender chicken that had absorbed every bit of the masala! Wow! And quantity was decent too! Was so hungry that I gobbled it up before I realized I had to take pics! So no pics of the meal!

Maybe I was just too hungry but I would rate this meal 9.5 out of 10: with the desert taking away some of the points.

Descent into BLR was bumpy and the landing in BLR was possibly the bumpiest landing of my life: new pilot perhaps! Most of the pax got off at BLR leaving only a dozen or so of us behind. After some stringent security checks of each passenger and his baggage, the BLR pax were allowed in. Again a full load in Y and around 10-15 pax in J! I wonder who pays for travel in J class for such a short flight!

The snack carts were rolled out around 10 mins into the flight and boy was it a disappointment (See pic): a HALF cheese sandwich with a weird inedible cake, followed by Juice in a tetrapak! The cheese sandwich was good but HALF a sandwich? I appreciate that they serve ANYTHING for a short sector like this but this was clearly inadequate! Pax from Pune atleast had been served a proper lunch an hour ago, but most of the pax on this segment, barring perhaps 10/15 had boarded at BLR and THIS was clearly bad! This is a routine now and I have observed it on multiple occasions on this particular flight (9W445/6). 9W’s other flights on this sector offer much better meal service.
MAA airport was strangely deserted considering the hour we landed at. A total of 5 pax planes on the tarmac: 1 IC A320, 1 9W 737-800 (wingletted VT-JGL), 1 737-200 in old IC colors (VT-EHH, prolly my ride on Monday) and 2 DN A320’s! Then there were 2 Blue Dart aircraft, including one B757-200 in the far end of the MAA airport tarmac.

MAA Airport: Some might find it plain or whatever. Mebbe I have never witnessed the times when it gets chaotic, but I am actually beginning to like the domestic MAA terminal. I quite like the design and layout and also the mini- food mall type area inside the terminal area. I mean how many airports do you know of which have decent and fair priced food joints in the airport? A big thumbs up!

Rating: I would rate the 9W experience as 9/10. Definitely recommended. They are not very “consistent” with their service levels and we witness glaring differences while flying BLR-PNQ and PNQ-BLR for eg. I traveled J on BOM-DEL and then again on DEL-PNQ and the difference in service was shocking! BOM-DEL had muchg superior service levels.

Still overall: a very professionally run spit and polish operation. Definitely one of the better run airlines in the world! Highly recommended!


Next part: MAA-BLR on IC/CD 737-200 and BLR-PNQ on IC A320
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the_380
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 8:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice Report Roy, awaiting the remaining part
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Birendra
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Joined: 15 Feb 2007
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 10:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
The snack carts were rolled out around 10 mins into the flight and boy was it a disappointment (See pic): a HALF cheese sandwich with a weird inedible cake, followed by Juice in a tetrapak!


Nice TR.

See picture where Rolling Eyes
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AKLDELNonstop
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 4:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice. Thanks for posting.
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VABBy
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 6:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice report mate keep them coming and plzzz dnt explain the meals on board too much u make quite number of people yearn for that meal.. Very Happy
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stealthpilot
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Location: BLR, DXB

PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 5:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

No pics?
Your description of the food made me so hungry!! Boy... I have to make do with packet food. But that’s ok; I miss Indian food so much that packet stuff is unbelievable sometimes Smile
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Nimish
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 11:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

great report - now awaiting the pictures and the return TR!
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COUGAR
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 6:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pictures taken inflight:
http://www.cougar-rides.com/mar07maa/

Pictures fronm the event:
http://www.cougar-rides.com/JTAnn07
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TKMCE
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 8:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:

Normally I would have booked Jet both ways since they are the only carrier to have a same plane service on the route (barring DN: an airline that is too “middle-class” for my tastes! 


Maybe it is due to your indifference in travelling with ordinary mortals- you have forgotten that Air Deccan pulled out of MAA PNQ route more than six months back! However GO continues to operate on the route and they operate non stop! However looks like they are pulling out from March 26 as well - which means that the route looses all low cost presence and comes back to a "expense account" one .
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COUGAR
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 1:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Actually i DID try deccan as well: for my trip to HYD the previous week and their F***king site wouldnt work!

Finally flew IC which does PNQ-HYD 4x a week!
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crew320
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 1:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

COUGAR wrote:
Pictures taken inflight:
http://www.cougar-rides.com/mar07maa/


Loved the CD pictures...eagerly awaiting the TR...

aM
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the_380
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 10:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice pics Roy...
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HAWK21M
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 9:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice Pics Roy.Especially the Seat Pitch Comparism.I was surprised at the CD Pitch Spacing. Smile
regds
MEL
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