Airliners-India.com

jasepl · Member Joined: 26 Jul 2008 Posts: 4257 Location: bund-bay

So I just rediscovered a trip report I had written eight years ago. I was a report virgin then, this being my very first time writing one, so it's rather basic.

Just like my recent trip to Goa, this trip too was IC on the outbound and Jet on the inbound. Only I went to MAA.

It was written eight years ago; how many things have changed. Yet, for others, plus ca change…

Background

My manager and good friend Delna (who's mad by the way - but that's redundant because she's a Parsee Bawa!) and I had to finally make the day trip to Madras that we'd been avoiding for a long time. We realised we couldn't put it off any longer and started looking at schedules. I discovered that Indian Airlines' first flight was 25 minutes after Jet's. Plus, it's been 9 or 10 years since I last flew on IC.

Thus, the lure of the extra sleep and the opportunity to try out IC once again was enough encouragement for me to experiment. Although Delna warned me, I insisted and IC it was.

Unfortunately, I found out after the tickets had been delivered that the boyfriend was on the Jet flight back the same evening as us. Since it was just a question of a couple of hours, it wasn’t a biggie and I decided not to bother switching airlines.

Pre-Flight

I've never before been in the upper level of the IC terminal at BOM and was surprised to find it almost deserted during the morning rush. Couldn't help comparing it with Jet's terminal, which is a right zoo in the mornings. Then again, IC seem to have given up on trying to compete with Jet on many routes out of BOM, seeing as IC have 4 BOM-MAA flights to Jet's 6 and the flight we were on seemed barely half full.

Check-in was painless and took barely a minute. No baggage to check helped, of course, but they did do a good job of it. However, I was a bit alarmed to find that they were still using the pre-printed, bright pink, attach-with-elastic baggage tags with tearaway stubs to be stapled to your boarding pass. I had thought they would have progressed on this front, but I guess I'm wrong. Our government loves to export technology so that it can benefit the rest of the world. Doesn't mean they have to use it at home, does it now?

Anyway, I still wasn't even partially awake and hadn't even had any coffee so I was just going through the motions until it came my turn to be frisked by security. The security guys are usually the old, tired, paunchy, droopy, disinterested types, but the one I got looked to be about late 20s and he all muscles.

We were bussed to the aircraft in something that must have been rescued from a highway crash. I thought Madras would have been an important enough destination to warrant the use of a gate and aerobridge. IC, evidently, feel otherwise.

On Board

IC's 320 certainly looked every bit the like the inside of the Soviet style carrier I vaguely remembered. Yellowed everything, frayed navy seats in Economy, and the usual ugly orange “highlights” here and there. The whole effect screams "Government of India" - all that's missing are the paan stains! However, I've always found 320s to feel much more spacious than 737s. If it weren't for the fact that Jet's service levels and frequencies are so much better than IC's, I'd pick IC any day just for the better aircraft.

As a child, I was always fascinated by the hairdos the FAs (or air hostesses, as they were called back then) had. You just didn't see hair done that way anywhere else. Not anymore though. For an image of today's IC FA (at least the one I had working in my section of the plane) think Prince Charles. Then make him darker complexioned and shorter. Now imagine him in drag. That's exactly what the FA looked like! I must add though, she didn't make a very convincing drag queen: she had more hair on her upper lip than I ever do.

Yes, drag queens in gaudy orange and turquoise about sums it up. Baz Luhrmann must have been flying on an IC flight, staring in morbid fascination at the FAs when he got his inspiration for Moulin Rouge.

Having said that, I really should clarify that I can't really comment on the service, because I passed out right after I sat down until Delna woke me just before touchdown. I did wake up for a bit once and saw what Delna was served for breakfast. Scrambled eggs, chips, ketchup, bread roll, butter, water, orange juice, tea, coffee, creamer, jam, yoghurt and of all things some pickle. That one I still can't figure out. And oh yes... Metal cutlery! But a paper napkin.

Madras Airport

Madras airport was a surprise - a good one! Aerobridges, clean, bright, sparkling, Aircon worked very well... By far the best airport I've been to in India.

Spotted a couple of other IC 320s, 9W 737s, an EK 330 and one of Deccan's little ATRs. Also saw Air Deccan's 320 parked a little to the side on the apron. Wonder what that was doing in Madras - I thought Deccan and their Buses were based in Bangalore?

We had no luggage, so we could walk straight out. Delna though, before I knew what was happening, marched to the Jet desk, whipped out her credit card and bought two singles BOM-MAA! And it was a good thing too... Next stop, IC - to cancel our return.

Conclusion

Nothing inherently wrong with IC and flights within India are usually pretty short, but if you can get on Jet instead, you'd be mad not to. Jet's Y fare's even cheaper - by Rs 5 only, but cheaper nonetheless.

Return Trip
Jet Airways: MAA-BOM

Our flight home was to leave at 20.00. We already had the boarding passes from the morning, so we got to the airport at 19.40 and were in the aircraft within minutes of reaching the airport.

From where I sat, I quite enjoyed watching the CSD bark orders at the two women under his command! Soon after take-off, the meal service started. Here's what was on offer:

Carrot Soup
Coconut Soup
*****
Mustard Sausage and Vegetables with Mint Mayonnaise Dressing
Tofu in Chili Sauce with Fortune Rice and Stir-Fried Vegetables
Thai Green Curry with Cinnamon Rice and Stir-Fried Vegetables
Black Pepper Chicken and Aloo Methi with Steamed Rice
Palak Paneer and Aloo Methi with Steamed Rice
*****
Garlic Bread, Soft and Hard Rolls, Naan, Roomali Roti, Papad, Pickles
*****
Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
*****
Tiramisu
Ras Malai
Fresh Fruit
Chocolate
*****
Cheese
*****
Tea, Coffee, Decaf, (plus Fruit Juice and all kinds of other non-alcoholic beverages)

All in all, I think this was quite possibly the best flight I have ever been on in terms of catering and service - which I think are the most important aspects of an airline's quality.

And the Tiramisu was nothing short of orgasmic! It was, hands down, to die for - the best I've ever tasted!

Jet Air, E and his team did a brilliant job that I can't commend enough.

In addition to the Jet experience, I can't say enough about MAA... I had last been there about 3 years ago and it looked nothing like it does now. It certainly is the best airport I have been to in the country.

The only thing I have to complain about is the plastic cutlery (IC brought back metal - what's the deal with Jet then?) and the missing leather seats. Turns out they've removed leather seats from all aircraft - at least that's what E the CSD thought when I asked him. Anyone know why? Also, it would have been great to have a good wine to go with an outstanding meal. Will our government ever turn on that one?
_________________
four years free of jetya punti!

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

`rather basic?' very nice and descriptive report! You were flying business class on both legs, right? Do you have some pictures, too? Eight years back means that the photography in the terminal and inside aircraft rule had come out by then (the first DGCA notification in this regard came out in 2004). It is nice to read about trip reports of the pre-recession times, and that too, from you!
Thanks, Sumantra.

jasepl · Member Joined: 26 Jul 2008 Posts: 4257 Location: bund-bay

Sumantra - It was economy on the way out and business on the return. And you're right, this was in 2004.

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures. Remember this was back when mobile phones weren't that fancy, and those of us who had a phone, had those bricks, such as this one:

It does make me laugh though, when reminded of how some things have changed (MAA wonderful, Jet amazing, tearaway baggage tags...) and how some things have remained the same (BOM's 1B is still a zoo, Delna is still retarded, IC aircraft still scream Bharat Sarkar...)

And can you imagine being able to reach a major airport 20 minutes before departure and still easily make your flight?

I still stand by that report, in that the crew performance on that MAA-BOM flight was the best I have even encountered. And I still fantasise about the tiramisu they served, which was better than any I have eaten in Italy or Hungary or anywhere.
_________________
four years free of jetya punti!

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

Of course Jason, too many mobile phones didn't have cameras then, I was wondering if you had taken some pictures with a digicam, or an analog one. Yes, I have enjoyed my travels on Jet in the said period - most things about them were simply superb.
Cheers, Sumantra.

Spiderguy252

jasepl · Member Joined: 26 Jul 2008 Posts: 4257 Location: bund-bay