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yatrik · Member Joined: 08 Nov 2012 Posts: 19

Part 2 – DEL-AUH

Aircraft – Jet Airways Boeing 777-300ER operated by Etihad
Airline – Etihad Airways
Registration – A6-JAE
Seat – 40C

Logbook Stats
2nd flight for 2015
2nd on 77W
1st on EY
1st on A6-JAE
1st at AUH
10th at DEL

Continued from Part 1

So after clearing immigration, took the escalator to land up at a serpentine security queue. With barely an hour for departure and 10 minutes before boarding started, I went up to the CISF officer and he checked my boarding pass and promptly asked me to join the shorter queue which was for passengers getting late. Still it took 15 minutes to get through. Reaching the information desk, I asked for the gate of EY223 and was told gate 9(I think) and it was at the very far end of the terminal. Another long walk/run later I reached the gate and only a few pax were left to board. There was another round of document checking at the gate by EY staff where they checked Passports, exit stamp and visas.

After all the running around, the plane didn’t pushback for the next 35 mins. Another delay, reason unknown. Settled into the seat, window seat was occupied by a guy and middle seat empty, menu leaflets were distributed, now this was a first for me, played around a bit with the IFE, content seemed good enough. Pushback was 25 mins later than the STD.

Taxied to and took off from runway 28. Soon after the drinks cart came out. Opted for Orange Juice, the FA was a bit chatty and told me “I finished 2 bottles of JD just for the rows I was serving”, about 5 minutes later the meals cart rolled out and I opted for the only Vegetarian choice. It was some paneer with rice, and a chocolate cake for dessert. Fairly decent meal, nothing extra-ordinary.
Saw a couple of episodes of Friends on the IFE and slept after that, woke up when the captain announced descent into AUH. Landed on 31L, docked at gate, right next to the then brand new EY A380, A6-APA.

It was a long walk from the gate to the immigration, there were barely 10 of us whose final destination was AUH, rest all were transfers. Reaching immigration, the lady at the start of the queue asked whether it was my first time in UAE and then she asked me to go to the retina scan place, a lot of labour class people were there as well. Everyone ahead of me got their eye scanned and their visas were stamped, when I got there, he just checked my passport and stamped my visa and told me to go, no scan done.
Immigration queue was small got done quickly and reached for the bags, got my bags and quickly left. Nearing the exit of the terminal, I asked for directions to the bus stop for the bus to Dubai, I had to wait for a few hours before the next bus. Found a du outlet and got a tourist SIM card. An hour later, Nishant Rao who stays in Dubai but works in Abu Dhabi, called up and he got off his work early so I didn’t take the bus and we drove back in his car to Dubai !

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

I ahve been always interested to know about the transfer experience for other airlines at DEL, my home airport. I have seen some rather efficient Air India connections, with agents gathering passengers coming in from other flights, and shepherding them to the connections. There are quite a few transfer desks at DEL, which includes the Domestic part as well. I am a bit surprised that Jet did not have staff around the place, and you had to ask for directions. It also may have been an off-day. At most other international airports, that seems to be the norm, with people asking for directions, since signage is perhaps never sufficient for large airports. So I guess this should not be much of an issue.
I also look forward to pictures from you, since this is perhaps the best hardware on offer from an Indian carrier. The comment about JD: do you not partake of the `good things'? :-p May of us Bacchus worshippers would like to know the choices available around. Of course, picture will surely help. Most passengers being transfer passengers shows the proof of the pudding: AUH is indeed an efficient hub for passengers, and this is working out quite well. I was looking forward to reading about the bus experience, but you had a personalised epxerience: nice!
Do tell us more, in more detail.
Cheers, Sumantra.

ameya · Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2015 3:40 pm Post subject:

Nice TR!

Wish DEL gets some technology to start flashing flights which are about to board or similar and have separate queues.

Sadly we indians will all flock to the queue which is moving fast irrespective of what the board reads !
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yatrik · Member Joined: 08 Nov 2012 Posts: 19