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iflytb20 · Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 5:22 am Post subject: BLR-BOM on 6E

DATE OF TRAVEL : 22/12/08
ACFT : VT-INT A320-200
FLT NO : 6E 414
SEAT NO : 25F
STD : 1245 HRS
STA : 1420 HRS
LOAD : 80 PAX appx

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This was a very painful trip for me. Painful because i was going back to work after 1 week of pure laziness at home. The Booking was done online through their website and the entire process took about 05 min. I also pre-selected my seat online. So much for the background information, let's get on with the show.

Travel to the Airport
I might be one of the few people who actually gained from the shifting of airports. From an airport which was over an hour away, i got an airport which was just half an hour away. But even then, the trip to the airport was anything but normal. It all started well, for i had started almost 01:15 hrs before the reporting time. But alas, all my careful planing went up in smoke, or to be exact, went up in compressed air. Yes, you guessed it. The rear wheel of my car went pftttttttttttttt. End result - approx 30 min of lost time. (The jack was semi rusted - the car was a taxi). Once we finally started moving again, i told the driver to step on it. And that he did. Driving faster than the speed of scream, he covered in 15 min, what would normally take 30. And 15 terror filled minutes later, i was getting out of the vehicle at BIAL.

Check-In / Security
Check-In was a breeze, taking a total of 5 min. And since BIAL has inline baggage screening, 10 min after entering the terminal building, i was making my way through security. But it was during check-in that i was informed about the delay in departure - an 35 min delay to be exact. But the good thing is that the staff informed me in time. Infact, my boarding pass had the revised departure time printed on it.

^^Proof of travel. Notice the revised departure time on the Boarding Card

The Wait
Ah, the dreaded butt-numbing wait before you board a butt-numbing flight. After making my way through security, i ambled across to Gate 8, our designated departure gate. The were about 40 odd people already sitting there when i reached.Finding a peaceful corner for myself, i started jotting down the points for this TR. Even though the 6E ground staff were very polite in dealing with the pax, some of them decided to make a scene. Even though they tried their best to provoke the staff, they (staff) remained cool and were very polite in dealing with the pax. In fact, one gentleman wanted to know why he was not informed about the delay while the revised departure time was very clearly visible on his boarding pass.Thankfully common sense soon prevailed (after his boarding pass was brought to his notice) and he went back to his seat grumbling. And at 1253 our aircraft, which was operating as 6E 121 from DEL, landed on R09. The delay, i was informed, was due to fog at DEL in the morning.

During the wait I spotted VT-VJD departing to LHR as IT001 bang on schedule. And 5 min after she vacated the gate, sister ship VT-VJN arrived as IT002 (?) from LHR. Also spotted were a couple of 9W departures (both 737s and ATRs).

Boarding
The boarding was very civilised (a rarity) with women with infants actually being allowed to go first. After walking though the boarding gate, we proceeded down to the ground floor from where we were bussed to the aircraft. A short ride later we were deposited at Bay 9, where our plane was parked. Since my seat was towards the aft, i boarded through the Aft entry door, where i was welcomed by a smiling Air Hostess. After putting all my hand baggage in the overhead bin, i settled down in my seat for the 01:20 hrs flight to BOM.The boarding was started at 1310 , and by 1317 "All On Board" was announced over the PA. The doors were closed at 1320, right on revised departure time.

As we were parked right next to VT-VJN, i managed to get a few pictures of her.

^^VT-VJN with a guy doing the most unwanted job - cleaning the toilets

^^Seat Pitch

Pushback, Taxi out and Departure
The pushback was commenced at 1327 (a delay of 7 min from revised, and 42 min from STD), a delay which was due to an 9W ATR crawling behind us.We pushed back facing West, and a short while later (4 min), we started our taxi. We taxied to R09 via taxiway D-A-A6 before lining up on R09. Soon we were cleared for Takeoff, and at 1344, we were airborne. And 21 min later at 1405, we leveled out at our cruising altitude of i-have-no-idea feet.

A point to note thought, the security briefing which was carried out during taxi, was conducted in a very unprofessional way (the only negative point about the flight). The cabin crew were giggling away to glory with some of the actually bursting out into laughter. All this while making the PA.

^^Taxi Out

^^There goes my plan for an inflight walk

^^Ramp view on departure

^^During Climb

Cruise
The cruise was an uneventful one, with no turbulence whatsoever. I managed to catch up on some much needed studies, and also on something even more important - grub / food / chow / khana / yum-yum. A Chicken Sandwich and a bottle of water set me back 175 Rs, but it was worth every penny. The sandwich was so tasty (plus i was so hungry) that even before my camera powered up, i had finished it. The rest of the flight was spent studying.

^^IFS - In Flight Studies

^^A unique thing about 6E - the No Smoking sign replaced by ....

Descent, Approach, Landing and Taxi In
The descent was started at 1435, after 30 min of cruise. The descent was uneventful, and a few turns later, we were established in the ILS R27 at BOM. A few bouncy minutes later, we made contact with terra firma with a not-so-firma landing at 1451 for a total flying time of 01:07hrs. We vacated the runway via taxiway W and then via A1 to bay 1.

^^ Approaching the Eastern Express Highway

^^Crossing the threshold abeam VAJM [Jari Mari]. Look carefully and you might spot Sean Spotting

Disembarkation and Baggage collection
We chocked-on (bad bad english) at 1500 (a total delay of 40 min from STA).As soon as the aircraft came to a complete stop (i never experienced an incomplete stop, but i wonder why the crew always say so)everybody jumped up as if they had spotted a snake under their seat. People in the front half of the plan turned towards the front, and the other towards the rear. Now in BOM normally one gets down from the front only, but since ppl had boarded from the rear, they expected to get down the same way too. This resulted in a situation where almost everybody bar 10 odd chaps got down, while the above mentioned people continued staring towards the rear as expecting a magician to suddenly appear out of thin air. Only after the crew told them, did they do and about face and quick march to the front of the plane. I followed them and after a quick chat with the cockpit crew, i caught the last bus to the terminal.

Once i entered the terminal, i found that the bags were already there. And 3 minutes later i saw my beautiful, lovely bag come running towards me. (A bit dramatic i agree). And after i was re-united with my bag, i made my way out of the terminal to end what was a week off at home.

^^May the Force be with you

Overall
Ground Service 8/10
Cabin Service 6/10
Cleanliness 10/10
Punctuality 7/10
Catering 10/10

Average score 8.2

And yes,i would definately travel on Indigo (6E) again.

(1) Please forgive the poor quality pics - shot using my pea-shooter.
(2) Comments , Advice welcome.

Karan69 · Member Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 1334

Great report Raj, always nice to get a pilots perspective when he flies as a paying pax,

In your landing pic at BOM u can see the Combi VT_EPX parked at the extreme end the wall after that is the beginning of my office complex, thats why i was to post the update on it the other day

Nice read, which is gonna be your first flight as captain

Karan

sreenath_y · Member Joined: 27 Apr 2008 Posts: 528

Hehehe... fantastic TR mate. Glad you were sucessfully "reunited" with your bag. LOL. Like that VAJM shot. Two IGO a/c in one. Wink

avbuff · Member Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 5031

Nice TR! your element of humor does make it special! Very Happy

iflytb20 · Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 1:53 pm Post subject:

yash777 · Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 3:33 pm Post subject:

rutvij · Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2008 2:13 am Post subject:

Superb TR! Short, Sweet & Humourous indeed.

Captain, what happened to ur Free yearly entitlement?

Rutvij

sri_bom · Member Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 2365 Location: Singapore

Nice TR

Sri_Bom

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

Make sure you get pics of your first few flights... and nice TR.
Sorry I didn’t get follow up on the spotting plans ... I kinda lost track
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eP007