A new month brought yet another overnight
trip to Delhi. Alas, Air India had trimmed their daytime schedules to
DEL (most of the daytime flights were HKG and BKK connections)
significantly due to SARS, so my only viable options this time were Jet
Airways or Indian Airlines. Since Jet Airways panders nicely to my KLM
Platinum Elite status, they won my business this time round.
15 April 2003
9W 406
Boeing 737-4H6
Mumbai Chattrapati Shivaji to Delhi Indira Gandhi International
===============================================================
Jet Airways had a plethora of morning flights (7am, 730am, 8am, 920am)
to pick from on this trunk route, but since my work in Delhi wasn't
scheduled until 230pm I decided to pick the lunchtime flight at 11am
instead. Accordingly, I left home around 945am for the quick drive over
to the Domestic terminal I-B.
The airconditioning in the terminal was a welcome respite after the
short walk in the heat from the car to the entrance, and I wiped my
sweat away as my tote went through the X-ray machine. To my chagrin, the
stem of my sunglasses (HK$50 from Shenzhen in October) had to pick this
exact moment to separate themselves from the rest of the frame and I
cursed softly as I made my way towards the checkin counters.
My KLM status entitled me to checkin at the Club Premiere desks and the
sweet agent there offered to check my carry-on, promising me that it
would be less hassle than to lug it around and that it would be at
baggage claim before I was. I took her word for it and she festooned it
with a plethora of Priority tags to ensure that her colleagues on the
ramp paid it special attention. I was also handed an invitation to the
lounge, but as boarding was due to commence in only 10 minutes, I
decided to give it a pass. Security was its usual efficient and thorough
self and I proceeded without any hassles. It never ceases to amaze me
just how dependant the rubber stamp industry in India must be upon
Airport Security. My boarding pass was affixed with two stamps saying "CISF
SECURITY - BOM" and the tag on my laptop case with yet one as well, with
more stamps to come later in the process.
Regular readers of my trip reports will recall that the main runway
09/27 at Mumbai is undergoing resurfacing between 9am to 5pm daily, so
the secondary runway 14/32 is in use by day. This is all hunky dory
except for the fact that there is no taxiway access to the threshold of
runway 14. When the Air India Engineering hangar was expanded to take
over the western taxiways a few years ago, the plan was to clear some of
the illegal slums located just beyond the eastern boundary wall and
create a new taxiway there. Unfortunately, various politicians and
courts intervened to get a stay order placed on that plan, thus leaving
aircraft in the unenviable position of having to backtrack all the way
from the 09/27 intersection in order to access the active runway. From a
passenger perspective it meant that movements were effectively
restricted to 5 minute separation, causing delays all across the board.
Not surprisingly, the inbound flight from COK that was being operated by
the aircraft due to take us to DEL was one of the casualties of this
typically Indian situation. It had just landed arout 20 minutes late and
was taxiing to its stand, with the result that our flight was now listed
as "Delayed due to late arrival of incoming aircraft". This was
especially annoying because had I known this before I came through
security, I would have gone to the lounge instead of subjecting myself
to the hellish atmosphere of the departure hall which reminds me a bit
of the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York. It is crowded, bustles
with the sound of a hundred different languages and has long queues of
people lined up for no apparent reason. There are no jetways at this
terminal either, so all passengers are bussed to the aircraft which we
could see parked out on the tarmac in front of us.
Finally, just before our scheduled departure time of 11am, a boarding
call was made for the Delhi flight. Our bags were X-rayed and rubber
stamped again and all passengers were frisked again with two more rubber
stamps affixed to my boarding pass, this time saying "9W SECURITY - BOM".
We boarded the bus and set off on the short journey to stand 6 where VT-JAF
awaited us in the blazing sun.
I was the first passenger aboard through the forward stairs and walked
through the empty Club Premiere cabin on my way to seat 10F.
Surprisingly, there was already a man seated in the aisle seat 10D who I
strongly suspected was the skymarshal as his boarding pass (which had
fallen on the floor in front of the empty 10E) simply said "PASSENGER/MR"
instead of an actual name. He was dressed in a normal short sleeved
shirt and slacks, but kept his feet on the floor at all times during the
flight leading me to believe that his weapon was probably in an ankle
holster. Nonetheless, he was very accomodating and courteous as a seat
opponent.
Doors finally closed around 1130am and the captain came over the PA
system to announce that the earliest slot available for us to take off
would be at noon, so we would have to sweat it out on the tarmac until
then. The crew did a fantastic job with the service though, coming
around with a drink service, the trademark tray of candy and a cold
towel service within the next 20 minutes. Our aircraft today was an
ex-Malaysia Airlines plane and at a few weeks older than 10 years is the
second oldest aircraft in a 41-strong fleet that has an average age of
only 3. It is configured with 24 seats in Club Premiere (mainly empty
today) and 112 seats in Economy (about 3/4 full). The Economy seat pitch
is rather tight at just under 30", but its not unbearable as no flights
are longer than three hours. The aircraft was staffed with 5 Flight
Attendants with 2 assigned to the premium cabin and 3 to the main cabin.
At around 1155am we began to taxi and the safety demo was performed
manually with both English and Hindi commentary. We waited at the 09/27
intersection as Air Sahara's VT-SIG took off for Pune before turning
onto the active runway and speeding our way down to the southeast corner
of the field. There we turned around and the captain opened up the
throttles without delay. As we lifted off, I caught a glimpse of the
Indian Airlines hangars where the shells of the 5 scrapped A300s were
parked. A sad sight indeed.
We climbed swiftly over the northern suburbs, banked right and set
course for Delhi. As we levelled out at 33000 feet, the crew began the
lunch service. Jet Airways uses real cloth napkins for their meal
services even in coach, albeit with plastic silverware. The food itself
is served in elegant "proper" dishes rather than the impersonal foil
casseroles that tend to be the norm in the rest of the industry. The
meal itself consisted of a salad (without dressing), an entree of
Chicken Curry with rice and a side of potatoes, and a desert of a single
rosgolla in a bowl. There was no drink service offered with the meal,
but a bottle of water was included on the tray. Surprisingly, there was
also no bread of any type offered. The food was very tasty, but the
quantity was somewhat of a disappointment compared to my previous meals
with them. Ironically, after setting the standard for inflight catering
in the Indian domestic market when it first started operations, Jet is
now firmly in third place out of the three main domestic competitors
(Indian Airlines, Jet Airways, Air Sahara).
Our flight time was just under 2 hours today and it passed uneventfully
until we were on short finals. Those familiar with Delhi will know that
runway 10/28 runs from the domestic terminals at the extreme eastern end
of the field to the international terminal at the extreme west. As a
result, there tends to be a lengthy taxi time for domestic arrivals or
international departures when the usual runway 28 is in use. To my
surprise we came in very steep to runway 28, touched down just past the
numbers and immediately hit both the reversers and the brakes. I sat in
shock as we came to a screeching halt before turning around in the
middle of the runway and backtracking to the first turnoff where we
exited directly to the domestic ramp. All this while another aircraft
was visible on approach to the same active runway. I can honestly state
that this is the first time I have ever experienced something quite this
irresponsible on the part of any commerical pilot anywhere in the world.
We taxied to our stand and chocked on at 2pm sharp as two sets of stairs
rolled up to the aircraft. The co-pilot was standing by the forward door
as I was exiting, so I made it a point to ask if he "pulls that kind of
stunt on an active runway often"? He turned red and gave me a nervous
laugh as I walked away into the 41 Celcius (106 Fahrenheit) heat.
Needless to say, I was less than impressed.
Inside the terminal, I arrived at the appropriate carousel to find that
the Priority tags had actually worked and my luggage had indeed made it
there before me as promised! I grabbed the bag and was in a cab en route
to my meeting by 206pm, a scant six minutes after the doors opened.
Extremely impressive baggage handling.
15/16 April 2003
New Delhi, India
=================
The delay had forced me to shuffle my schedule a little with the result
that I finished off my work for the day before heading to the Maurya
Sheraton around 430pm. I was extremely impressed that the front desk
staff there recognized me (my third visit in a month) and welcomed me by
name. I had even been preassigned to a nice corner room on the Corporate
Floor which I accepted with thanks. A quick signature on the checkin
folio and I was on my way to the room within a minute of walking through
the doors. Yet another reason why Starwood continues to win my business.
Up in the room, I showered quickly before heading down to pick up some
snacks from the excellent pastry shop in the lobby. The Chicken and
Mushroom quiche was exceptional and a bargain at only Rs.35 (US$0.75).
Back upstairs, housekeeping had delivered turndown service in the brief
interval that I was away and I kicked back with CNN as I devoured the
quiche.
Around 7pm, I decided to head out to Connaught Place to grab some
dinner. To those unfamiliar with Delhi, this is the heart of the
downtown shopping district with a whole range of both designer and local
stores and restaurants. I wandered for a while before settling on a
small dhaba for dinner. A dhaba is a traditional Punjabi eating house,
usually frequented by truckers, serving excellent food in a cafeteria
style atmosphere for a very reasonable cost. I tucked in and ate my fill
for the relatively expensive (by dhaba standards) cost of Rs.98 (US$2),
but I guess the prime location accounted for the "high" prices.
After dinner, I happened to walk by the McDonalds nearby. To my
surprise, there are sandbags and armed guards with submachine guns
outside. Everyone entering the restaurant is frisked for weapons and
packages are checked. McDonalds is allegedly a beacon of Americana
around the world, symbolizing freedom and capitalism. Are armed guards
and sandbags the right way to portray this image? And if they have
become so neccessary, isn't someone somewhere doing something wrong?
Some food for thought on a warm Delhi evening as I headed back to the
hotel before turning in for the night.
The next day had a similar schedule that allowed me to sleep in before a
full afternoon schedule. The front desk was very accomodating and
granted me a 6pm late checkout, giving me a nice cushion for my 730pm
flight. With the mercury climbing up above 40 Celcius (104 Fahrenheit)
again today, I decided to grab an early lunch in the hotel coffee shop
instead of braving the elements. In retrospect this was a very wise
move. The restaurant was having a "Spicy Crab Festival" featuring (as
the name suggests) crabmeat cooked using spicy recipes from around the
world. I picked a Sri Lankan crab curry and was very impressed by both
the food and service.
The lunch was an excellent precursor to a highly productive afternoon,
with the only problem being that things ran late and it was just past
6pm by the time I got back to the hotel. Fortunately, the front desk was
able to process my checkout while I dashed upstairs to grab my bags.
There was an envelope waiting in my room inviting me to the manager's
cocktail reception in the Dublin pub that evening if my schedule
permitted, but alas I had a flight to catch. The doorman even had a cab
summoned and waiting for me at the door when I came back down. Excellent
service by the Sheraton yet again and I was on the road en route to the
airport by 625pm.
16 April 2003
9W 354
Boeing 737-85R
Delhi Indira Gandhi International to Mumbai Chattrapati Shivaji
===============================================================
I arrived at the airport just after 650pm, barely making the 7pm cutoff
for checkin. Unfortunately, the only seats left were middles but the
friendly agent at the desk offered to either switch me to the 830pm
flight or to take my chances if an aisle or window opened up. As I had
told my mom to hold dinner for me in Mumbai and she would slaughter me
if I took a later flight, I chose the latter option. The agent promised
to notify me if something opened up and handed me an invitation to the
lounge.
The Jet Airways lounge in Delhi is actually a section of the airport
restaurant set aside for Club Premiere passengers and elites (including
KLM Elites like myself). There is a decent snack buffet and efficient
waiters who bring you drinks on request. I relaxed with a Kingfisher
beer as I caught up with some phonecalls. Not the most luxurious airport
lounge, but a definite haven from the teeming masses in the departure
lounge below.
Around 710pm, boarding was called for flight 354 to Mumbai. I headed
downstairs and proceeded through security without any hassles, noting
with interest that the rubber stamp industry was booming in Delhi as
well. To my surprise, I was flagged down in line by the same agent who
had checked me in at the counter and he presented me with a new boarding
pass (pre-stamped by the security checkpoint that I had just passed) for
aisle seat 29C. I thanked him and headed out to the bus on the tarmac
where I was again frisked and my laptop inspected (with appropriate
rubber stamps saying "9W SECURITY - DEL" affixed to confirm this of
course).
The ride out to VT-JNX on the tarmac took a while as we threaded our way
through a small armada of Indian Airlines A320s parked closer in. I
boarded through the rear stairs and took my seat in the last row of the
cabin. A few minutes later a group of 3 passengers came along and asked
if I would be willing to switch to 29D across the aisle to enable them
to sit together and I gladly consented. My new seat opponents in 29EF
were a young couple flying back to Mumbai with a new baby who couldn't
have been more than a month old. I groaned at the thought of a noisy
child, but the baby was incredibly well behaved and scarcely made a
sound throughout the flight.
Doors closed promptly at 730pm and the crew finished the safety demo and
cold towel service during our short taxi out to runway 28. This aircraft
was one of the babies of the fleet, having celebrated her first birthday
last month. She was configured with 28 Club Premiere and 126 Economy
class seats, all of which were filled today, and staffed by six flight
attendants. Interestingly enough, the flight attendant for the rear
cabin was Sheetal, the girl featured on the website and in all the Jet
Airways promotional material.
We were airborne quickly but the captain kept the seatbelt sign on until
we levelled out at 35000 feet due to mild turbulence at the lower
altitudes. The meal service began immediately after this, strangely
enough with no drink service having been offered either on ground or
after takeoff. It featured a batata vada (potato ball) with chutney as
an appetizer, chicken with cashewnuts served with rice and cauliflower
as an entree and an excellent kheer (rice pudding) as desert. A hot
paratha was served with the meal as well. The tray setting also featured
the usual cloth napkin/plastic silverware packet and the bottle of
water. Again, the quality was excellent and the quantity was
significantly more substantial than the lunch had been.
After the meal service I dragged out the laptop and polished off some
work before the seatbelt sign came on to indicate our descent into
Mumbai after a brisk 90 minute flight. We made a normal approach into
runway 27, but to my surprise we slowed our descent rate significantly
towards the end and wound up floating halfway down the runway before
touching down just short of the 14/32 intersection. As a result, we were
again subjected to full reverse thrust and heavy braking in order to
make the last turnoff by the domestic terminals. We taxied quickly to
our stand and I disembarked from the rear airstairs to catch the first
bus back to the terminal. On the way, we had to stop as the Swiss A330
just arrived from Zurich crossed our path on its way to the
international terminal. For a brief moment, I felt like a character from
Godzilla as this gigantic machine taxied past scant feet away.
We continued our journey to the terminal past the dormant ATR72s without
any further excitement. With no checked bags today, I able to exit the
tiny arrivals area within 30 seconds and made my way to the curb just as
my dad was pulling in to pick me up. Another trip had ended. Overall the
Jet Airways experience was a change from my usual Air India service on
the route, not neccessarily for the better. Air India's seats are much
more comfortable at 32" pitch and I find the inflight service a lot more
consistent. Jet wins the ground handling battle by a long way, partly
because it spares the annoying formalities of "domestic immigration" and
"domestic customs". Perhaps comparisons are not really fair because AI
and 9W cater to very different markets. Next time I'll try Indian
Airlines for a more even comparison. Nonetheless, I was highly
disappointed with the professionalism and skill of Jet's pilots. They
are young for the most part with a reputation for being a little
reckless, a stereotype that they did nothing to dispel during this trip.
Hopefully experience will bring them maturity and improved flying
skills.
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