Knowing that nothing is going to be happening if I write in my blog, I still want to warn my friends (and unknowns, who accidentally read thru my blog) not to choose air-india flights, especially if they come via Bombay (Mumbai, for hardcode Mumbai friends).
My main problem started way back in Newark, NJ, USA when the air-india flight got delayed by 4 hours. Its not unusual and I was OK with that. What was unusual is what happened to me in Mumbai airport. I had to catch my connecting flight to Chennai @ 9 AM from domestic airport in Mumbai. I had arrived Mumbai international airport @ 4:30 AM. After luggage and customs clearance, I was ready @ about 6:00 AM to hear the shocking news that I will have to carry my luggage all the way to the domestic airport and then do the check-in.
The worst part was the problem due to change in airlines. They transferred me to JET AIRWAYS from Air India and It seems that the JET AIRWAYS counter would close by 6:15 AM. They will be back only by 10:30 AM. The first hit is over.
Now comes the tragic 2nd hit. There is a service (claimed service) which is supposed to take passengers from International to domestic terminals free of cost. I was standing in a line that takes people and the queue was moving decently fast. But the line was really big. So I was patiently waiting to find @ 7 AM that there is a shift timing for this service and by paper there is no waiting time between service shifts. When enquired, they say without any hesitation "we provide a free service. Its not mandatory for us to work for you. Please go and complain to whoever you want". Its a famous dialogue I never heard in any government offices for the past 1.5 years in USA. Someone besides me told "Welcome back to India. Patience also doesnt pay here. Pay from your own pocket."
Everyone told the alternative is to catch a taxi. But when enquired with people around, they said it might cost you around 500 bucks. Although I did have that amount, I didnt want to spend. I was curious to see what would really happen. I waited, waited and waited to finally get the service re-starting @ 8:10 AM. I could catch only the 2nd bus @ 8:25 AM, just 35 mins before my flight. I reached the domestic airport @ 8:50 AM to find to my happiness that the flight got delayed by 25 mins.
As per the "rules", the bags needed to be security checked again. I had to wait in a looooong queue again and get it cleared. But my dearmost attendant of JET AIRWAYS said, "sir you are late. I cant help it". Then I had to argue and explain all the stories above, after which she became kind enough and made a special phone to someone and gave me the boarding pass and got my luggage into the aircraft.
Some of the things I could note of the above experience are....
1. Never try to get into Air-India, unless you really have an issue like I have. I had to get my visa extended.
2. There is no way to express your anger after a honeymoon kinda trip in foreign countries. Be ready for all kinds of illtreatment, or be ready with some money, if you want to get out of trouble.
3. Dont waste time to complain. Nothing works. People listen to you as if these things never happened before, and waste your time.
4. Avoid Mumbai airport for international connections.
5. Have a bottle of water. The areas of airport I explained where I was 4.5 hours didnt have even a single place where I can get some drinking water.
6. If someone expects you to catch the correct connection in Mumbai and is waiting for you in any other place, there is no way to contact them, if you get locked like me. Inform them well before that you might not contact them at all. I didnt find a single pay-phone, STD, ISD booths in the locked place. There are plenty outside and near aircraft, but none in the area of transit from International to domestic or vice-versa.
7. Try to learn basic Hindi words. No one has a clue about English or any of your mother tongues. Even if they do, they are very particular in not talking to you in English.
There are a lot more I couldnt write above. I cant forget this for my life. Even my worst enemy wouldnt treat me in such a harassing way.
My main problem started way back in Newark, NJ, USA when the air-india flight got delayed by 4 hours. Its not unusual and I was OK with that. What was unusual is what happened to me in Mumbai airport. I had to catch my connecting flight to Chennai @ 9 AM from domestic airport in Mumbai. I had arrived Mumbai international airport @ 4:30 AM. After luggage and customs clearance, I was ready @ about 6:00 AM to hear the shocking news that I will have to carry my luggage all the way to the domestic airport and then do the check-in.
The worst part was the problem due to change in airlines. They transferred me to JET AIRWAYS from Air India and It seems that the JET AIRWAYS counter would close by 6:15 AM. They will be back only by 10:30 AM. The first hit is over.
Now comes the tragic 2nd hit. There is a service (claimed service) which is supposed to take passengers from International to domestic terminals free of cost. I was standing in a line that takes people and the queue was moving decently fast. But the line was really big. So I was patiently waiting to find @ 7 AM that there is a shift timing for this service and by paper there is no waiting time between service shifts. When enquired, they say without any hesitation "we provide a free service. Its not mandatory for us to work for you. Please go and complain to whoever you want". Its a famous dialogue I never heard in any government offices for the past 1.5 years in USA. Someone besides me told "Welcome back to India. Patience also doesnt pay here. Pay from your own pocket."
Everyone told the alternative is to catch a taxi. But when enquired with people around, they said it might cost you around 500 bucks. Although I did have that amount, I didnt want to spend. I was curious to see what would really happen. I waited, waited and waited to finally get the service re-starting @ 8:10 AM. I could catch only the 2nd bus @ 8:25 AM, just 35 mins before my flight. I reached the domestic airport @ 8:50 AM to find to my happiness that the flight got delayed by 25 mins.
As per the "rules", the bags needed to be security checked again. I had to wait in a looooong queue again and get it cleared. But my dearmost attendant of JET AIRWAYS said, "sir you are late. I cant help it". Then I had to argue and explain all the stories above, after which she became kind enough and made a special phone to someone and gave me the boarding pass and got my luggage into the aircraft.
Some of the things I could note of the above experience are....
1. Never try to get into Air-India, unless you really have an issue like I have. I had to get my visa extended.
2. There is no way to express your anger after a honeymoon kinda trip in foreign countries. Be ready for all kinds of illtreatment, or be ready with some money, if you want to get out of trouble.
3. Dont waste time to complain. Nothing works. People listen to you as if these things never happened before, and waste your time.
4. Avoid Mumbai airport for international connections.
5. Have a bottle of water. The areas of airport I explained where I was 4.5 hours didnt have even a single place where I can get some drinking water.
6. If someone expects you to catch the correct connection in Mumbai and is waiting for you in any other place, there is no way to contact them, if you get locked like me. Inform them well before that you might not contact them at all. I didnt find a single pay-phone, STD, ISD booths in the locked place. There are plenty outside and near aircraft, but none in the area of transit from International to domestic or vice-versa.
7. Try to learn basic Hindi words. No one has a clue about English or any of your mother tongues. Even if they do, they are very particular in not talking to you in English.
There are a lot more I couldnt write above. I cant forget this for my life. Even my worst enemy wouldnt treat me in such a harassing way.
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