Recently, I was in Bangalore for a short Holiday made possible due to the availability of low cost air tickets. I remember the time when air travel was too expensive for us and by train it took almost more than 40 hours to reach to Bangalore from Delhi. Short trips were just not possible then.
When we do air tickets, we solely go by the lowest price. For two and a half hour flight everything else can wait. This time we booked our tickets through Makemytrip.com. They got us Air Sahara round trip tickets for Rupees 7500 per person. I have traveled with Air Sahara before they tried to get a merger with Jet Airways (and failed). That experience was good (they had excellent meals back then) though the ticket cost was more than twice too. I was a bit apprehensive how it would be this time but all in all, it was not a bad trip.
The Check-in at Delhi: Nightmare is the word to describe it. I was dog tired, coming straight from work (after teaching 18 year olds!) and the Air Sahara counters were overflowing with people. And overflowing people mean chaos and frequent attempts to break the queue (we Indians just can’t stand in a queue!). Sesha and I stood in different lines, maximizing our chances that at least one line may move. Both moved at a snail’s pace and I asked at least three people (politely) not to break the queue (and got ugly glances in return but I can live with it). A few people (and one well dressed young girl, actually she started that unofficial line) tried directly to go to the back of the counter to bypass the queue but thankfully she (and everyone else) was told to join us mortals for the check-in. My line moved faster and Sesha got out of his. But when I handed the lady our tickets and photo identity cards, she started talking to her colleague and complained loudly about her supervisor not giving any attention to the legitimate demands and got out of her seat! Not very confidence inspiring but thankfully she handed our tickets to another person and I finally got the boarding passes.
We immediately attacked a snack bar and crashed in the waiting area, I reading a book (Silas Marner, still unfinished and I am reading O. Henry now) and Sesha chatting on the phone.
The Flight: I will forgive the lady who got up in quest of her supervisor because her coworker gave us exit row seats! My mood immediately improved. I also got instruction on how to open the door in case of an emergency.
The flight was uneventful (except for the fact that Sesha hates flying and always cribs inside a plane). I still love to watch the Delhi night lights during the take-offs and landings. The meal served was from Taj-SATS but it was a typical flight meal, pretty unappealing. Still, at the price of the ticket I paid for, it was a plus that they were serving a meal! The flight started late from Delhi and arrived late at Bangalore.
The Return Flight: I was traveling alone from Bangalore to Delhi as Sesha was coming later. And can you believe it? I got the exit row seat again. And next to me were a bunch of giggling, cackling teenage girls going to Delhi for some school competition (don’t know which school they studied in!) but thankfully they feel asleep halfway through the flight. The breakfast again was very average but the flight was on time.
On both the flights their cabin crew was polite and professional. On our return flight the flight captain was a lady but I could not catch her name on the announcement system properly. If Air Sahara manages to give me such good prices, I will have no problem flying with them again.
beleive me it was a wonderful trip..try air deccan next time.. they dont have seat numbers so at the time of announcement it is like everybody rushing to get the best seat – something like a local bus.. u can well imagine the condition of the ‘queues there’..and the train… those 40 hours – best time to fill up ur blog space.. with nothing to do.. u can write on and on… one such trip (quite a big comment – got nostalgic actually.. I lived in mysore for 2 years – my home being in chandigarh) and have been through this bangalore – delhi corridor about 8 X 2 times..)
Sid, I have travelled by Air Deccan many times 🙂 Once Seha and I (Sesha much more than me) got sprayed by Paan from a fellow passenger occupying a seat in the row ahead. I don’t know, we tried once the 40 hour thing recently and we decided to cancel our return train tickets and booked then by Air Deccan!
I once had the ‘lucky’ chance by travelling by it when there was no other alternative available on very short notice. They are almost always late, the queue to board the aeroplane starts quite early and yes there is a damn rush to grab the seat!! Well, if you want adventurous journey, go ahead!!I frequent between Delhi-Mumbai quite often, mostly by Jet, second option being sahara & late night Air-India but I long to go by Rajdhani as in train journey I feel grounded!!.Ha Ha .. This comment has become some more of an advertizement of airlines!!
Cuckoo, my husband shares your views. He also wants to feel grounded and cribs and cribs during the flights. But if we want to take all those other vacations, we need to fly to Bangalore to visist Sesha’s parents or else there would be no leave left 🙂
Yes, I agree. For want of more real time to spend, we need those air travels. But that is all. :))
While nothing can beat the excitement of a train journey but my most recurring thought on every trip is ” Wish I had one more day”.So these low cost carriers are doing a world of good for budget travellers like me.Getting a meal is a bonus .I don’t really look forward to much as long as they drop me safely.I hope the cost cutting battle among them intensifies but I read recently that aviation ministy had freezed new licenses for new airlines. But one thing is sure, things have definately improved for better.
Indians and standing in queue are north and south poles. They can never learn it, nor wish to learn it!That said, I like Air Sahara – they are pretty good. I also liked Spice Jet when I was there. I have no inclination to travel by Deccan, and now hearing your Pan incident…. no ways!Suyog
2 and half hours flight..wow it’s short and sweet.
Cuckoo, I agree, the biggest plus of air travel is time saved. And thanks a lot for stopping by again.VJ, we opt for air travel only on long routes. All the shorter ones, we still travel by train many a times normal 3 tier which we consider good fun if the train is not overcrowded. I too want the air fare to stay low and care about nothing else but reaching the destination safely.Supremus, I think that Pan incident could happen on any low ocst airline 🙂 And the fun was by the time we got back fom the washroon, the not so gentleman had vanished from his seat. We didn’t react initially thinking someone was getting sick.Tarun, it is quite managable to do a Delhi-Bangalore trip even on Air Deccan.
Yes, Flight services need to improve a lot still.
i enjoyed the flight journey with you from delhi to bahgalore. thanks. also, i liked the post you have written on DUSSERA and the way you were amazed seeing all those vehicles after they were decorated.sadly i saw it only after you went back from blore. next time you come here, let’s try and meet.btw, you have been tagged. for details, please visit my blog.
Ajeya, you are right, but low fares are such a blessing that I am willing to ignore many other things.Bellur, sure when I come to Bangalore the next time, and thank for that tag 🙂
keep going! liked the writeup!
Thanks Rajesh.
talking of low fares and easy access to air travel for everyone.. on one such flight (on what else – deccan!!!)i had a passenger who was a sadhu baba – bare foot..will all that jhola and all.. and not looking very affluent.. I had thot of writing a blog on this… but some how it didnt happen
Sid, I am sure that would be some account. Why don’t you write it now?
i agree, the air deccan trips are like adventure trips, u never know whats gonna happen next, only the stakes are high 😉 infact one major problem i face is finding the cheapest fare online! there are so many airlines, & there fares fluctuate everyday, i waste half my day just figuring out whether i shd buy a fare or not!!! came across this site, indiafaredeals.comit does update itself everyday, so i could save some time, but i only wish it covered more cities.
I LOVE Air Deccan. Especially because I flew Mumbai-Delhi and Mumbai-Cochin for as low as 1700 round trip. I didnt mind the mad rush to grab the (already broken and dirty) seats and the hunger shadowed journey. In fact, if tomorrow they put a horizontal bar and make provision for ‘standing’ in the planes, I’d buy a ticket rightaway!While traveling to Canada by BA, I was shocked to see Indians sleeping in the asiles at the back of the plane. This was so embarrassing and shameful to me… I wont be surprised if the paan thing happened there.
Priyank, the paan incident was very much Air Deccan 🙂 But then I too love them for the kind of fare they offer.