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akb · Member Joined: 08 Apr 2013 Posts: 5

It all started sometime in May 2015 when Mihin Lanka announced its direct flight from Colombo to Kolkata. I came to know about it a few days before the formal announcement. The Colombo Durgotsab Cultural Association (a not so small group, at last count, of folk that love to have fun at the drop of a hat) got mighty excited that, now, all “shamogri” for the Durga Puja celebration can actually come from the source without any difficulty !!

I had a lot of work to be concluded and initiated in Kolkata, but I was continuously kicking the can down the road, deterred by the prospect of a long and frightfully boring wait in Chennai airport.

Frankly, acche din had arrived for us! I wonder if anyone can confirm this with any degree of certainty – but I should like to stake a claim that my ticket was perhaps the first sold by the airline in this historic flight (it was not the ticket that I finally travelled on and more of that in just a bit!). I was so impatient that my first line into the call centre met with a hugely apologetic “we have no idea of this flight sir – we know that it is on the cards, but no details are available”. In a few days, the website showed that the flight was open for bookings, and young Jish took time off from his prep sked for his A level exams to do the needful.

Hugely positive twist number one came a few days after the booking. They were now doing buy one get one free for the first three flights out!! And no, my ticket was NOT eligible. Anyway, it made a lot of sense to cancel and rebook with a friend who was patient and smart enough to wait to book!!

Day of the flight and in comes my friend to gather me and my baggage in his huge V8 Toyota Land Cruiser – and on the expressway to the airport, it felt that our equipment to Kolkata might well be this vehicle!! Flight time is perfect at 1105 am, and the airport is not crowded at all (BIAL is never crowded in the worst of times, but today it was much thinner). Mihin had a festive look at check in, lots of welcome standees and lots of staff to help out. Mihin branded card (pen) drives are handed out as souvenirs. Sri Lankan and Mihin staff are hugely welcoming with pearly smiles and greetings. It is a characteristic of the island. We were done for check in in about 5 mins. A little huddle at the other side of the counter follows and then out pours Positive twist no 2, upgraded to business class. At this point in time, Mihin IS the best airline in the whole world!!!

Immigration is as usual – very quick, and the regulation question – do you like Sri Lanka – yes yes very much, it is such a beautiful place – have a pleasant flight etc. Straight on to the Serendib Lounge. It isn’t the best lounge you can find in the world, but the hospitality is top class, and so also the hot breakfast, with choice of egg. Airline top brass are there to take the inaugural and we get chatting, particularly telling them how to market the eastern India geography to Sri Lankans, and Sri Lanka to the hugely itinerant and footloose folk of West Bengal (apparently the largest demographic travel group in the whole world, wow !). Could see our 319 parked and under prep at Gate 8. Looked like a little toy next to the Emirates 777 parked alongside !

Boarding is along with the top brass, and hence attended and personalized. Mr Basu, your seat here Sir, may I help you with your bag etc? Settled in quickly, armed with the phone, and a Nikon Coolpix to do Jishnu’s bidding !! I hope to have done some justice, and would welcome comments and criticism. I find it so tough to hold a camera steady is an aircraft on take off of landing roll. A little turbulence on the way up, and then smooth enough. On the northeastwards direction, saw the thin arm of the Jaffna peninsula stretching endlessly, and shortly after, we flew over what looked to me to be the Trinco harbor. This observation is inconsistent with my knowledge (however limited) of the lay of the island, so I have to check it out. And then over the clouds with a lot of glare, forcing me to pull the window shutter. A pity that no announcements are made on the position or direction. I would have greatly appreciated if we were told whether we were flying straight over the Bay of Bengal or alongside the southeastern coast of India.

There is no inflight entertainment, but there is a variation. Tablets are handed out with preloaded movies, with phones. Cant say if the same is available in coach. I searched the directory – there was nothing of interest for me. Looked at the choices for beverages and settled for some Vodka with tonic, served with almonds and cashew, and chose kababs for lunch. Lunch was an absolute delight, so after about half way thru the flight, I drowsed and dreamt of Hilsa and Himsagar that awaited me in Kolkata!!

The diminished engine hum that announces descent awoke me from my stupor. This was fortunate, and after a while I could discern, from the momentary breaks in the cloud cover, the eastern coast, perhaps in Orissa or West Bengal. And a little later, the riverine veins of the Gangetic Delta! Wow, we were perhaps over the Sunderbans. From this point, as I have experienced in previous flights, landing on the South end of NSCBIA is in about 20 min. This time around, MIhin did a complete turn and approached from the North end, which delayed the flight by about 15 min. No complaints. I am in home base!!!

A tad disappointed that there were no water cannons!! A large welcome banner was placed at the parking bay. Nice and snazzy international terminal, yet prone to service defects. Luggage announced at Belt 16, changed to Belt 11, and then to Belt 11 for priority and belt 14 for others. Ultimately it was belt 11 for all. Unnecessary goof up that can cause reputational damage. Attendants at the airports apportioned the blame to the customs folk. Anyway, no complaints, I am in home base!!

Chatting with top brass again, now accompanied by their GSAs in India, we learn that 3 kolkata CMB flights are fully booked. That’s good news for Mihin, and great news for us. Good show Mihin and Heartiest Congratulations!!!!!

Ashok

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

Sir, I would be lying through my teeth if I said that I was not waiting for a trip report from you, for the last two years plus. And it is not just I, but I guess all of us who frequent this section of AI.net, who remember your photographic and other inputs to Jishnu's trip report and photographic expeditions, exotic intra-Sri Lanka trips, and the gem that you sent us all:
Colombo to Kolkata - Red eye and all..
http://www.airlinersindia.s4.bizhat.com/airlinersindia-post-131375.html
And Jishnu had told us well in advance, about this gem coming in for us, a trip report on the same sector, the first flight on a route for an airline, and an exotic one at that as well, Mihin Lanka! Sir, thanks for a wonderful report with pictures, written in an engaging manner which is copyrighted to the Basu family.
And once again, I really wish we had more people interested in aviation in our extended family. I remember the Hong Kong jaunt, where the three of you talked aviation, and identified not just planes, but flights as well. Jishnu has been a bit reserved in talking about his Dada's aviation interests, but I hope to follow it up when I meet him in July, but possibly missing out on a rendezvous with the senior Basu Jr.
I really envy the Basu family's excitement in the planning, and travelling.
There is a sense of faced paced excitement one feels, at reading what you and Jishnu write: this is amazing. I wish all of us could write as well as you both do. A buy-one-get-one-free ticket, a neat souvenir, and an upgrade: wow!
Your eye for detail is something Jishnu has inherited as well. That upside-down signage at the BIAL lounge was hilarious!
Sir, you had me stuck up at the F&B section for quite a while. The Hilsa-and-Himsagar alliteration and wordplay is again, (c) The Basu family.
Your superb pictures do justice to the meal. The visual appeal is incredible!
The belt goof-up was interesting: I have experienced this in PNQ for instance, but in a larger airport like CCU T2, it would not be a nice experience in any way.
Sir, thanks once again for a lovely report, and we look forward to many, many more from you (and Jishnu, of course). There would not be too many who are as well-travelled as you are Sir, and your writing style and pictures endears yourself to all on this forum, and more so, serves as a model, and inspiration for youngsters like me.
Admiringly, Sumantra.

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

Wonderful report and thank you for taking time out to note all the finer details.

I always thought Mihin Lanka was a some sort of low cost carrier that was always under the shadow of big brother Sri Lankan Airlines. The business class feature has bowled me and the service seems to be top notch right from serving the nuts in a bowl to the food presentation. I am sure you would have enjoyed this flight just as I did reading it.

Sri_Bom

abhijith16 · Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2015 7:36 pm Post subject:

Hello Sir!

Excellent TR on the inaugural Mihin Lanka CMB-CCU! Very interesting Mihin chose to launch CCU. I, for one truly hope that the route is successful!

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

jbalonso777 · Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2015 12:53 pm Post subject:

Hey all,
Some more pictures that Dad took over his last few trips.

Starting off with his DXB trip: he flew Qatar Airways to Dubai, and three of the four flights were on wide bodies:
QR669 CMB-DOH B77W A7-BAT
QR1006 DOH-DXB A346 A7-AGC (she went tech straight after Dad's flight, didn't fly until 7 hours later!)
QR1019 DXB-DOH A320
QR664 DOH-CMB A333

Following the inaugural Mihin Lanka flight, he had to fly to Mumbai for some work. Airline of choice, no surprises, the wonderful Jet Airways. Wink

This was a multi city booking CCU-BOM on 20th June 2015 on 9W610 and BOM-CMB on 24th June 2015 on 9W252. Now this was when the rains were some of the worst in Mumbai. It had some effects.....

9W610 was operated by one of the two super-awesome Boeing 737s in Jet Airways' fleet: VT-JBX. VT-JBW/X have the amazing Boeing Sky Interior alongside full in-flight entertainment!

9W252 got delayed by a whole 2 hours due to late domestic aircraft arrival - the last few pax came in from the GOI flight.
VT-JBB operated this flight, and once again Dad was bumped up to J.
The return 9W251 CMB-BOM was delayed by about 1.5 hours, however, judging by the delays of 9W flights leaving BOM post 12am, there wasn't much of a knock on effect. Smile

Jet Airways 737 at an aerobridge?!

Another Jet Airways 737 at an aerobridge?! What happened to the remote bay departures? Wink

(That's VT-JGF to BAH)
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http://www.youtube.com/c/JishnuBasu777

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

Um...Jishnu, is that a short-cut to some trip reports? Sad

I can sight some quite exotic (at least, for me!) routings.
1. The DXB trip:
- an intra-gulf short flight, and that too, on an A346!
- The B77W leg: nice virtual instrument panel views, and yes, a nice breakfast Smile

- Rain at Doha! there would be a qatAr to write chaupAI[i/]s on this view of (a) [i]dohA! Razz

- the lantern control tower...I wonder how the CCU one is going to turn out.
2. The Mumbai/Colombo trip:
- Nice rainy pictures of CCU/NSCBIA T2. I am familiar with such scenes, they are nice to enjoy from the insides of this nice terminal Smile

- VT-JBW/X with BSI, but full IFE? Please pardon my ignorance, but weren't 9W taking in birds without their AVOD IFE units? Or have I completely lost it? Perhaps, yes, since you and Rishul perhaps know 9W more than most 9W employees themselves.
- That snack looks very inviting!

Now, if those pictures are teasers to complete trip reports, we are not complaining! Thank you, once again, to both generations of the family.
Cheers, Sumantra.

sabya99 · Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2015 6:10 pm Post subject:

Thanks to both generation of Basu’s for posting a lot of information about Columbo-CCU flights. One thing is certain although Sri Lanka is not so far away from Kolkata ( may be very close historically ) , we know little of it. This flight might be a repeat of Vijay Singha’s voyage to Sri Lanka from ancient Bengal and a lot of Kolkata folks will eventually travel there. I am curious about the presence of so many Kolkata people over there. After all Columbo neither a major industrial city nor oil center and only a few years ago ravaged by civil war. In any case spread the image of Goddess Durga all around the globe!
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Sabya99

ameya · Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2015 8:05 pm Post subject:

Thoroughly enjoyed reading the entire TR and seeing the pics Sir. Thanks for taking time out to post the same.

The airline colors along with the boarding pass, signage is strikingly similar to Go Air !
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akb · Member Joined: 08 Apr 2013 Posts: 5

Hi all thank you so much for your encouraging replies !!

Yes - I would be writing some more about the Jet Airways Business Class experiences !

Thank you all for the enthusiasm!

Ashok