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me111993 · Member Joined: 04 Sep 2009 Posts: 3225 Location: MAA/AMD

Hi all,
I type this TR as we cruise somewhere over southern Maharashtra, bound for Chennai on board VT-JGJ operating 9W 338.

I was originally supposed to fly out on the 3rd of July as college started on the 4th of July, but I postponed it to the 8th -
My grandparents celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary this year and a big celebration was lined up in Indore (because both my grandparents were born in places close to Indore and both have a lot of family members there); also my cousin sister was getting engaged, and because both occassions were with in a close span of eachother, my uncle and aunt from Canada were aalso here.
So, all of us drove down to Indore from AMD, comfy drive, on the 24th of June, as the function was on the 25th evening, on the 26th afternoon I accompanied my aunt to Bhopal, where my maternal granddad lives, my birth place and proudly my hometown Smile

.

So we were to leave Bhopal on the 29th, by the evening flight (9W 2510) and I was already a tad iffy, because after a 2 month awesome holiday you really don't wanna head back, my uncle-aunt were going back on the 2th evening (9W 2324/228/230) as well, these things were playing on y mind, as such the college opened on a Wednesday, bunk 3 days, you get 5 days off, on the 28th or morning I caught up with a few friends online, most of whom were retuning on the 8th, that was the trigger.

Gave a call to my dad in AMD, to ask for a postponment, to which I got - 'You're an adult now, your attendence, your college, you decide! And I did!
And this is how the flight on the 3rd got postponed to the 8th!

On the 29th 9W 2510 was running 25 minutes ahead of schedule now for those interested, a direct flights between 2 cities like AMD and BHO/IDR is certainly not something you expect, but originally Kingfisher operated an AMD-IDR-RPR-CCU service, 9W started AMD-IDR-BHO-RPR-HYD, with the exact same dep time, Kingfisher eventually shifted their flight to an afternoon departure and finally pulled out completely, 9W on the other hand, last october shifted the 1 flight that did AMD-IDR-BHO-RPR-HYD serivce into 2 - AMD-IDR-LKO-PAT-CCU and AMD-BHO-RPR-CCU, both seem to be doing resonably well, given that they didn't revert back to the original routing.

Come to think of it, every JetKonnect a/c based in AMD ends up in CCU in the afternoon, the routings are as follows
AMD-IDR-LKO-PAT-CCU
AMD-BHO-RPR-CCU
AMD-DEL-CCU (this flight will become AMD-DEL-GAU-IXJ)
AMD-BLR-CJB-MAA-CCU

Anyways, getting back on track, I started packing yesterday only to discover that my hand bag weighed 12 kg's, my 1 suitcase weighed 24kg's! This was quickly followed up by 2 more jolting updates - 1 that 9W only allowed 7 kg's in their hand baggage down from 10, and 2 that the excessive baggage fees had increased by 400% to Rs 200 per extra kg. 9W going the 6E way!

Now, 18 years in Gujarat have fully had their effects on me, I just hate parting with my money Razz

, particularly the amount that I can spend in Chennai. So, I removed by college bag, stuffed some of my jeans among other weighty stuff along with my laptop bag into that bag, managed to bring down the weight from my hand suitcase to 8kg's and my check-in suitcase to 23kg's. Now, this college bag was to be my 'complementary laptop bag'. Smile

I had to make sure that my hand suitcase was within limits (or just over) because they did check last time in MAA, when I was coming back.

Today morning left home at 5:30, was at the airport by 6, went to check in, and noticed that Jet now split the JetKonnect and Jet Airways counters, now this was rather convenient, pax DEL/BLR/CJB/IDR/BHO/RPR/LKO went to the S2 counters, BOM pax came to the Jet Airways counter. Nice!

Cheerful agent was sitting there, I smiled and said Hi, (had to butter her up! ) got an enthusiastic Good Morning sir in return, I'd already done my web check-in, so gave her my boarding pass along with the ticket and placed my bag on the weighing machine. 23.7 kg's, she gave me a guilty look (the look that comes on your face when you accidently drop something noisy right beside someone elder is sleeping Smile

) and said its 3kg's extra sir! With a similar look, I asked, will it do? She replied ngeative, and said i've billed you with 2 kgs extra, please pay at the ticketing counter. So that was that.

Once after paymemt, I darted straight back to the front of the check-in line, the lady at the counter gave me my boarding card and wished me a good flight while passengers in the queue shot me those WTF looks for jumping the queue. Wink

Now, what this did was it distracted her from my oversized cabin baggage, which was never checked, haha.
Before security, I pulled my laptop bag off the college bag, and stuffed the college bag into my suitcase which probably weighed 12kgs right now.
Now for the record, this luggage adjustment (better read jugaad) is not something i'm proud off but i'm a student, gimme a break!
So, they just switched on the seatbelt sign, the rest of the TR portion will be written on the ground.

Couldn't post this on the 8th due to some sort of error message on the forum itself, will continue in a bit.
_________________
Causal Determinism : We are hardwired to need answers. The Caveman who heard a rustle in the bushes and checked out to see what it was, lived longer than the guy, who assumed it was just a breeze.

- Greg House

ameya · Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 8:16 pm Post subject:

Gr8... Could you also tell if the S2 bird would do AMD-DEL-GAU - Is the nexxt station IMF ?

me111993 · Member Joined: 04 Sep 2009 Posts: 3225 Location: MAA/AMD

ameya · Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 8:38 pm Post subject:

Nice

Not many fly to DIB, airlines as well as people Smile

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

Lovely start to a trip report, Rishul - you really write very well!
With the baggage episode, I am sure you have touched a cord/chord in all of our hearts Smile

Cheers, Sumantra.

me111993 · Member Joined: 04 Sep 2009 Posts: 3225 Location: MAA/AMD

me111993 · Member Joined: 04 Sep 2009 Posts: 3225 Location: MAA/AMD

So, continuing on, even though there were a decent number of departures ,the airport didn't look that busy, took me 5 mins to clear security, immediately after which I saw an SG 737-900ER (SGD) boarding, was heading to DEL, and honestly, i'm facinated by this planes' operating dynamics.
I stood at the ground floor, staring at the her for a while after which I decided to go upstairs, as 9W 338 always gets an aerobridge.

Upstairs they were boarding 2 flights, S2/SG both to DEL (downstairs too they were boarding one 6E flight to DEL). It still amazes me how big the departure area is, when compared to MAA.

Now, 9W 338, or previously 9W 322 is Jets' very first flight they operated to AMD, older than 17 odd years, previously the a/c did a oneway AMD-BOM-MAA-CJB serivce until 2000 after which they changed it to AMD-BOM-MAA alone still a one way service, until Nov 2009 when they introduced 9W 489 MAA-BOM-AMD, anyways , this flight was very popular back in the day and still holds strong.

One trend that 338 had picked up on was the fact that they were just unable to turn the a/c around within the alloted 40 minutes and lead to delays in AMD, now a 10 min delay in AMD and you arrive i BOM 20 mins late, depart from the gate in BOM 30 mins late and arrive into MAA almost 40 - 50 mins late, i'd experienced it myself all the 3 times I'd gone to MAA using 9W 338, and as I wrote in Varun's TR the other day, I expected a delayed 10 year old 737 doing that route.

At around 620, surprise-surprise, I saw a 9W B737 with winglets pulling into taxiway A1! 15 mins ahead of schedule, the moment the plane rolled past the terminal, my first glance went to the new JetKonnect titles on it, the reg - JGJ. Excellent. This would be my 3rd or 4th time on JGJ!
Jet announced the arrival, and stated that boarding will be from gate - 1 and requested everyone to quickly complete security formalities. The plane docked into gate - 1 but the people just weren't there! Hardly any load flying to BOM, the incoming flight looked full though, considering that they deplaned through the aerobridge as well as the rear door.

I walked around the terminal an ran into a friend was going to BLR on AI. After some small talk I walked back to gate to find that an agent was already standing there, I just walked up too him to ask the load onboard, he said 102 and asked for my boarding card, did his thing with the computer, wished me a good flight and looked towards the CISF bloke who saw my baggage tag, just as this was happening, they announced boarding! I was the first to board! Very Happy

Was greeted at the door by 2 very cheerful FA's (maybe Sunday morning, maybe the light load), walked down to 20F, the emergency exit row. Put my suitcase and laptop bag (you can't have that under the front seat in an emergency row) up.

The plane was superbly maintained, once again remarks how Jet do everything possibly to keep their hard product in the best of conditions. The plane also had the new rexine seats, not the old leather ones.

We pushed back at 0715, 5 mins before departure, so again, it did take the crew 50+ mins to turnaround. The AI flight to BOM (VT-SCM), sched to depart at 0705 was still docked when we pushed back.

Very quiet takeoff, this is one thing you certainly notice with the JG* or the JB* series planes when you compare them with the JN* series planes, quiet takeoff's. Plus, winglets just make the 737 a lot more sexier than it already is!

Within 10 mins post departure, the crew came out with a tray full of what appeared to be croissants, which reminded me of the delicious paneer croissants they'd once served on BOM-AMD once, and yeah they were paneer croissants! There was also an option of a chicken sandwich, which in retrospect I should've tried, particularly because the croissants were a tad cold.

This was followed up with a tea/coffee service. I tell you what, by the time they started collecting the cups, we were already circling over BOM, and it was over the stated 55 mins of flying time already.
The Save the Child donation box came out when we'd already lined up for finals' into RWY 27, after circling for around 15 mins.

This is when you start to wonder that the same set of crew used to do a full meal service on the AMD-BOM, whose block time 5 years ago was 45 mins, and then turnaround the same plane within 40 mins.

Smooth landing, the new terminal in BOM has started looking very good, I must admit ! Saw VT-JBZ, 9W's 737-900ER docked at the intl ramp in preparation for the KTM run.
Wedocked into 1-C, gate A-1, 10 mins behind schedule.
Barring 20 or so passengers, everyone else deplaned, and for the FIRST time in all the transit stops i've had in BOM, I saw a manager dude asking all the ground staff to hury up. He was on his heels all the time and made sure that the ground crew got through with whatever they were supposed to do asap.
Another strange thing was that the crew didn't change, which was never the case, previously, they always changed.
I wanted my laptop out before we departed, as I wanted to write, seeing that the seat next to me was empty, I requested the FA if it were possible, he said that the bag won't be permitted on the seat but I could take my laptop out, and put it into the seatback pouch for departure, which I did.

We pushed back 5 mins behind schedule, which was excellent, and very unexpected! Taxied on to 27, an AI A319 took off ahead of us, and a SG 737 landed before we departed.
Load on this flight was 127 passengers.
We roared straight into the arabian sea, flew straight for 7-8 mins before banking left and heading south. In about 15 mins or so, the meal service started, they started with my row, so I was the first one to be served! Smile

Meal options included aloo-parantha with subzi, sambhar wada and an omlette. I went ahead with the wada, you can feed me south Indian food every day of the year without me complaining! Smile

So, apart from thesambhar wada, we had cooked vermicilli (noodle umpa as I call it), fruit bowl and a dark fantasy biscuit, long with the usual bun. So, no dedicated dessert. Didi they just cost cut off the one thing jasepl likes on 9W flights? hahaha.

none the less, the meal was above average, better than just edible and manged to fill my big stomach up!

After this I got busy in typing this TR, and only when the seatbelt sign was turned on, I turned my laptop off. We'd made good time!
The captain came on the PA, gave us the usual details, said that we expect an on schedule arrival and that while landing we'll get good views of the marina beach, which basically implied that we'd be landing on RWY-25.

It was very windy in MAA, despite which we made a smooth landing, saw the Kingfisher brigade parked on the right of the runway, turned into the taxiway, saw JBX that had returned from SIN earlier, parked just infront of the new domestic terminal, bang on schedule!

We deplaned within 5 mins, again smiling good-bye's from the FA's! Post deplaning , one of the buses was full and it went off, so we all were on the ramp!

This is one thing I love about MAA, they say nothing to ramp photography! We were there were for a few mins before the bus came. The bus on the rear side of the plane was one of those super old ones, so no one on our side even considered going towards it.
5 min busride back to the terminal, belt 5 in use and my bag came in with those with priority tags! Smile

Was out of the airport in under 10 mins, took a taxi and went on to the university.

MAA has now become a lot more organized than what it used to be.

Verdict -
I did document 9W 338 before once and this flight was certainly better than the one before, from a passenger POV, it was an eventless flight, and it really is amazing how good a flight feels if it is on time, partially empty and operated by a neat-clean plane.

Now let me see if I can hook you guys up with some pics, b'cs I have taken some.

PS - spiderguy, we flew on the same day but I beat you in posting the return report! Razz

_________________
Causal Determinism : We are hardwired to need answers. The Caveman who heard a rustle in the bushes and checked out to see what it was, lived longer than the guy, who assumed it was just a breeze.

- Greg House

ameya · Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 9:21 am Post subject:

Considering that from AMD-BOM-MAA , AMD-HYD-MAA, there are now atleast 3 direct flights on this sector, what motivates you to do a one stop ?
FFP / FSC / timings ?

Overall a nice TR. 9W is lately struggling with Turnarounds,

I know somebody who travelled 9W 301 - on BOM-DEL and got it cheaper than SG/6E at comparable timings. Thats actually an indication of poor pricing strategy

me111993 · Member Joined: 04 Sep 2009 Posts: 3225 Location: MAA/AMD

Spiderguy252 · Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 2:47 pm Post subject:

Sounds a touch better than mine. Wink

ameya · Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 6:39 pm Post subject:

Made sense for points to tickets deal.

jasepl · Member Joined: 26 Jul 2008 Posts: 4257 Location: bund-bay

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

Rishul, that was one fascinating part 2!
A unrelated question about BOM: T-1B is something I haven't quite been to since 2006. I wonder if it is possible to cross into 1-B from 1-C. Some time before it was not, since they had a security check somewhere there.
You sure know a huge amount about 9W's aircraft history, and their rotations!

me111993 · Member Joined: 04 Sep 2009 Posts: 3225 Location: MAA/AMD

me111993 · Member Joined: 04 Sep 2009 Posts: 3225 Location: MAA/AMD

VT-SGD off to DEL

VT-JGJ @ Gate - 1

The massive dep area in AMD.

JetKonnect - morning run to DEL.

First to Board!

Very Dirty window. Sad

Empty flight!

This was once an awesome spotting area in AMD. Now demolished Sad

Domestic Term @ AMD

Bye bye home Sad

I support AI's system of giving meals on short flights in boxes. This does look a tad tacky

Interesting cloud patterns!

VT-JGB, about to be returned!

Ground staff fast at work!

10 AI 777's parked in BOM.

Meal on the 2nd leg!

MAA Airport!

Chepauk!

JETKONNECT!

New domestic terminal at MAA!

VT-IGR!

_________________
Causal Determinism : We are hardwired to need answers. The Caveman who heard a rustle in the bushes and checked out to see what it was, lived longer than the guy, who assumed it was just a breeze.

- Greg House

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

Wonderful, Rishul, wonderful.
Thanks for your AMD pictures - this terminal looks very nice, indeed. How are the staff with regard to passengers taking pictures in the teminal?
Does the old terminal building serve as the international one, now?
AI's snack-in-a-box: Rishul, sometimes it is not so. I have been on short flights which had had the item in question handed out (gloves, serving tongs et al) on a napkin, much like what you have shown here - but this would be the exception rather than the rule. In almost all other short flights, it has been on a poly-wrapped small tray. Both Air India as well as Air India Regional (or IC and CD, if you please).
You have some pictures of Jari Mari - did any BOM spotter click your plane on approach?
JGB - Rishul, you are amazing - how could you make out form such a distance? You are a walking Encyclopaedia on Jet - background knowledge, combined with keen observations. and yes, you would give good competition to Ameya on many counts Smile

It is sad to see the AI T7s doing hardly anything at both BOM and DEL.
Your take-off pictures from BOM feature the new impressive ATC tower!
Thanks on the T1-B-T-1C update. Having operated out of BOM quite regularly on Air India, I have always headed off to T1-C post-security, and enjoyed myself there. I can say the same about Junior and The Wife, too! The former simply loves to see planes, and that too, rotating and taking off.
Yes, the food looks great - vermicelli it is. Your description suddenly had me day-dreaming of a delicious iddi-appam prepared by an ex-colleague's wife Smile

Your picture of MAA from above is nice! Since MAA is and will be your base for some time, you would perhaps know quite a bit about the history of the airport. The small taxi-way parallel to the secondary cross runway, and the angled one joining this to the secondary runway - were there ever used as runways in the not-so-recent past? On another thread, Sabyasachi confirmed that the existence of a third grass runway at CCU - had had seen it operational in the late 1960s. DEL (Palam) had another small runway from the technical area side. This is exciting!
When coming in to land at MAA, I always look forward to landing from the sea-side, to see the beautiful Marina beach, Chepauk, and of course, the MGR memorial to the right. It is also nice to see the new temrinal coming up well, though surprisingly, CCU has beat MAA to it, this time, with a trial run.
Oh and yes, my dirty mind correlated the food with windiness, with the digestive system coming in between Sad

Gross, am I not?
Cheers, Sumantra.

ameya · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 5:04 pm Post subject:

Thank you for the kind words.

After a brief hiatus, expansion would again start at AMD. Like there are the early morning departures to DEL, I expect similar to BOM this time around, because BOM does not have night parking but slots are available, so it makes the wisest sense to base in AMD, fly a short hop to BOM and then roam around the country to be back to AMD at night

me111993 · Member Joined: 04 Sep 2009 Posts: 3225 Location: MAA/AMD

Thanks a lot Sumantra!

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

Thanks for the very informative replies, Rishul!

Some more queries: at AMD, does the new terminal double up as the international one? If so, how are the gates separated, if so? Some US airports do not have any separation.

Thanks for the inputs on the Tamarind candies! I did not know one bit of the story. Yes, I love them, too!

me111993 · Member Joined: 04 Sep 2009 Posts: 3225 Location: MAA/AMD

Thanks for the info on the MAA secondary runway!

As for the AMD terminal, they built 2 new terminals, the domestic one opened first, quite some time ago, almost 4 years ago, the new one opened recently., they are both a km apart.

The old international serves as a Hajj Terminal.
_________________
Causal Determinism : We are hardwired to need answers. The Caveman who heard a rustle in the bushes and checked out to see what it was, lived longer than the guy, who assumed it was just a breeze.

- Greg House