Trip Reports - 3 1/2 Month Tour of India... AA/BA/9W all in Y....

For starters I’m not all that great with writing and this would be my first TR… This will be more about my vacation in India than of my flights… But here goes…

Aug 8
AA 104 JFK-LHR
Departure 8PM
Arrival 7:50 AM

The day has come for me to leave the US and head to India... I planed on going to India for a while but every time I come close to booking a flight the price goes up, so after waiting months and months I found a great fare on Orbitz for AA-BA-9W and I purchased it, so basically now I have just a few weeks to get the shopping done and get few thing done such as getting a visa.. :o My parents told me get a 10 year visa being the rebel I'm I went and got a 6 months visa and kept rest of the money. :D

So after saying a final goodbye to all my Omni buddies my dad took me to JFK... I told him he didn't have to wait so I said a goodbye to him and went into the AA Terminal... I got there around 4PM as my Dad had other business to attend to... Seeing as there was a huge line at Check In I decided get on the queue and after a long time I get up the Y Counter and one of the AA Staff tell me to go over the First Class Check In... So having waited a good hour I just felt Great... So I get to the Counter I asked to be Checked In all the way to BOM, but the Rep goes ahead Checks me into COK. Which was Great...

Then I made my way over to the Luggage screening and I then leave the CHECKIN and Walk All the Way over to the Departures... Before having my try with the TSA, I decided to eat and I had an Ok meal from TGI Friday's... Made a few phone calls to Friends and decided to go through Security.. The Nice TSA Agent told me to take off my shoes, my jacket and my belt... IAfter making my way past Security I put my shoes back on, then my belt and my Jacket, and it felt great... :rolleyes:

So I basically sit/walk around the Terminal for a while and decided that the lock I've is crap, so head over to Brookstone and purchased a pair of TSA Locks... I only needed one but they only sell pairs for $20... So I go and have seat and tried to set the new Lock, and I messed up and basically couldn't get it to reopen, I walk over to the store and tell them of my mishap, and they said only the manager who isn't there right now, has the Keys that will open it to reset it... Seeing I just walked out of the store 20 mins ago, they said they'll give me a new one, and I have them set the lock... Now it was almost time for boarding to start and I waited for them to call my class, and It was the last Class... :o

I got inside the aircraft and made my way to my seat, and since I had a very small Air Bag, I decided to just put it below my seat and then a Kid who 16 I believe came and sat next me (I had Window)... We started talking and he told me he's going to Sweden to train with a Football team his bro's on... He was very nice and we talked most of the flight...

It was time for us to leave the Gate and the Captain or was it an FA (don't remember) kept on repeating not to congregate next to the toilet area... I think we got airborne around 9pm and after a bit the crew came around with the meal, I decided to just try it, and it was crap Forgot what the meal was... I did however buy a beer, and I wasn't asked for an Id... I decided to sleep and when I woke up it was time for Breakfast, and the crew gave us a Snack Box... There's was hardly anything good in it... It was time for landing around 8 something, and the Captain tells us we're on a holding pattern and so we circled for a good half hour before landing...

When we got to the Gate I made my way out of the aircraft and walked over to Flight Connections... There I made my way to BA transfer desk... I forgot what terminal I went to for my BA Flight to BOM... But at the Terminal I thought of converting my USD and looked at the exchange rates (and I was hungry) and I said I can hold it till I get onboard my next flight...

It should be Noted I’ll be doing this TR in Parts…

Aug 9
BA 139 LHR-BOM
Departure 10:50AM
Arrival 12:15 AM + 1 Day

After walking around a bit I noticed a Gate was assigned for my Flight to Mumbai... And seeing as I had nothing to do I decide to go up to the gate and have a seat till they start boarding... Forgot when boarding started and sadly don't remember much till I got on the aircraft.. :( So I'll write about what I remember, and that is when I made my way to my seat, after looking at my boarding pass I took the wrong seat, and it was a window... After being settled in a Mother and her two Kids (British Indians) said that's there seat, and I thought they had it wrong, so i pull out my boarding pass and it was the wrong seat, my seat was in the back, so with the pass in my hand I read it wrong again and made it all the way to the rear, then realized I was wrong again... Finally I make my way to the right row, and I see there are already 2 other pax sitting and my seat (the window) was empty... Now I'm sure that’s my seat.. :D

The aisle seat was occupied by a business man and his partner was sitting across from him on the middle row, and the middle seat was occupied by a British Chick... I get settled in and before you know it, its time for us to push back... (I forgot what the Captain said) but the crew did come around with the Customs Form, and during taxing I was filling mine out, and the Chick next to me asked me something... Then we get talking and she tells me she going to Mumbai to meet up with her friends and she'll be going to Delhi and Goa during her two weeks stay... We actually talked the entire flight and didn't even get any sleep in... :D

I believe it was 11:15 when we departed Heathrow... The crew came around with the drinks and I opted for a Stella, Rachel (the chick) said lets share a wine, and I was more than happy to take her offer. :D Then the meal service started and I forgot what it was, but it didn't taste all that great.... We then started talking about our background and other stuff the entire flight and before we knew it was time to Land at BOM... They did have another meal service, sadly I don't remember what it was. And before landing I got her number and email, I gave her mine as well...

So we land at BOM around 1am and when we got out of the aircraft we had to go to Immigrations and after getting the Stamp we meet up again and head over to the Baggage and I help her with her Bag... And together we made our way to Customs... And there the agent let her go without screening the luggage and I was stopped... And so I told her Bye and she gave me a kiss and left... After having my luggage screened I handed the customs form to an officer and I got the other half back, but It wasn't stamped... Hmm..

From there I got on the Queue for the Terminal Transfer operated by the Airport Authorities... I noticed the crooks that works there take a British Guy to the side... Later he comes out of the bathroom with the two guys and He was on the Bus I got on for transfer, and I decided to take a seat next to him... He tells me that he asked if he could smoke and the two guys told him he can in the bathroom, and when he smoked there they basically said they want to get paid or will report him for smoking... So he pays them off with Cigarettes...

The Bus stops in front of the Cargo area and the new Domestic Terminal... I already arranged to meet up with someone who works in the airport and is a member at anet, and surprisingly I see him by his aircraft... So he walks over to me and I get my Luggage and we are on the tarmac talking for a good half hour, then he has to Clear his aircraft for Departure and tells me he'll meet up in the Terminal...

In order to get to the new Terminal you'll need to walk through the old terminal and outside where there are people waiting to change your Money... Even a guy from Kerala came up to me and we had a good conversation walking all the way to the new terminal... And During this time I meet up with someone from my flight who was a bit lost... We get talking and his flight was an hour after mines so basically it was him and me looking around the Terminal... He was on his way to BLR on 9W and I was on my way to COK on 9W. The construction was still going on in the early hours at BOM, and we had good few hours ahead of us before CHECKIN started...

The New Domestic Looks Great and when I returned it looked even better... As I was waiting there MEL (the person I met up with) came into the Terminal and we talked for while and took a picture of us, and then his other flight came in so he left.. And by this time CHECKIN Started....

Aug 10
9W 405 BOM-COK (Cochin)
Departure 5:45AM
Arrival 7:40AM

After having our Luggage Screened we made our way to the Check in Desk... I asked if a Window seat was available and I was given one... After Check in its time for Security, and after getting a a Lot of Security stamps we finally are at the seating area... And there were no empty seats, so we sat on the floor till Our Flight Boarding was called... Me and Mohan just basically talked about our lives, mine here in the States and his in Scotland... He gave his email addy, and that reminds I need to find it... :D

AT BOM you're bused to your Flight when mine was called I left and he had another hour left, and I went up the stairs into the aircraft and took my seat... The Flight was half empty and I had a row to my self... And since it was a short flight I just sat there reading the paper... Before Take off the crew came around with Water or was it Lime Juice? Great Service I must say by the 9W crew...

It was 6 something when we took off and what a take off it was, we rocketed straight into the air... And then crew came around with a Hot Breakfast... Non-veg was Eggs and sausage and that’s what I had... And before I knew it we were on approach and over my house because Flights coming into COK starts a pattern from my city and comes down near my aunts house... The landing was very fast and the captain took most of the runway... And apparently he was the same Captain that was on my previous 9W flight into COK... I thought the flying seemed similar.

We were bussed from the aircraft to the Terminal, and You can see the Ground Crew place you Luggage on the belt, and guess what someone bag got stuck from the outside and my suitcase right behind it ended up falling... Then the guy put it back on the belt and I getting it, I exited the Terminal and caught up with cousin and uncle... My uncle came from my hometown and my cousin lives near the airport and he came with his bike...

So I had an option of taking a car to my aunts house or go on the bike, I choose the bike and 15 mins later we were at my aunts house, and uncle came behind us... After I got my suitcase from the car he left and gave me some Rupees...

That’s basically my Flight TR, and now for rest of my 3 month and 19 Day Vacation It will be sometime...

Thanks for the report so far. I'll be doing HEL-LHR-BOM-COK in January on BA and ICs so I got some good information for the transfer between Int'l and Dom terminals in BOM.

Good report.. so far :p

I wanna know why you spent 3.5 months in India.. :p

This is some great info. Thanks!

Great report! Please post a report about the return when you get time...

Good report.. so far :p

I wanna know why you spent 3.5 months in India.. :p

I was on my Honeymoon? :p Ok that was a lie, but I was there cause I just felt like its a break that I need in Life...

I'll write some more, and upload a few pics before New Year...

The first series of photos from India can be viewed from this thread in Omni: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=5038706

I was on my Honeymoon?

Well, there WAS that girl you got a kiss from at the airport.....

Is the trip finished? I want to read the rest of the report. :D