Other Asian, Australian and South Pacific Frequent Flyer Programs - Indian Airlines and Air India to merge by March

The Indian government on Monday said it was merging state-run carriers Indian Airlines Ltd. and Air India by the end of March as part of a wider strategy to take on nimble private players.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/3/story.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10419327

The Indian government ... to take on nimble private players.

Ironic, isn't it - merging one behemoth with another to take on "nimble" start ups :rolleyes:

They just repainted those IC planes to say "Indian". They will have to paint them again.

But merging them is basically a good idea, it made no sense to have two independent govt-run airlines duplicating everything. Of course this will make no difference to the overstaffing.

What happens to Alliance Air (the non-Airbus arm of IC)? Does it still exist today? I haven't been keeping track.

Along with the merger, I hope they fix their route map online.
Both of them are showing the middle-eastern cities in the wrong
countries :D


And just out of curiosity... would two wrong airlines make a right one?

Hopefully this merger will make them right... atleast after they receive their new jets. IMO, Indian is a better name than Air India. Plus Indian's new logo is snazzy.

What happens to Alliance Air (the non-Airbus arm of IC)? Does it still exist today? I haven't been keeping track.No idea what would happen to Alliance Air, but they cut in front of us on the runway at BOM when we were 4th in line for takeoff on 9w on Saturday!! Luckily we weren't too late upon landing, but then our onward connecting flight was on IC, and it was delayed anyway! :D

They still are flying....and still flying the ancient 737's - amazing that they can still do that!

They still are flying....and still flying the ancient 737's - amazing that they can still do that!

Hah. I was chatting with an IC ground crew / engg type guy when we were both waiting for the same fog delayed flight (competent middle aged guy, looked quite senior). He's like "oh yeah, those 737s are real old, but they're doing pretty good for their age, and we fly them to these tiny out of the way places anyway, so we'll keep running them till they stay airworthy".

Once IC gets their new planes, they'll probably recycle the older airbuses in their fleet to CD - and that'd be an improvement for CD pax, I tell you.

They actually placed orders for a few A319 in the name of CD:

http://airfleets.net/flottecie/Alliance%20Air.htm

The 732s may be ancient, but IA/CD has some ATR and just a month ago they placed a dry lease tender for a CRJ fleet.

Hah. I was chatting with an IC ground crew / engg type guy when we were both waiting for the same fog delayed flight (competent middle aged guy, looked quite senior). He's like "oh yeah, those 737s are real old, but they're doing pretty good for their age, and we fly them to these tiny out of the way places anyway, so we'll keep running them till they stay airworthy".

Once IC gets their new planes, they'll probably recycle the older airbuses in their fleet to CD - and that'd be an improvement for CD pax, I tell you.The Indian flight I was on was a Airbus A320, DEL-(Varanasi)-PAT, and when we landed, the landing gear was in horrible shape!

This was for an Airbus of only 2 years old! I really think that this new Airbus series might not hold up very well, if you ask me! :rolleyes:

Older ones, okay...

The Indian flight I was on was a Airbus A320, DEL-(Varanasi)-PAT, and when we landed, the landing gear was in horrible shape!

This was for an Airbus of only 2 years old! I really think that this new Airbus series might not hold up very well, if you ask me! :rolleyes:

Older ones, okay...

Could it have been the runway condition or pilot that made it feel that way, or at least made it feel worse?

Could it have been the runway condition or pilot that made it feel that way, or at least made it feel worse?

Runway that feels like its a lunar scape - a lot of airports in India are old WW-II air bases (the sort that got hurriedly constructed with a few tons of gravel and prefab nissen huts) that got dusted off, got a bare minimum of refurbishment from government contractors - so the usual fraud and waste ..

The IC pilots are, on the whole, rather better than average, though their fleet got stripped of the really experienced pilots thanks to poaching from other airlines.

Could it have been the runway condition or pilot that made it feel that way, or at least made it feel worse?Possibly, but the brakes were **real** bad, and during takeoff from Varanasi, the plane appeared to be out of alignment when climbing...tail end starboard, nose toward port...not very encouraging.... :rolleyes:

Also the biz meal of malai chicken was practically raw meat - not cooked at all!

I don't think I'm going to abandon 9w soon! :eek:

Possibly, but the brakes were **real** bad, and during takeoff from Varanasi, the plane appeared to be out of alignment when climbing...tail end starboard, nose toward port...not very encouraging.... :rolleyes:

Also the biz meal of malai chicken was practically raw meat - not cooked at all!

I don't think I'm going to abandon 9w soon! :eek:

Agreed, AI/IA jets can be bad, but their food is generally good. I have never come across or have never heard of an instance where they served raw meat. Coz, raw meat is never consumed in India.

Agreed, AI/IA jets can be bad, but their food is generally good. I have never come across or have never heard of an instance where they served raw meat. Coz, raw meat is never consumed in India.

I would not suggest ditching 9W or IT for AI/IC, but, like you said, I've not had that food issue either.

Agreed, AI/IA jets can be bad, but their food is generally good. I have never come across or have never heard of an instance where they served raw meat. Coz, raw meat is never consumed in India.On Saturday it was.... :eek: - before I took a better look at what I was eating! :D

Actually, severely undercooked is how I might put it....

On Saturday it was.... :eek: - before I took a better look at what I was eating! :D

Actually, severely undercooked is how I might put it....

Did you order a special meal.:p

Agreed, AI/IA jets can be bad, but their food is generally good. I have never come across or have never heard of an instance where they served raw meat. Coz, raw meat is never consumed in India.

I had a live fly in my fruit bowl once in AI international C. Does that count as raw meat? :p

Possibly, but the brakes were **real** bad, and during takeoff from Varanasi, the plane appeared to be out of alignment when climbing...tail end starboard, nose toward port...not very encouraging.... :rolleyes:

Also the biz meal of malai chicken was practically raw meat - not cooked at all!

I don't think I'm going to abandon 9w soon! :eek:

Planes don't brake for the serious deceleration they use reverse thrust. The takeoff you describe is a feature that happens when you take off and there are crosswinds.

Possibly, but the brakes were **real** bad, and during takeoff from Varanasi, the plane appeared to be out of alignment when climbing...tail end starboard, nose toward port...not very encouraging.... :rolleyes:

Also the biz meal of malai chicken was practically raw meat - not cooked at all!

I don't think I'm going to abandon 9w soon! :eek:

You were actually on the plane, and I wasn't there - but - I think it is really hard to make these judgements (about landing gear/brakes etc) by just being a passenger in the aircraft.

The "out of alignment" is actually normal - it is very rare for a plane to have heading and ground track perfectly aligned (just because it is rare for a plane to fly exactly in the opposite heading to wind)

Planes don't brake for the serious deceleration they use reverse thrust. The takeoff you describe is a feature that happens when you take off and there are crosswinds.I think they *do* have brakes, and are engaging same at the same time as the reverse thrusting....or after doing the reverse thrust....

Might be correct on the crosswinds, but I've never had this happen (ever) on a 9w 737...(flown how many segments now??? Over 300??)

Did you order a special meal.:p:D

But had some problems (due to food, difficult to pinpoint whose food, but probably IC's!) after that day of flying around all over India to get to Patna and back! (5 takeoffs and landings! :eek: )

I had a live fly in my fruit bowl once in AI international C. Does that count as raw meat? :pI think that it qualifies...did you enjoy the same? Protein, you know... ^ ;)

I had a live fly in my fruit bowl once in AI international C. Does that count as raw meat? :p

Not unless you actually ate the "fly" meat. I don't think the fly has any meat, so it's not considered (raw) meat.

This thread seems to have digressed sufficiently off topic that the discussion is probably best continued elsewhere.

Thanks
Sean (B747-437B)
Moderator
OAAASPFFP