PresRDC

Thursday, June 16, 2005

Had you told me when I woke up on the morning of June 16, that I would be flying Air India in First Class from New York to London that evening, I would told you were nuts. Then I would have called the police to get you arrested for breaking and entering. Creepy stalker! What do I look-like, Brad Pitt? (keep in mind there is an answer to that question that gets you off the hook!)

You see, I woke up that morning fully expecting to be traveling to London from Boston via Shannon, Ireland in Business (Premier) Class on Aer Lingus flight EI 138, the 8:45 p.m. A330-200 departure for the Emerald Isle. That was my plan until around Noon when I checked the status of my flight on aerlingus.com. While my flight was showing on time, the inbound flight from SNN, EI 139 was showing as canceled. Now it does not take a genius to figure-out that if the inbound flight to an out station like BOS is canceled, things aren’t looking too good for the outbound. I called Aer Lingus and they admitted the EI 139 was canceled, but curiously insisted that my flight would operate as scheduled. When I pressed to find-out where they would get a plane (after all, you can’t just snap your fingers and have one appear), I was told not to worry about it.

Not to worry about it. Well, as a lawyer, I worry for a living and I was not about to take Aer Lingus’ word for it, especially when a quick check of Expert Flyer revealed that all other flights to LHR from BOS that evening were full, so I began to look for other plans. Things weren’t looking too promising from New York either, but I did remember that Air India offered pretty steeply discounted premium cabin fares to LHR. I figured that discount fares would not be available last minute, but, to my surprise, I found an approximately $1600 First Class fare on airindia.com, which I was able to book on-line using Air India’s rather tedious booking engine. A quick call to Air India revealed that my reservation was all set, but they could not offer me a seat assignment. Oh well, at that point, I was just happy to have a flight to LHR at a great fare (more than Aer Lingus, but not that much more considering this was First Class) and needed to get my arse in gear to get down to JFK in time from my office in East Hartford.

As I was heading-out, I decided to call my Dad to see if he could drive me from my parents’ home in Westchester County to JFK. As it turned-out, he was headed to the Yankees Game that night, so a trip to JFK was not too far out of his way. Things were working out!

PresRDC

Air India flight AI 112
Departs: New York (JFK) Terminal 4 @ 8:10 PM
Arrives: London (LHR) Terminal 3 @ 7:55 AM (next day)
Boeing 747-400
First Class Seat 1K


After a ninety minute drive, we arrived at JFK’s sparkling Terminal 4 around 5:30 p.m. When facing the terminal from the street, Air India’s counter is the farthest to the left, facing Eero Saarinen’s landmark TWA Terminal (now known as the rather bland Terminal 5). Check-in was handled by Swissport and there were dedicated lines for all three classes. I was told by the rather pleasant lady manning the First Class counter that there was only going to be one other passenger in First Class, so I could have my choice of seats. I opted for Seat 1K, so as to get the experience of the limited forward view from the curvature of the 747 nose and to get the best view of Central London if LHR’s 27 Runways were in use.

After checking-in, I headed down the escalators to security. Air India uses the A Concourse, which is the shorter of the two and, at that time of the evening, was busy with Aer Lingus’ flights to DUB and SNN. There is a priority security lane, which was accessed by showing my boarding pass. With that, I was through security in a few minutes.

Unlike most of the Terminal 4 lounges, Air India’s Maharajah Lounge is airside and is accessed by stairs or an elevator (which is tucked away behind a door). The lounge itself was adequate, but nothing really special. It was clean, had its own bathrooms and was staffed, but there was no First Class section and the food offerings were limited to packages of cheese, cookies, potato chips and Indian snacks. Since I do not drink, I did not pay close attention to the alcoholic beverages on offer, but the selection did not look particularly robust. The lounge did offer a nice view of our Pratt & Whitney powered Boeing 747-437, as it was being serviced at Gate A7, the only dual jetway gate in the A Concourse.

It was shaping up to be a stormy night around the NYC metro area and, as I waited, a strong thunderstorm blew across the airfield, suspending takeoffs and all ground servicing.

Boarding was called in the not very crowded lounge at 7:30 p.m., and it was a short walk to Gate A7. The gate itself was roped off and all passengers had to go through secondary screening consisting of another pass of one’s bags through a portable x-ray machine and a hand wanding. While there was a bit of a line, those of us from the lounge we allowed to jump the queue and board immediately.

Despite there being dual jetways, all passengers were funneled to the second one, connected to the L-2 door, where I was greeted by a sari-clad female flight attendant with a traditional bow. I was, however, not escorted to the First Class cabin, which was no big deal as I knew the way. Interestingly, the cabin between the L/R-1 and L/R-2 doors was fitted-out with Economy Class seating. Business (Executive) Class was restricted to the upper deck.

Air India recently refurbished their First Class cabins and installed twelve fully flat sleeper seats, arranged in three rows of four seats. Seat 1K was the right hand window seat in the front row. There was a closet in the front of the cabin and a pull down movie screen. The seats themselves were finished in dark blue leather and the carpet was a royal blue. Interestingly, the walls of the cabin were decorated with floral patterns, which lent an exotic touch to the cabin.

As I settled-in, the two First Class flight attendants, one male, one female, swung into action offering to stow my rollaboard in the closet and offering a choice of drinks (the usual champagne, orange juice or water) as well as an amenity kit and a pair of pajamas.

With departure time nearing, I was the only passenger in the cabin and, when we pushed
back at exactly 8:12 p.m., I remained the sole First Class passenger. I’ve actually been fortunate-enough to have First Class to myself on a variety of flights, included three sectors on Lan Chile and one on Egyptair. I was looking forward to the finest hospitality Air India could offer.

Unfortunately, my enjoyment of this hospitality would have to wait. While we pushed on time and the nasty weather had moved-on, the earlier thunderstorm had thrown a wrench into JFK’s operations and, as we taxied out, it became clear that we would be in for a long wait as the line of departures waiting for a chance to race down Runway 31L stretched all the way down Runway 4L and back up Runway 22L (roughly a four mile line). At approximately 9:50 p.m., the AI 112 received take-off clearance and we raced down Runway 31L, rotating opposite Terminal 3 before making the sweeping left-hand turn over the Canarsie section of Brooklyn made famous by Concorde.

PresRDC

Once we reached our cruising altitude, I was handed the menu. Here is a transcript:

PresRDC

Once we reached cruising altitude, the cabin service began. I was asked for my choice of drink (Ginger Ale), which was served with a choice of several packaged snacks. I chose almonds and cashews, but there were Indian choices as well. The meal service started soon thereafter. My tray table was laid with a standard white table cloth, but, to my surprise, the hors d'oeurve plate and salad were served together on a paper lined tray. In the grand scheme of things, using a tray in First Class ranks somewhere below the plight of Afghan women under the Taliban, but was still not something I've come to expect in international First Class. Oh well.

The hors d'ouerve plate consisted of two large pieces of foie gras with black truffle in the center and a few pieces of smoked salmon served with melba toast. The salad was served in a small ceramic bowl and featured iceberg lettuce with an assortment of vegetables, including strips of red pepper and mushrooms. The choice of Basil Vinegar or Thousand Island dressing were both presented to me on a tray and I was offered a choice of bread from a basket.

The starter plates were cleared, but they left the tray. The main courses were all presented together from the serving trolley and I was encouraged to select as many different options as I wanted. I should at this point mention that I am not the biggest fan of Indian food. It's not that I don't like the taste - I think it's delicious - but rather the havoc it causes to my system. While I have fortunately not inherited by mother's weak stomach, Indian food usually does me in. Despite this, I was determined to give it a try, after having heard good things about Air India's Indian food. I asked to try the lamb, the spiced vegetables and the Rice Pulao, along with a few prawns for good measure. This was all plated together and served with warm Naan bread. It all tasted excellent (especially the lamb) and I am happy to report (and no doubt to your great relief) that my stomach and GI tract survived the experience!

As I was getting quite stuffed at this point, I declined the fruit and cheese course (much to the chagrin of the flight attendants, who were genuinely concerned that I wasn't eating enough), but did accept the ice cream, which was vanilla and shaped like a slice of cake.

Before the meal, I had changed into the pajamas that had been provided. While the large sized shirt was plenty big, the pants were way too tight and resembled spandex. Thankfully I was alone in the cabin and didn't have to subject any of my fellow passengers to that horrific image!

As I mentioned above, the seat reclines fully flat, but I found that it suffers from two design defects. First, as is common with many lie flat seats, the legrest did not quite come all the way up to be flush with the seat bottom. However, I was able to rectify this situation by taking some spare pillows and using them to prop-up my legs. Second, there were no privacy screens surrounding the seats, which means that when both you and your neighbor are fully reclined, you are essentially sharing one large bed. That's not my idea of a comfortable environment and I would suspect it would be even worse for female passengers. Further, when you have your seat fully reclined and the person behind you is doing the same, your head will be awfully close to that person's feet, which could be unpleasant. While Air India has obviously invested a great deal of money into their new seats, they fall short of the standards offered by carriers such as Cathay Pacific, Singapore and British Airways. It was fine when one has the cabin to oneself, but I do not think a full cabin would be all that pleasant an experience.

http://www.airindia.com/page.asp?pageid=48

Air India does provide duvets to its First Class passengers. As I had the cabin to myself, I decided to be greedy and use two: one as a mattress and one as a blanket. As such, I slept like a baby for about four hours, waking-up as we were overflying Ireland.

As I ate and slept, our four Pratt & Whitney PW 4056 engines powered our 747-400 along a standard routing to London. After taking-off from JFK's Runway 31L, we made the standard sharp left hand turn over Canarsie before climbing-out over the southern coastline of Long Island. From Long Island, we passed over the mouth of the Long Island Sound before skirting southeastern Rhode Island and Cape Cod. After overflying the Gulf of Maine, the AI 112 passed abeam Halifax, Nova Scotia enroute to Gander, Newfoundland from where we began our Atlantic crossing, reaching northernmost latitude of 55 Degrees North. We entered European airspace near Shannon and traversed Ireland, exiting just south of Dublin.

Interestingly, the menu did not make any mention of breakfast. When I woke-up, I was a bit hungry, so I asked to have the fruit and cheese course from the previous evening, which was no problem. I received a plate with two cheeses, one Swiss-style cheese and a one of those packaged spreadable cheeses that come in a wedge-shaped foil package along with two apples. This made for a perfectly satisfying breakfast.

After breakfast, I changed back into my street clothes and awaited landing. Not surprisingly, we spent about thirty minutes holding over the Ockham VOR before being cleared into to approach LHR from the east. While this arrival routing allows for nice views of Central London, we did not break out of the cloud until we were well established on final approach. Air India flight AI 112 landed fifty minutes late on Runway 27R at 8:45 a.m., exiting at Block 35, leaving us with a short taxi to our stand at Terminal 3’s southern K gates.

Unlike at JFK, the L-1 door was used for deplaning. I had not received a Fast Track card on board and was expecting not to get one (I always carry a spare for use in such cases), but Air India had a an agent stationed at the top of the jetway handing them out to First and Executive Class passengers. The Immigration line was not all that long and I debated not using it to save for later, but ultimately decided that I had enough surplus ones and
just used it. As a result, I had cleared Immigration and Customs within ten minutes of leaving the aircraft and was on my way to British Airways' Zone R check-in at Terminal 1 for my onward flight to Helsinki.

Overall, I was pleased with my Air India First Class experience. The service was great, the food very good and the seat, although lacking all the bells and whistles, was quite comfortable. Most important, they came through for me big time by offering a very competitive last minute First Class fare that got me to London in plenty of time for my onward connection. I would definitely consider using them again.

SanDiego1K

It was fascinating to read your report of a carrier not heavily covered on FT. Your description of the first class seats leaves me underwhelmed. As you rightly point out, as a woman I really don't care to share a bed with anyone other than my husband - and AI's bed sounds altogether too intimate for my taste.

Did you get a refund from Aer Lingus? I wonder at what point they acknowledged their flight wasn't going. And what about your return? Were you back on Air India?

PresRDC

Thanks! I actually did not bother to get a refund. When I checked Aer Lingus' website the next day, it showed that my flight did leave some three hours late. I have no idea where they got the plane, but assume it was not an EI aircraft (and probably sub standard). Since it was booked through AA, I am going to use the credit for other tickets.

I actually picked up a Oneworld Award ticket in LHR that I had started in Dubai back in January. I used that ticket to route LHR-HEL-LHR-BOS in F.

Mats

Thank you for a great trip report. The title ("Thank You (Air) India") made me laugh out loud. That was terrific.

B747-437B

I'm glad you enjoyed your trip aboard my namesake B747-437 aircraft. You were on VT-EVB that day, which is the baby of the fleet (ok, 9 year olds aren't "babies" anymore).

The actual cabin you rode in is pictured below, as are the seats.
You will be pleased to note that privacy dividers will be added to the seat design in a progressive move that has already begun.

As for the First Class meal service on a tray, that is actually SOP in the event that turbulent weather is forecast. It prevents any spillage from going over the edge onto your clothes by catching it on the rim of the tray. Primitive but effective. You can ask (as I usually do) to skip the tray and they will always oblige.

Great report and glad to see somebody else here shares my views about the quality of Air India's onboard meals.

djjaguar64

Great review but what happened to the bfast. Was it because of the big dinner offering ? Did you inquire as to why it was not served on this route ?

PresRDC

I didn't ask. As I had the fruit and cheese at the time breakfast would be served, it never came up. If AI does not offer breakfast, even a continental breakfast, it would be the first carrier I've ever heard of that does not. That said, it is a six hour flight and there would only be a three hour gap between dinner and breakfast.

sbtinme

Thanks for the smashing report on Air India --- this is one carrier that too many of us simply view as "the other side" of commercial air travel. Now, you've got me interested in flying them to London, too!

FWIW, add me to the list of curious persons who would like to know what's up with no Breakfast service scheduled for a mid morning arrival on a transoceanic flyover. Odd.

B747-437B

Continental breakfast is offered on the route and is a common single tray setting for Business and First Class featuring Croissants and Danish pastries. A hot breakfast used to be offered as an option, but with a 0745 scheduled arrival it was almost never taken up by the passengers and was discontinued about 15 years ago.

CMK10

Great report as always. I love your style of being objective while at the same time managing to come off as someone with just the right level of expectations.

newcx12345

Interesting read.

Jsut wondering what is the state of the toilet on board. I heard horror stories of waster and fluids overfilling the toilet.

Not meant to offend anyone but for the Duvet, the seat and the general, were there are smell of BO?

GoldFlyer

Well considering he was the only one in the cabin, he would only have himself to blame.

I've heard horror stories about AI from years gone by and I suppose they become fables in many peoples minds. It's very hard to change perceptions once the word is out and if they (AI) have lifted their game good on them.