Originally Posted by
painintheuk
This seems to be the main Pakistan thread on FT, so I'll add here
.
I stayed at the Sheraton in Karachi. It was OK, though I only spent about 6 hours there because I was so busy!
The trip from KHI-LHE was a HUGE hassle. PIA said that they could do e-tickets - right up until about 18 hours before my departure. They then promised to have them to me by 9am. They actually arrived at 1120, 2+ hours after I left, so I had to cancel them - for a fee (even on the fully flexible C class LHE-CDG).
My TA then bought me a ticket on Airblue. I got to the airport early and asked an agent to check that the ticket was OK since there was a message about an 'exchange fee' that seemed strange. It turns out that I couldn't fly because my TA (whose credit card paid for it) wasn't with me. The check-in agent said that she could add a 'message' to override that. 90 minutes later (and only 40 minutes before the other flight would leave) I got turned down.
I was then forced to buy a last minute ticket on PIA after all!!! For information, I was in business class on a VERY old and tired 747, right up in the nose. The food was OK (I did quite like the kebab), and the service was friendly if a bit haphazard. For such a short flight, on which I slept half the time, it was more than OK, and I'm sure that Y would have been about the same.
Hopefully my e-ticket on EY to get back to the UK won't be broken!!
Finally, I'm staying at the Avari hotel in Lahore. The staff at the airport were great. The hotel is functional, with a very nice pool (25m or so), and friendly staff. I was welcomed last night with a fruit place, a nut cake and a box of cookies! The gym is a bit tired and old, but I still hope that I can squeeze in some time to use it. I have just added an extra meeting for this afternoon, and I hope to have a couple of hours to see SOME of the city.
THanks
Dr. PITUK
Well, it's not called PIA for nothing
However, I am surprised to hear of the problems you had with the e-ticket. I have never heard of such a thing happening!
The 747 Classic you flew in (AP-BAT) was knackered ten years ago, so I can only imagine what it's like now!
Ask the Protocol Manager at Avari if you can use the Gymkhana to exercise in. She should be able to get you temporary access to what is an elite private athletic club. The Lahore Gymkhana also has the largest hotel rooms I have ever seen but you can only stay there if a member books a room for you.
Stop by thhe EY City Ticketing Office in Lahore with your ticket and passport in hand and ask them to "reconfirm" your flight out of Pakistan. If they say it is not required, have them stamp your ticket anyway. Believe me, it's good insurance, especially as you appear to have had some bad luck already.
Also, be sure to ask if you are reguired to have photocopies of your passport picture page and ADDITIONAL passport sized pictures for departure. This is a famous on again off again requirement in Pakistan although I never comply with it.
Finally, if you have any devices that use AA or AAA batteries in your handbaggage, you might be asked to discard them when you go through the final security screening on your departure. I usually put mine next to a dead glucometer or a blood pressure monitor in case the klan ask me to discard them. If you tell them you need the batteries for your medical equipment, you will be allowed to carry them aboard. I have often wondered if this battery fetish unique to travel out of Pakistan is purely because the ASF guys need batteries for themselves or if there really was a "credible" threat many years ago involving batteries.
Oh yes,
be prepared to have your picture taken upon departure for the american thugs who have infiltrated Pakistan with their filthy, disgusting Pisces system.
There are often some american FBI cowardly pigs actually sitting behind closed doors at KHI and LHE scrutinizing the identity of travelers and using the data entered into Pisces to determine who they think is a threat to their country. Thoroughly outrageous
but unfortunately a reality for a country reliant on the usa.