beantown

I booked the ticket about 18 hours before the flight, while the Air India offices were closed, but I sent them an email to remind them of my request for a lactose-free meal (NOT vegan, which would've been harder, I imagine). I thought this was my best option as there was absolutely no chance of me using a phone until I got to the airport. As I mentioned, they did get a special food request, but the wrong one.


This is a solid recommendation for people with food allergies. Unfortunately, in my case, my stores of fruit and snack bars ran out on the Kingfisher flight (I had been on a nonstop 5 hour cab ride before that), and I had hoped to replenish them in Mumbai.

People traveling for the first time through Chennai airport should note that beyond security are only a sweets shop, two Lipton tea stands, and a slightly larger kiosk that has coffee, sodas and (dairy-containing) packaged sandwiches. Outside security the selection was identical, which the addition only of samosas and other fried foods. No fresh or packaged fruits, vegetables, nuts, or any type of meals in sight--so bring lots with you!


It's no one's fault that the intl and domestic airports (note, NOT terminals in the American or European) are quite far apart, but I think it would have been relevant for someone (ideally Orbitz) to note that fact--and also that bags are not checked through--to me when Kingfisher was repeatedly insisting that I'd arrive with time to spare. I definitely would have gone outside and bought a 6.500 rupee ticket on an earlier Jet MAA-->BOM flight had this been mentioned. As for all this research responsibility...when you find out your cousin is in the hospital, probably going to die, and you have maybe 48 hours to get home to see her, the last thing on your mind is looking up information on the airports in Bombay, especially when you just assume that when your ticket says BOM on both legs, you think you're really leaving from the SAME place. Jesus, a person can't always be as prepared as they'd like. And that's when one really needs help, especially from the people, like the Kingfisher agents, that are supposed to be there to do just that.

I guess I failed to note before that, all through this transit craziness, my arm was being conspicuously held in a impossible-to-miss blue and white sling, obviously indicating that I had some need gentleness in handling, you could say, not to mention maybe a hand with the bag. This courtesy transportation they offered equated to shoving me in a 3.5m wide rickshaw seat, followed by the other passenger's giant suitcase, followed by the portly passenger, followed by the Kingfisher agent. In the end, broken arm and all, maybe it was a godsend that I was given this 40 rupee (=$1) ride, because I didn't miss the flight, but the way to have done this without inflicting pain would have been to take us three passengers outside the domestic terminal, tell us that we needed to take a ride to get to the international airport (not letting us continue to think it was around the corner, or something, as we ALL did), and hailed us rides--or let us hail our own. What was scary was that we just waited while half these 8 Kingfisher guys milled around while the other 4 were trying to find the one guy's last piece of luggage. The other two of us should have been outta there ASAP, saving us from have to make a mad sprint with our bag trailing out into traffic at the last minute. (Have you been to India? Does the driving, esp. in Mumbai, not bother you when you are already stressed/tired/sick/in a rush?)

Actually, the Jet Airways flight through BRU, which I took on the way over and highly recommend, was $789 OW on Orbitz. However, it left 4 hours later and took a few hours longer, and because I was trying to actually see my cousin before she died, it wasn't a choice. But for anyone who reads this who does have time, take the Jet flight. BRU is a nice airport, with an especially nice Jet and BA lounges.



In any case, I started this thread because I was wondering if people ever sought compensation for these types of issues. I didn't really need to get called an unreasonable whiny brat for thinking that having no TV, no light in a darkly-dimmed cabin, a seat that didn't recline, and barely any food on an expensive 17 hour flight made it more uncomfortable than it had to be. In no way do I feel that Air India is a bad airline, and wouldn't rule out flying with them again. The plane was beautiful and clean and the service friendly. Other than my (now resolved) worry that the flight supervisor was being a jerk by not letting me buy an upgrade after takeoff, which one of the FAs told me was possible, I didn't have any issue with the crew. What I do take issue with is the maintenance of my seat, and the ground crew of Kingfisher, who in BOM were disconcertingly disorganized, and in MAA, less than truthful and prudent about the possibility of making my connection. If no one thinks I'll get anywhere reporting these things to AI and Kingfisher, I'll spend the time instead on physical therapy on my arm.