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Old Apr 29, 2009, 8:42 am
  #16  
 
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Originally Posted by IMH

I did try asking Sita this question when I called the ICC a few minutes ago. Her answer was that it isn't possible, i.e. that if I'm in Mumbai and want to speak to them in Pune then I need to place an international call to the UK. I remain hopeful that someone here will have a better answer.
Given that Sita is one of the better agents, I fear that that is the best answer you'll get. Failing that, how far is for a trip in person to Pune?
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Old Apr 29, 2009, 9:22 am
  #17  
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Originally Posted by RAPC
Given that Sita is one of the better agents, I fear that that is the best answer you'll get. Failing that, how far is for a trip in person to Pune?
Only 80 miles or so. Pretty hard to pick up any *A miles on that route, though there's probably a way to do it if you fly via SIN.

Mind you, when we booked our tickets to BOM we did get the standard "and would you like me to arrange a Hertz car for your time in Mumbai, sir?" I just laughed at the time (me? drive in Mumbai???), but on reflection it would make a great FT "do": fly out to BOM, once the new Lufthansificated bmi has introduced direct daily flights from six UK regional airports, and make a road trip to Pune.
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Old Apr 29, 2009, 9:37 am
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Originally Posted by IMH
but on reflection it would make a great FT "do": fly out to BOM, once the new Lufthansificated bmi has introduced direct daily flights from six UK regional airports, and make a road trip to Pune.
^
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Old Apr 29, 2009, 10:08 am
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Originally Posted by IMH
That's got to be the first time anyone has suggested that a phone call to Pune might be a better way to get reliable information than drawing on the collected wisdom of this board.
I don't remember anyone being advised to call Ventura (India) and ask what the direct number for their bmi office is.
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Old Apr 29, 2009, 5:16 pm
  #20  
 
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Why would they have an in-country phone number Diamond Club calls from India?

The airline doesn't operate to the country and so I would assume there are only a few diamond club members (given it used to be difficult to join from all but a couple of countries..)

Do they have even have local numbers for countries they do operate to, like Armenia or Azerbaijan?
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Old Apr 29, 2009, 6:39 pm
  #21  
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Originally Posted by stewardo
Why would they have an in-country phone number Diamond Club calls from India?
I don't think anyone has suggested that "they" have a number specifically intended for this purpose. If they did, it would be published and we would have found it without this thread.

The thinking behind my question was that calls made to the ICC are presumably patched to geographical numbers (and for many 0800 and 0870 numbers in the UK it's become fairly easy to find out the 'real' number). Given the ICC's physical location, it should be possible to reach it from within India without the call being routed outside the domestic telephone network.
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Old Apr 29, 2009, 7:59 pm
  #22  
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Originally Posted by IMH
The thinking behind my question was that calls made to the ICC are presumably patched to geographical numbers (and for many 0800 and 0870 numbers in the UK it's become fairly easy to find out the 'real' number). Given the ICC's physical location, it should be possible to reach it from within India without the call being routed outside the domestic telephone network.
I doubt that the call is actually terminated on the PSTN in India that way. The calls are patched into India on huge IP trunks, not on traditional phone networks, so there is not necessarily a need for there to actually be a local number for the UK number to point to. There may be one but there doesn't have to be.
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Old Apr 30, 2009, 6:38 am
  #23  
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Originally Posted by sbm12
The calls are patched into India on huge IP trunks, not on traditional phone networks, so there is not necessarily a need for there to actually be a local number for the UK number to point to.
Useful info, thanks.

Given there doesn't seem to be anyone here with company-specific inside knowledge, it looks as though resolving this question is going to take some phone calls.
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Old Apr 30, 2009, 6:56 am
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Originally Posted by IMH
Given the ICC's physical location, it should be possible to reach it from within India without the call being routed outside the domestic telephone network.
Originally Posted by IMH
it looks as though resolving this question is going to take some phone calls.
You mean trial and error? That could take a while
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Old Apr 30, 2009, 7:33 am
  #25  
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Well I'm in Argentina and have no problem using Skype to the ICC when making redemptions. For the cost of a few pence one really can't complain.
I used to stay yards from the now closed Goldfish call centre back home. It might as well have been 1000s of miles away as the only way one could contact them was over the phone.......knocking on their door and paying them a personal visit wasn't an option. Used to have a laugh with the agents when they saw where I stayed and I told them to look out of their window and I would give them a wave.
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Old Apr 30, 2009, 1:02 pm
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Originally Posted by FlyingOnceMore
"Ventura India" and Google. Take it from there.
Tried that, and this is what I found...

http://picasaweb.google.com/insane.w...80521241497858

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Old Apr 30, 2009, 1:09 pm
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Fantastic!
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Old Apr 30, 2009, 1:34 pm
  #28  
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Splutter. Coffee everywhere. And it might have been better for LH if their advert and slogan hadn't appeared immediately underneath jamesbrownontheroad's link.
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Old Apr 30, 2009, 2:18 pm
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I think the 4th guy is saying "Yo, ManPax!" to the guy at the sink.
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Old May 1, 2009, 2:24 am
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Originally Posted by IMH
Only 80 miles or so. Pretty hard to pick up any *A
Actually, there is - Fly BOM-PNQ on 9w, get LH miles...

Originally Posted by sbm12
I doubt that the call is actually terminated on the PSTN in India that way. The calls are patched into India on huge IP trunks, not on traditional phone networks,...
Quite correct - they probably do not even have or allow a landline where the call center employees have access to it. Also, any cellphones are probably banned - I have never heard the GSM interference that normally is associated with receiving SMS's/calls on the sly, when talking to the ICC.

However, that doesn't mean that it is not happening - that interference is usually associated with analog PaBX's (used for domestic call centers, as each digital phone costs quite a packet), and they could be using an all-digital one..

Originally Posted by HIDDY
Well I'm in Argentina and have no problem using Skype to the ICC when making redemptions. For the cost of a few pence one really can't complain.
I used to stay yards from the now closed Goldfish call centre back home. It might as well have been 1000s of miles away as the only way one could contact them was over the phone.......knocking on their door and paying them a personal visit wasn't an option. Used to have a laugh with the agents when they saw where I stayed and I told them to look out of their window and I would give them a wave.
Kewl!
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