hsubbu

I will be travelling EWR-BOM in Y on Wednesday night

I have searched the related posts in this forum and it seems that Y on this flight is not too bad.

I guess it depends a lot on the crew. One poster said AVOD Entertainment is not guaranteed. It also appears that food is decent even for special meal requests

Anyone traveled this flight recently in the past couple of weeks. Specific crew-related experiences?. I am concerned because my recent domestic flights have been less than pleasant (remote stands, awful delays, ground holds, indifferent crew to name a few) . Not on CO though, primarily Delta out of JFK on those regional carriers. So you can draw your own conclusions.

My earlier 15 hr long flight was on J so I am sort of wondering about what to expect on this ultra long flight in coach (at least for me)

Also I have a 6 hr layover in BOM before I can take my connection on AirIndia to MAA at 03.00 . Do I just have to rough it out in the international terminal or pay a lot of rupees to find a decent hotel near the hotel. ?

any tips about BOM airport will be appreciated. I have not passed through BOM in 5 years so I am really uninformed even though I used to live there

thks in advance

OPFlyer

Currently it does not look like your aircraft will have AVOD. More details can be found here.

Zip

I can't comment on this CO flight, but after 7 hrs you'll probably feel like a zombie anyway, so 7-9 more hours won't be a problem anyway!
Since you're leaving from EWR, you can call the Air India office in NYC, and see what they recommend about hotels near the airport; since you are connecting on them, they may even be able to get you a special room rate.
Keep in mind that this flight may arrive late, in which case you won't need the room (you leave at 3 a.m. to Channai, right?). Most lounges, which you could normally pay for a day's visit, would probably be closed.
When you return, I'd appreciate hearing about your experiences on the flight, and what you ended up doing at the airport in BOM. Good luck!

Zip

Forgot to add that the BOM airport now is isolated from the mobs who usually wait for flights in India, so the airport itself is relatively "calm" and modern. Quite a change from the older airport of a decade ago!

hsubbu

thanks a lot for the suggestion about checking with AI on accomodations. Did not think of that.

I will be sure to post my experiences on this flight and my experience in BOM

goetzphi

flew this flt about 2 weeks ago. BusinessFirst. All i remember was having 2 beers in the "Clipper Lounge", one drink on take off.... and then "Please prepare for your final descent to EWR". Excellent flight. I did have some of what CO called mixed grill for dinner. I was encourage passing on this and the weak attempt at eggs for breakfast. Also, my personal video recorder was on its last days as was the footrest for my seat. But, overall a good trip

and by the way... whomever says that BOM airport is "away" from teh craziness of Mumbai.... that's a good one!!!

Zip

That was me. Compare the situation now with what it was before this airport came on-line, what, about 10-12 years ago?

CO_1mm

BOM is a much better airport than DEL, and the hotel options near the airport are better/more convenient than DEL. Some may not like BOM, but it is an island of calm compared to DEL, so you won't catch me knocking it any time soon. In fact, I get to explain all of this to my wife on my next trip over, in a month, and I'm even willing to send her home on her own through BOM, which I would never do through DEL (she has to get back early).

My thoughts are here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=836803

There are a few Le Meridien properties near the BOM airport, though the OP's layover is tough. I'd go with a flight during daylight, personally, to get a decent night's rest. Or at least a less bad one than you are currently planning.