A changing India in J and Y: BLR-DEL-GOI-BOM

[SQueeze]

I had been wanting to check out the newly-opened lounge. This is a common lounge operated by GVK (the developer and owner of the now-privatized airport). No airlines operate their own lounge here.

And wow - what an impressive entrance. Well, a bit too much gold for my personal sense of aesthetics but I was still impressed nonetheless.



I passed my lounge voucher to the gate agent and she directed me to the left (business). To the right would have been to the First Class section.

Business class is downstairs. And hmmm, lots of glitter indeed. But I don't mean it in a bad way. It's borderline acceptable to me. A little bit more and it would be too kitschy.



The lounge is posh, and is one of the poshest I have ever gone through. In fact, I think it is better looking than TG's First Class lounge in BKK. Only it's a little dense because this is for business class. Whatever it is, it can compete with SIN's SilverKris lounges.





This is my seat for the following 1.5 hours, which is nicely located by the large full-height glazing facing the apron.



One end of the lounge is the dining area.



Which has a beautifully-lit buffet counter. The food was not bad too by the way.



There is a semi-enclosed bar next to the dining area, which is a sports bar.



At the other end of the lounge, there is also another bar.



Very very impressive .... But then ... I found a flaw.

The urinals are mounted against a very shiny and polished stone wall which is as reflective as a mirror!!! Everyone can see everyone else in full glory. Architects and ID designers, please be mindful not to use polished stone for urinal walls, or else please don't forget to add privacy partitions!

[SQueeze]

I spent a nice one and a half hour in the lounge before I made my way to the gate.

On the way, another jaw-dropping vista.



Except for the type of chairs used, the space could easily be a hotel lobby. This building is so far like anything but an airport terminal. I really like it for the different feel.



However, I do think some parts are a little over-designed. Like these lamps. A few as highlights will probably be ok, but so many of them become visual overload.



Walking towards the gate. It's a long walk indeed. This is a massive airport. At least it's not ugly so it's not a dreadful experience.



The gate area for our A380 flight is quite spacious and there was no chaotic boarding. Everybody was in line properly and was boarding in proper sequence.



Business class was already boarding so I went straight into the jetway and then into the all-familiar Singapore Airlines.



Since SQ423 is a brutal short 5 hour red-eyes, I completely shut down after take off to get maximum rest. No food, not even drink. And no pics !

But I would like to end the trip report with a beautiful sunrise view over the Straits of Malacca. Thank you for reading.

[SQGamespeed]

Nice TR SQueeze! I was at the new T2 in BOM in October but didn't go to the lounge. It looks pretty good in pictures but does it at least have windows?

I suspect that AI's improvements are partly due to pressure from other *A carriers. I last flew with them in 2000, and while I don't remember the flight being outstanding in any way, it was also thankfully not abysmal like many pax reviews have said. Their chances of seeing me fly with them have become a tad better after reading this TR.

[Durian]

Merci pour ce recit !
Vos photos sont superbes ! Je n'ai pas reussi a capturer les arbres du nouveau T2 de BOM aussi bien que vous dans la nuit !

Thanks for sharing !
Fantastic pics and interesting journey, incl. taking the public train !

[scooby5]

Nice TR SQueeze! I was at the new T2 in BOM in October but didn't go to the lounge. It looks pretty good in pictures but does it at least have windows?

I suspect that AI's improvements are partly due to pressure from other *A carriers. I last flew with them in 2000, and while I don't remember the flight being outstanding in any way, it was also thankfully not abysmal like many pax reviews have said. Their chances of seeing me fly with them have become a tad better after reading this TR.

Likewise.

I took AI a few years back when it was the A319 and whilst a pretty crap plane for the SIN-BOM sector, row one was comfy with good service.

At ~S$3600rtn (ALL IN) from SIN to FRA in J on new 787s for all sectors through DEL, and based on your report, I'm seriously considering it an option. One fatal flaw on the return sector I can see, however, is a ~12hrs stopover in DEL compared to one about 1.5hrs on the way to FRA as a daylight flight.

[Kyo]

Thanks for the TR, very enjoyable!

Your last two posts have a bit of a repeat thing going...

[yflyer]

Very nice TR, SQueeze! I used to travel to India a lot for work, mainly to Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai, with the occasional trip to Pune and Chandigarh, and enjoyed every trip and meal. I still go there, but just once or twice a year, far less frequently than before, and every time I go there, I am always amazed by the new airport infrastructure that has sprung up since my previous visit.

Not been to Goa...from your pictures it looks like an interesting place to visit!

[SQueeze]

First of all, thank you guys for reading and commenting.

Nice TR SQueeze! I was at the new T2 in BOM in October but didn't go to the lounge. It looks pretty good in pictures but does it at least have windows?

Plenty of windows and they are the full 5 m height of the space. It's similar to SIN's SilverKris First Class and Private Room combined. Lots of daylight. But it's in a location where you do get to see some planes but not from the best angles. But neither do the SKL and TPR

Merci pour ce recit !
Vos photos sont superbes ! Je n'ai pas reussi a capturer les arbres du nouveau T2 de BOM aussi bien que vous dans la nuit !

Thanks for sharing !
Fantastic pics and interesting journey, incl. taking the public train !

Merci beaucoup pour vos compliments. Je me demande comment vous savez que je parle français.

Anyway, the photos are turning up nicer at BOM T2 because I was using my SLR there. The building deserves good shots. Usually, I am wary of taking out SLRs in airports because of the many security eyes around and will just be happy with iPhone camera. But I didn't really care that time, I had to take out my 'weapon' and got some good shots for this building that deserves to look good in real and in photos.

I took AI a few years back when it was the A319 and whilst a pretty crap plane for the SIN-BOM sector, row one was comfy with good service.

At ~S$3600rtn (ALL IN) from SIN to FRA in J on new 787s for all sectors through DEL, and based on your report, I'm seriously considering it an option. One fatal flaw on the return sector I can see, however, is a ~12hrs stopover in DEL compared to one about 1.5hrs on the way to FRA as a daylight flight.

AI has changed massively. They pulled out all the lousy planes from all 3 Singapore routes and put an all-787 to SIN from DEL, MAA, and BOM. For BOM, they had retimed their flights to suit business travellers better. I am not sure if they have been successful with their strategy. I believe so, because they had increased their average J prices by 300 dollars but still affordable at SGD 1,300 (yes, they used to be selling J at SGD 1,000). And SQ has reduced their J prices to within the range of SGD 3,500, way below the ridiculous SGD 4,500 in the middle of last year (and that if one could get a seat in the first place).

SGD 3,600 sounds good for Europe. Too bad, you missed the SGD 1,700 in business class to Europe last year. I saw that fare for 6 months and kept wondering if that was a promo or a mistake. But the 12 hour transit on the way back is really a deterrent unless you are taking a proper Indian stop-over. I don't think their market is to carry connecting traffic as much. Btw, the SIN-DEL I flew last August was fully packed. And my colleague told me it was just as full both ways too recently.

For Europe, i think Jet Airways has better deal. It's SGD 2,600 (if on the P fare but it's quite elusive) and the connections if flying through BOM can be seamless in both directions. And BOM is a much better hub than DEL which is like a dump pit now. Too bad Jet has moved backwards with their deployment of 737s on all Southeast Asian routes. But their longhaul is really good.

But AI's SGD 1,300 fare in business class to India is totally awesome. Compare that to SQ's economy charged at an average of SGD 1,200 Now I always recommend everyone to fly AI. But do not expect much. It's incomparable to SQ service. It's more like VN, I think - decent hardware, decent service. But it's getting better and that's what impresses me most.

They only need to work on their reputation and we should never never ever read ridiculous news about it relating to rats and locked-out pilots.

Thanks for the TR, very enjoyable!

Your last two posts have a bit of a repeat thing going...

Thanks for reading, Kyo. And I had fixed the error. It was a bit of a copy-paste mistake.

Very nice TR, SQueeze! I used to travel to India a lot for work, mainly to Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai, with the occasional trip to Pune and Chandigarh, and enjoyed every trip and meal. I still go there, but just once or twice a year, far less frequently than before, and every time I go there, I am always amazed by the new airport infrastructure that has sprung up since my previous visit.

Not been to Goa...from your pictures it looks like an interesting place to visit!

Thanks, yflyer. That's a big tour you have with so many cities.

India is so big. So many places to visit. It can occupy a lifetime to see. Reminds me of one lady I met during my travels - she had been travelling in India for 15 years.

It's a bitter sweet experience all the time usually - so many wonders, and also so many frustrations.

[schumaster]

SQueeze, very nice report! Can I ask where you bought your pillow? So cute!

[SQueeze]

SQueeze, very nice report! Can I ask where you bought your pillow? So cute!

It's a gift, bought from an online store in Japan but I am not sure where exactly.
My favourite character - Mamegoma. Hello Kitty is a no-no for me.

But it's not the most comfortable as a pillow for sleeping because it's not a proper one - a bit firm. I usually use it for additional support during lounging time after the meal service.