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Air India To Chennai and Sq back

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  • #16
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    • #17
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      • #18
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        • #19
          Not many places of interest that I visited in my trip.the first few pictures I have posted are that of the burial ground and remembrance park of former Tamil Nadu chief ministers.This is a common place of interest for many tourists to chennai.

          UNIVERSITY OF MADRAS is the next picture.it is the oldest university in chennai and offers a wide range of post graduate courses.

          The next picture is that of Ma Chidambaram Cricket stadium which hosts Cricket matches in chennai.Sadly,no matches were happening during my visit.

          The next few pictures are taken at Chennai Lighthouse.It is the fifth lighthouse of chennai and was opened for visitors from November 2013.It has an elevator.

          Entry ticket:Rs 30 for adult.
          Additional Rs 20 to bring camera and take photos.

          The ticket also allows entry to the museum in the lighthouse.

          Panoramic views of chennai can be seen from the lighthouse.The kamarajar statue can also be seen from the lighthouse.

          The museum holds a collection of equipment used in the lighthouse previously as well a write up on the history of the lighthouse.

          Open to visitors from 10 am to 1pm and 3pm to 6pm

          Closed on Mondays.

          The next photo shows the Pongal festival decoration outside a popular shop.

          Next up are the photos of my written flight.

          Chennai airport now looks more beautiful than ever before.Several food shops available outside the entrance.As in all airports in India only the passenger is allowed to enter the terminal building.Check in was smooth though I had to endure a Long waiting time as only 2 counters were open for economy.Since I was departing on 14th(Pongal day),a small cup of sakkarai pongal(sweet Pongal) was given to all the passengers at the check in counter.

          Then it was a Long wait at the immigration counter since many internationalmflights were departing that time.An emirates 777,indigo A320,AirAsia A320,Spicejet 737 and Sq A333 were departing around the same time.Since all passengers use the counter and there is no priority lane for business Travellers,Indian citizens etc,it was a Long wait.


          My gate was 15 located in the old terminal building.Boarding commenced at 2245 local time and all were boarded by 2310 local time.

          Our Ride for the day was 9V-STU,a 3 year old A333.We pushed back at 2317 local time and were airborne by 2330 local time.

          I was seated in 62K,my Favourite seat for an overnight flight.Slight turbulence was encountered as we exited the chennai coast.

          NO BEVERAGE SERVICE ON THIS FLIGHT PRIOR TO SERVING MEALS.No murukku packets were offered.It was a direct meal service.Choices for the day were:

          1:roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and buttered vegetables,Black Forest cake and salad with bread roll.

          2:Kerala fish curry with rice and stir fried beans,rasa malai,chickpeas salad,pappad and an Indian bread roll.

          3:Indian vegetarian option.

          I had the fish curry and was not disappointed.Tender chunks of fish in creamy gravy with white rice and beans was too good.

          Within 1.5 hours,trays were cleared and lights were switched off.i watched a movie for some time and fell asleep and when I woke up were near Kuala Lumpur.Crew then prepped the cabin for landing and we landed in Singapore at 5:45 local time and we were parked in gate E12.This was the same gate from where my trip had begun on air India 3 weeks before!

          My next post will be the comparison between SQ and AI on this route.

          Thanks for reading and all comments are welcomed
          Last edited by balajih67; 29 January 2017, 01:41 AM.

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          • #20
            SQ VS AI COMPARISON

            Service:I found both airline's service standards to be similar.The crew did what they routinely do on a flight of this duration and requests were attended to promptly.

            Cleanliness:Surprisingly the 4 year old Dreamliner was more Cleaner than the 3 year old airbus.In my plane,seat 61K's exterior seat cushion near the headrest started wearing off.The headphone jack also required a 2 pin airline adaptor in SQ.In Air India,you can just plug in your regular headphone directly to get clear sound.AI wins here.Toilets were similar in both.


            Seat Comfort:SQ seats offer 32 inch pitch and 19 inch width while AI offers 17 inch width and 33 inch pitch.Being very tall,I appreciate the extra pitch on AI than the extra width offered by SQ.Ai wins again.


            Catering:SQ wins here hands down.More beverage choices on SQ.In AI,only water,Pepsi,Mirinda was available.The cups used for serving beverages is also of better quality in SQ than in AI.


            On Time Performance:This is one area where AI has to improve on.My flight was delayed by 1.5 hours and if we check FR24,Ai is often more delayed than SQ.Winner is SQ here.


            IFE:If you are a fan of Indian movies like me,up you will fall in love with AI's IFE.A much larger collection of Indian movies.For Hollywood,SQ stands tall.For me,AI wins here.


            Price:Sq if booked 2-3 months in advance,fares come to around $450 for economy Super saver round trip.We don't usually plan well in advance.AI though booked 10 days before travel,costs only $200 one way.AI wins here.


            For short flights like this which take only 3.5 hours,I prefer AI as its more Budget friendly while offering the same amenities.

            AI is now my first choice for flights to India.

            Anyway I'm enlisting in 2 days in NS,so my next Trip will be done only after 2 years.


            Thanks for reading and all comments are welcomed....

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            • #21
              Great TR especially on SQ. i was on SQ529 on Jan 6. It had the pre-recorded Tamil announcements as well. To me SQ never disappoints on their service or KrisWorld entertainment. Wifi is not necessary for the short haul sector. The 2006 product was still comfortable for a short flight to SIN as opposed to that for SilkAir. Hope one day i can fly a 787, if only they could fly a 787 to TRV from MAA or somewhere like BOM or DEL.

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