electrozebra Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 BKK to LHR with Air India. Yes, it is all my fault for wanting the cheapest flight to the UK but I wanted a 1 way flight so I could get a return from the UK to BKK. I also resented paying the high prices quoted from BKK to UK return. Check in was different. They would only allow us to check our bags to Mumbai airport and not all the way to LHR. Told that we must check the baggage in again at Mumbai. That is a first for me. No problems with the Thai security checks on the way to boarding. Once on board the plane there was a delay. Seems they did not have a tractor unit to tow them backwards. We were delayed for about 45 minutes then once we were out there was no slot to take off so we waited again. All in all about 1 hour 15 minutes delay at BKK. Naturally we were late arriving at Mumbai airport and spent time circling until we eventually got to land. Once at Mumbai airport we were 'fast tracked' through though more like hustled through to get to our next flight because of the delay. No chance of a toilet visit to freshen up or have a dump or anything. That was when we ran into the Indian security checks. I have never seen anything like it before. Lines of people having to go through their luggage and cabin baggage removing so many items. This was causing a major backlog. A couple of Australian guys next to me had sealed Medical First Aid Kits. They were made to open them and remove all sorts of items and the kits to be re-scanned time and again before the security were satisfied. I had two cigarette lighters in clothes I had not worn since my last visit to the UK a year ago. I'd forgotten about them. Yet they made me search my bags 3 times until the offending items were found ( but never had to give up a cigarette lighter with Oman Air or Etihad going via the Mid East or any other country so far ). Those two lighters also made it through LHR and Dubai security on the way to BKK the previous year. Utter chaos seemed to abound with security making people empy their bags completely with all their goods scattered about. People looking amazed at what items they had to leave behind including perfume and other items that had obviously been allowed through other airport checks. Some definitely seemed non too happy at their treatment. Eventually we got onto the 2nd leg of the flight to the UK, only for that flight to be delayed also but no reason given. We arrived at LHR about 45 minutes late. While waiting for the baggage, I and others noticed most people had their baggage unloaded and had left. Fearing lost bags, I went to enquire at the relevent desk only to be told that cargo was being unloaded now and we would have to wait for our bags. Great. A delayed flight and now delayed baggage. I was sure I would not get my connecting trains. Maybe someone said something because our bags appeared a lot quicker than we were led to expect. I hot footed it through the airport only to be stopped by Customs and Excise. Maybe my harrassed and frustrated look made me a target. Luckily the customs man heard my brief story and let me through - with my extra tobacco stash. I made it to Kings Cross and onto the platform as the guard was about to blow his whistle. Thankfully he waited a minute and I clamboured aboard, relieved to have made it with seconds to spare. What a joy to arrive back home in cold England. Never to travel Air India again. The food and service on the flight were definitely not up to the standards of any other flights I have been on. The selections of music and movies was also worse. Yes, I got a cheap flight and yes, maybe I paid the penalty for that, but take note if you are thinking of travelling with Air India. As a footnote and a good one at that, I booked a 1 year return with Emirates from the UK to BKK for 510 pounds. I checked corresponding dates with flights from BKK to the UK and the cheapest was almost 700 pounds. An equivalent flight with Emirates was almost 850 pounds. A good future saving and maybe worth the hassle of buying my 1 way ticket in the first instance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilliaminBKK Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Thank you for sharing your trip report, this is exactly the type of chaos I want to avoid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
champken Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I am afraid to say that your experience brings back memories or should that be nightmares to me, basically if you are on any flight that stops in India then you will be subjected to that hour and a half of utter nonsense and i have to admit it due to being a cheap charlie i have endured it six times in the last year with three return flights and am presently looking for another cheap flight home and have a guess what...the cheapest is between air India and terrorist/shakedown Egypt Air....Help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elliss Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Thank you for sharing your trip report, this is exactly the type of chaos I want to avoid. i would like to second that . i experienced mumbai airport once , with jet air never , ever again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
electrozebra Posted March 24, 2011 Author Share Posted March 24, 2011 With other replies of agreement, maybe someone unsure of making a similar trip will look elsewhere. I am sorry to see I am not alone in this chaos with Air India and Mumbai. We live and learn. Or we sometimes have to make do until we can arrange otherwise in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wileycoyote Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Good Posting ! I am sorry for all your woes with Air India. It would appear that haven't changed at all since I flew them in the Eighties. Once I had to tell them to distribute TIM cards,then had to help the Purser & Steward hand them to disembarking passengers as the other members of the crew were all "too busy" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanLaew Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Sad story about traveling on a third world carrier. I will avoid them! Good motivation though - buying a one-way so that you can buy a cheaper r/t ticket in the UK. I just forked out about £3300 for me, wife and son to Aberdeen and back. I think I will get a cheap one-way next month and buy my next Bangkok r/t ticket in the UK. Looks like £1175 r/t bought in BKK versus £717 r/t bought in UK; same carrier/flights (KLM). That way, I will save on my ticketing and only have to pay the higher fares for the wife and sons tickets when they come over again in the summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xen Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Interesting ,and scary, article this morning in the Sydney Morning Herald about Indian Airlines . Indian pilots. There have been several similar articles lately about Indian pilots using fake qualifications. If it is accuate i would be paying extra and flying with another airline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beano2274 Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Am gonna go home to the UK at the end of May and have been reading with interest posts about the Indian Airlines and the chaos at the Airports. I have decided not to use Jet, Air India or Kingfisher as I do not need the stress of it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egg Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 if you guys are flying to the UK , have you looked at Air Asia prices , l have seen cheap fares to London (at least l think they are cheap),,if you keep an eye on their website they seem to have some good deals ,, l have never flown long haul with Air Asia but will find out what they are like next month when we fly to Aus cheers egg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beano2274 Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Air Asia no thanks, remember the added costs and Stanstead is not an easy airport to get out of late at night, cause if I remember correctly the train stops at a certain time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rak sa_ngop Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 I have flown twice with Air India BKK-LHW and was honestly pleasntly surprised by the service. The difference to the OP was that I transferred through DELHI not Mumbai. Delhi has a nice new terminal built for the commonwealth games and is very comfortable and relaxing. Good food outlets and duty free. The only downside? is that security is very strict so have to be patient, and also have to stand in line to get issued new boarding passes. I would (and have) recommended Air India to friends and would certainly have no problem flying with them again if I wanted the cheapest price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egg Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Air Asia no thanks, remember the added costs and Stanstead is not an easy airport to get out of late at night, cause if I remember correctly the train stops at a certain time. thats fair enuff ,,, you have had the experience ,, l haven't ,, yet cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miksguevara Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 oops im flying with kingfisher via mumbai next friday - thought it would be a good idea to avoid the middle east Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dantilley Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Flew with Jet Airways via Mumbai earlier this year and, while everything relating to the airline itself (in flight entertainment, food, check-in staff at the airport, etc.) was pretty good, there's no avoiding transiting in an Indian airport. I'm not sure if Delhi is as bad as Mumbai, but Mumbai security was horrendous. It's not the strictness of it especially - just that it's woefully disorganised. People jumping the queue; people being sent back through because their boarding pass wasn't stamped, their luggage wasn't tagged, or whatever; this silly system of women and men queuing separately meaning that family groups are split up; and a lot of people generally getting very stressed and agitated. All of this going on in a hot, messy, dilapidated old room doesn't help much either. Jet Airways seem like they're doing their best to provide a good service, but unfortunately for them they're lumbered with having to transit in Mumbai or Delhi, which is a major drawback and one that I will always factor in to my choice of which airline to fly with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boater Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 the reason they take the lighter off you is if you ant a smoke, you have to go to the cafe at the back of the airport, buy a 5 pound beer, and they will light your smoke for you . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrendsd Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Years ago i knew lads who would buy a one way ticket from the UK to Bangkok and then buy their one year return to the UK from here, these were all people who travelled here on a fequent basis, Now with the pound weakening it is indeed a lot cheaper to do it the other way round, 510 quid is a good deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crushdepth Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Another good reason to avoid them - I think this takes the biscuit actually: Fake pilots: nose-first landing unravels full-blown scandal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SantiSuk Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Thanks. All us regular travelers know the tales but after a couple of years or so you get to thinking - should I give the India option a try? Safely back in its box for another few years - thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokie36 Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 Thanks. All us regular travelers know the tales but after a couple of years or so you get to thinking - should I give the India option a try? Safely back in its box for another few years - thanks again I'm more worried with the rupee at 75/£ I might not bother with the onward flight.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chivas Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 (edited) How much was the price of the one way ticket in Baht ?? Edited March 26, 2011 by Chivas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
electrozebra Posted March 26, 2011 Author Share Posted March 26, 2011 How much was the price of the one way ticket in Baht ?? My 1 way flight from BKK-LHR was 12,126 Baht Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chivas Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 How much was the price of the one way ticket in Baht ?? My 1 way flight from BKK-LHR was 12,126 Baht That is cheap !! Even with the low exchange rate I'd happily put up with a "one off Mumbai nightmare" at that price !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chivas Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 How much was the price of the one way ticket in Baht ?? My 1 way flight from BKK-LHR was 12,126 Baht That is cheap !! Even with the low exchange rate I'd happily put up with a "one off Mumbai nightmare" at that price !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totster Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 India revokes licences of 14 'fake pilots' totster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seekingfriends Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 How much was the price of the one way ticket in Baht ?? My 1 way flight from BKK-LHR was 12,126 Baht That is cheap !! Even with the low exchange rate I'd happily put up with a "one off Mumbai nightmare" at that price !! you have got to be kidding . putting up with all that rubbish . to save a few pounds .i feeel sorry for you . why bother traveling then . stat at home . james hat yai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chivas Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 How much was the price of the one way ticket in Baht ?? My 1 way flight from BKK-LHR was 12,126 Baht That is cheap !! Even with the low exchange rate I'd happily put up with a "one off Mumbai nightmare" at that price !! you have got to be kidding . putting up with all that rubbish . to save a few pounds .i feeel sorry for you . why bother traveling then . stat at home . james hat yai Try and engage 1st gear before posting when drunk. I made it clear that for a "one off" flight there was considerable saving over other carriers, which start around the 20,000 baht mark.I don't consider the saving to be a few pounds ?? And if you're not drunk some sort of schooling would be in order ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
remiss Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 Just out of curiosity I checked some prices.. Srilankan Airlines is the cheapest I could find at 13,500B, if you add 100 baht u can fly air berlin.. I know which of those I would pick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bifftastic Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 the reason they take the lighter off you is if you ant a smoke, you have to go to the cafe at the back of the airport, buy a 5 pound beer, and they will light your smoke for you . I bought a 100 baht bottle of water and got a light off someone in the smokers room I know, 100 baht was a lot for a bottle of water, but it was a litre bottle which I took with me to the departure 'lounge' They did try to sell me a £5 beer, but they need to try harder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokie36 Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 the reason they take the lighter off you is if you ant a smoke, you have to go to the cafe at the back of the airport, buy a 5 pound beer, and they will light your smoke for you . I bought a 100 baht bottle of water and got a light off someone in the smokers room I know, 100 baht was a lot for a bottle of water, but it was a litre bottle which I took with me to the departure 'lounge' They did try to sell me a £5 beer, but they need to try harder Nice one Biff. On the bright side the price of beer hasn't gone up in Bombay airport sice I was last there near ten years ago..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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