Part.1 / JAN 2019 by Thierry Wheeler
Hello everyone,
In January, I went to India and more specifically to the Andaman Islands which is about 2 hours flight from Madras, for half visit and half sun.
The easiest way to get to Port Blair the main city of the Andaman Islands is to fly to one of the major Indian airports, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Calcutta and Madras. Having never taken Jet Airways long-haul flight I decided to take their direct flight between CDG and MAA with Airbus A 330-300 (flight in code share with Air France)
The departure time of the flight at 10:20 from the terminal 2 C, I went to check in 2h before around 8h20. A check-in area is dedicated to the two flights from the day of Jet Airways mine to Madras and the second to Bombay done by Boeing 777-300.
A check-in counter for passengers traveling first (Jet Airways business class) and members of their Jet Privilege loyalty program, and the other 3 for economy class passengers.
Check-in is done by a handling company. Few people in the check-in area, most passengers are connecting to CDG and come largely from the United States and Canada.
Our aircraft of the day an Airbus A 330-300 - VT-JWT delivered new in February 2013 to Jet Airways.
Namely the flight between CDG and MAA is performed 5 times a week by this aircraft, Jet Airways has no other long-haul line from Madras to Paris.
Embarkation begins and as most of the time passengers rush to the boarding gates as if the plane was going to leave without them.
boarding will be done by zone from 2 to 4, the 4 being the one at the back of the cabin
Overview of the First, Business and Eco Cabin.
The economy cabin is standard configuration on the Airbus A 330 2-4-2, identical seat to the Boeing 777 Best cabin of Air France
The video system is quite easy to use with movies in French, English, Hindi.
The system menu is only in English and Hindi
The service starts directly with the meal, without aperitif offered. Two choices are offered:
- a non-vegetarian meal with chicken
- A second Indian vegetarian meal.
Offer soft and alcoholic beverages, wine offered in large bottle.
the wine is offered in cardboard damage glasses. The hot dish consists of chicken pieces with pasta and vegetables above and covered with metal and glass logoté 25 years of the company
In flight drinks will be available in the back galley in eco, then the cabin is then dipped in the dark
flight itinerary and arrival time information on the IFE
Before the arrival a second service is proposed composed of drinks and a vegetarian wrap or not followed by an ice cream, ( Partnership with a Brasserie Indian London )
At the end of the flight the cabin crew with whom I would have discussed will be the kindness of me to bring popcorn offered the snack of the First class passengers during flight.
Approach to Madras and message after our arrival on IFE.
Passage quite long immigration although I have an E-visa that normally should simplified the formalities of arrival. Fortunately as I was in the first eco booth I would have to wait 40 minutes.
When I arrived my suitcase is already there, I only have to find a distributor and an uber to go to my hotel while waiting for my next flight to Port blair tomorrow morning around 11am
Positive point :
• Very nice crew, smiling and available while usually in India we have more right to someone who is not smiling and we feel that our presence disturbs them.
• Good and varied meal. The fact of having the choice on the second benefit is positive knowing that on Air France the second benefit is necessarily vegetarian.
• French passengers have the choice to have films in French which is not offered by all companies.
• Seat and comfortable leg room.
Negative point :
• No offer of snack in mid-flight
• No offer of newspapers or magazines to passengers during boarding or provision during flight.
• No WIFI proposed for interested persons.