I just discovered: AirAsia now connects Bengaluru directly with Bangkok, starting September 1st, 2015. This would make it convenient for Bangaloreans travelling to several locations in South East Asia.
This morning, I was looking up for air tickets to a few destinations in South-East Asia on AirAsia website. At one point, I was searching for Air Tickets out of Mandalay, Myanmar to Bangkok. In the list of destinations that AirAsia tickets can be booked out of Mandalay, Bengaluru also popped up to my surprise. This wasn’t the case when I was searching for travel options in the region a few months ago, early in May.
A quick research revealed that it is indeed possible to book Mandalay to Bengaluru (via Bangkok) on Air Asia in one reservation (single PNR), thanks to the fact that Thai AirAsia has started flying Bangkok to Bengaluru and return. The flights have commenced only recently, starting from 1st September 2015. They had announced this as early as end-June and perhaps started ticket sales immediately, but this had skipped my attention. What really makes me excited about this is not the connectivity to Bangkok alone, but how easier (and cheaper) it will become to fly from Bengaluru to some remote locations in South East Asia.
You may have seen recent television ads of Air India, where senior executives from many companies vouch for the punctuality, quality of food and in-flight entertainment system on Air India flights. The promo ends with a quote, ‘Every time I fly Air India, I realize, how much better it is’. News reports also indicate that Air India is about to join Star Alliance and is trying to ensure smooth operations to meet the quality requirements set by the alliance.
A week ago, I had a chance to travel on Air India and to evaluate a part of what the television advertisement was claiming. I took three AI flights in a span of three days, travelling from Trivandrum to Delhi, further to Varanasi and later on to Agra. I was flying Air India after twenty months and was eager to see if their services have got any better.
If you are looking for a quick answer to the question, read no further! It is a big NO! Read on if you are curious about my experiences.
image source
I can’t imagine someone treating their customers so terribly. Michal Tanton’s story of his terrible experience of being stuck in an airport in Rome, waiting for his AlItalia flight did not just make me feel sorry, but made me wish to punch the staff who remained unsympathetic to the woes of their passengers. People were stuck in the airport for days with no one helping them.
Anyone could have pushed the terminal over the edge at any moment. If just one person swung a punch at an employee, it might trigger a riot. I could feel it. The Africans were ready to roll, as were DJ and several of the Italians. Most American passengers seemed a bit more restrained, but even that was beginning to change. The Alitalia staff looked terrified. Their eyes darted sideways as they scanned the terminal for threats and calculated escape routes.
Read the whole story – The Worst Airline Company in the World.