Feb 21, 2007 02:38 AM
4086 Views
(Updated Feb 21, 2007 02:43 AM)
I recently traveled to Newark from Bombay via Heathrow London. At the Bombay airport, Virgin had their home-grown profilers(have we been watching Law and Order too much these days). This lady tried to grill me as if she knew a lot of things about US job market.
No one India pronounces "Newark" the way it is done in USA, added to fun.
Also they seemed to be sticklers about the weight passengers could carry. So it seems, though, the limit is 46 Kgs per passengers, I cannot carry 2 bags one with 30 Kgs and other with 12 Kgs(discerning reader has guessed that that this is below the allowed limit). There was a nice gentleman who promised to help. But he disappeared at the last minute. so I had to fall back on my other option - bribing the handler. Virgin should not give a hard time time to passenger going to USA unnecessarily.(I understood from fellow travellers that the UK weight limit is far lower that the USA limit)
A word for the wise, avoid seats next to child-parent ones in Christmas or other Desi travel season. I had to live with 3 cranky and noisy children through the first flight. So could not even manage a nap on the first leg of the journey.
At London Airport the security was strict. I was asked to take my sandals off and put them through the scanner! Looks like UK is more scared of attacks(for obvious reasons after 7/7). Then there was a bodily search. And later just before boarding, a UK attendant gained knowledge about Indian food. She had to know about each and every food item in my handbag(which I was mentally prepared to throw off, in the worst scenario)
Just before landing at Newark, I asked a stewardess for immigration form.
She wanted to know if I knew what I was asking for.(Typical Brit assuming lack of knowledge on Indian's part:-))
On the whole service is decent and food was good, to. No complaints. Did not have a drink to beat jet-lag. The service is good. Branding is excellent. In fact, Mallya has copied everything that Virgin offers in Kingfisher Airlines.
As the flight started at 2PM(and on-time) and landed at JFK at 11PM, it worked out well for me, too.
