Dubai Diary 22nd to 25th Jan 2015

I was to visit Dubai over New Years; but a situation at home changed my plans. I had the ticket and visa so I thought of taking advantage of the long Republic Day weekend to unwind in the playground of the rich and famous. Feels nice to say it. :)

Having used it quite a bit from the time it has opened; Mumbai's International Airport - the GVK CSIA T2 has earned my respect as one of the best in the world - from a passenger's point of view. Honestly, Dubai's Terminal 1 looked haggard in comparison now. (Yes it is being renovated, but Mumbai now scores over it in immigration clearance (both ways) as well as providing amenities, duty free, dining and other such facilities. I thought that arriving back from Dubai would be a painful experience with customs. But, with baggage screening of check-in luggage being done by Customs prior to it being put on the belt; every person does not have to endure the X-ray check process and one can reach from craft to car in 40 mins or less.

I am not so happy about an institution that I once admired. It is dropping its brand equity, craft and service quality standards. Jet Airways. It was a pleasure to fly it once upon a time and now getting to be a pain - at least on short haul routes - be it domestic or international. After it's acquisition by Etihad; one would have thought that the fortunes of the airline would get much better - specially flying to its new step-home base in the UAE. But, that's not the case even though the airline has decided to drop the "Konnect" tag and fly as a premium full service airline. The 737-800 I flew happens to retain the old "Konnect" configuration and my knees were jammed against the seat in front. I am not a 6 foot + guy and if I cannot fit then I pity guys taller than me. Introducing meals back is fine as long as what is served is good. It was better to pay and buy rather than eat the (sorry for saying this) "crap" that is dished out as part of the meal offering. Check in was slow and was being blamed on the system. In-flight service was not bad though. I can't tell if it was the "Athiti Devo Bhavo" (Guest is God) principle or "white is right" that got Caucasian passengers better service?


Now this is not a Jet Airways problem alone. I have seen this happen one too many times. How do people get to carry two (virtual) suitcases into the cabin? Refer to the attached image of an over sized person with supposedly a cabin size conforming bag and a laptop bag. This man must have hit at least 2 or 3 people in the face with his bags while trying to reach his seat. Leave alone the nuisance he caused trying to force his bags in the cabin hold. I now am in complete agreement with Ryanair's baggage policy that enforces a strict cabin bag size on board. The other matter I cannot understand is that of cell phone use on board. Is it really a danger if the phone is not kept on "flight" mode? Apparently not; cause if it was, then airlines would have not allowed them on board in the first place knowing well that 50% of the idiots getting on board want to show off their voice and phones to fellow passengers even after being told that "all electronic devices should be switched off or kept in flight mode". I think people have figured that out that there is no penalty to disobey the instruction and do not bother to switch off the phone's connectivity when asked to. I am predicting serious "air-rage" days in times to come when use of phone is allowed in flight. Loud mouth passengers yacking incessantly on phone up in the air will certainly get into fights with co passengers trying to shut them up.

Dubai Airport - the taxi rank is quite organized. All taxis charge a flat AED 25 as starting fare. The premium black limos run the meter at twice the regular cab rate. But the driver will disclose the approximate fare if you ask before stepping in. Trust me, they won't take you for a "ride". The Cabbies in Dubai are generally quite honest and won't intentionally take you the long way home. At times, the roads are such that it resembles a taxiway leading to a runway - not the least distant path. What I would have liked to see is the driver name and taxi details being displayed along with a bar code like in Singapore to make sure that taxis remain safe and honest in times to come.


If a not so great looking person with money can be surgically crafted into a piece of work then why should Dubai - a desert-dom not look great and desire the best - including growing roses in its Miracle Garden? From what I hear it's not going to be all roses for foreigners in time to come as the Emirate is considering imposition of a small income tax. But until it does; enjoy the best things that money can buy. Happiness is relative and while some may be happy blowing away hard earned (or hardly earned as the may be); it is not the first thing that comes to my mind while walking around in a Dubai Mall. One needs to be a geographically sound navigator to read the mall maps as each mall is larger than the other. Dubai does set the standards for big, bigger, biggest and the benchmark is breached each year. Besides my pockets getting lighter; I too must have lost a couple of pounds walking and carrying bags. For me it was an expensive gym experience. 

The pain was much  needed as Dubai has plenty of sinful places to eat and entertain. There was no way I was going to miss an opportunity to eat at the Cheesecake Factory" or "Uno Chicago Grill" to get a taste of nostalgia of my days back in the US of A. Thanks to Facebook; had a mini school reunion at "Loca" a nice little Mexican place which serves authentic mex and tex mex food. The Chef's from Mexico. On a Friday; it runs a brunch and if that's not what you like then go after 4pm. The food and drinks are actually very good. Actually; some of these places offer better value for money experience then the exclusive "branded" ones. Had what I call good but not great experiences at "Cle" and "Pacha Ibiza Dubai". Both are now on the "must visit" list for Dubai so how could I skip them? The former; has the backing of Michelin Stared Chef Greg Malouf and the latter an off-spring of the famous parent in Ibiza. Both left me wondering if a visit was worth my time and money or, are they just meant to be an outlet for splurging and being seen with and as the "happening" people? I call such places the "less for more" experiences. While both are certainly not experiences that I would have missed had I not visited; it was good to visit them from my personal education point of view in terms of how concepts are evolving in the food and beverage space. New concepts give way to newer; and then there is  the "Wafi" gourmet. It's been around for I don't know how many years - untouched by time - in the way it looks and what it serves. There are many eateries that claim to serve the best Arabic food, but at Wafi Gourmet you can't go wrong. Maybe it's the temptation of the dates, backlavas, olives, salads, fresh produce, dry fruits that are laid out carelessly as display get the stomach hyper active or maybe it's the fragrance of the kebabs being grilled. It's magic.

Finally, one of the best experiences in Dubai is one that can be had for free. A walk on the beach. It was something that I could have done each day during my stay. The beach I visited is kind of man-made but I am not complaining. The 5 shades of ocean blue kissing the silver sands was nothing short of delight. I turned around 360 degrees and saw the towering Burj Khalifa piercing the sky in the distance, as well as the Burj Dubai resembling a massive sail boat in the sea. So much to visit and so little time. Great I will leave what I did not visit for my next visit "Inshallah".

I was back in India on the 25th; could not miss the Republic Day Parade telecast on 26th morning.  For the first time in its 66 years as a Republic; the President of the USA was being honored as the Chief Guest. Or it was the first time a President of the USA accepted to attend it. It just shows that India is no longer a nation that can be given symbolic importance. Dubai was wonderful; but then could, not agree more that "Sare Jahan se Accha - Yeh Hindustan Humara" (Better than the whole world - Is this India of mine). Yes that's what the parade band was playing as the brilliance of India marched by.

P.S. My reviews on some of the places I visited are on tripadvisor.com.

Flight Check - BOM KUL on Malindo Air

"Never heard of it" said my wife, when I told her I was headed to Kuala Lumpur on Malindo Air. "Are you sure it's safe?" asked with a degree of paranoia prompted by the ill fate being meted out to airlines born in Malaysia. I told her it's a new airline that flies new aircraft, and that safety is an issue that plagues all airlines today.

Malindo Air; born in 2013 out of wedlock between Lion Air of Indonesia and NADI of Malaysia operates to more stations in India than its other Malaysian sisters. It website says that it offers "low air fare with premium in-flight services included. That means your baggage allowance and in-flight entertainment are taken care of. Fuss-free and no hidden costs." The fare was not exactly low; but then, the cost of traveling to an Air Asia destination within India or flying with the national carrier direct to KL from Mumbai worked out to the same or more. Effectively, Malindo was the cheapest option to fly BOM-KUL direct on the chosen dates.

Check in at Mumbai CSIA terminal T2 was stress free. There was no debate about the size or weight of my carry on luggage (though I am sure I conformed to both); nor that of any other passenger in the queue. Airline allows 20kgs plus hand bag(s). Not much of a line either as the aircraft; a Boeing 727-900ER is configured to carry some 160 passengers in a twin (business [12seats] and economy) configuration. Flight time out of Mumbai is good - 2240 hours - not many international flights at that time and most domestic operators have also landed much of their fleet by then as well. Flight arrived 15 minutes late affecting boarding by the same. Not much delay in leaving the gate and taking off after that.

Aircraft had been cleaned well and looked in good condition. Inflight crew looked young but well trained. There were no blankets kept on the seat and to get one - the passenger had to hand over the boarding card. (On the return leg this procedure was not followed). The blanket material and size was not great though it came sealed in a pack. The seats installed in economy are designed for domestic operations or flights of less than a couple of hours. A seat with proper head and lumber support with a bit more cushioning would have helped enduring a 5+ hour flight. Pitch is decent though. The business class too had seats that resemble premium economy (or old business class seats) on most long haul carriers. Inflight entertainment was limited and was not really useful if you had not carried your own head set. Should have read the website before travel. But, by the time we took off (2320 hours) I had nothing but sleep on my mind. A light dinner was served minutes after aircraft reached its final altitude. It was spartan airline quality meal that does not require me to spend many words to qualify it. Water (500ml) is the only beverage that comes with the meal followed by tea or coffee. A passenger ahead of me asked for beer and was told not available on board. He said that he could see it being served in business class. Was informed that yes it's available up front. So he asked again how he could get it. A witty answer followed that told him book business class next time. (This again is not the norm. On the way back a drink trolley was rolled on a pay for the drink basis). Maybe it's a good idea not to serve alcohol (paid or unpaid) on certain sectors based on time of flight and passenger nationality. I may sound racist here but it takes just one uncontrolled idiot to spoil the flight for the rest.

Rest of the flight was uneventful. Bathrooms were kept generally clean - maybe the effect of "Swach Bharat Abhiyan" that Indians are now paying attention to their loo habits. Flight load - virtually full going into KL and 70% load on the way back.

Landed nearly on time at 7 am (despite the delay in Mumbai). Airline is a resident of KLIA2 - the low cost airline terminal. Luggage is on the belt by the time the passenger clears immigration. It was not as efficient on the way in; but then the immigration desks at Mumbai airport have become much better with the new procedures in place.

My rating - 3 on 5. Would I fly it again. It's not my choice for travel but I will not balk if I am asked to fly it again.

Minor Passenger - Major Views

The phone rang. My daughter's name popped up and I knew flight 9W535 had landed at CSIA-Mumbai. "Dad, I never want to fly this airline again". Hey! no Hi Dad! How are you Dad? She just sounded seriously annoyed. My son then got on the phone and said "Dad, this airline is worse than a budget airline". Now I was seriously amused. Both of them had nothing better to say to me, but rant about the airline - after flying in from Dubai post their mini vacation 5 days away from both parents. For my daughter of 12 years 8 months and son 14 years and 7 months; this was the return leg of their first international flight as unaccompanied passengers.

Rewind - the family had planned to spend New Year's in Dubai and I booked the seats on Jet Airways in September of 2014. A medical emergency threw a spanner in the works. My kids were disappointed that the trip would be called off; but my sister in law volunteered to look after them in Dubai. So, my wife and I decided to send the children as unaccompanied passengers. Since all four of us were on the same PNR; I had to get the same split. "Sir, since your daughter and son are both above 12 years we cannot accept them as unaccompanied minors" is what the call center rep told me when I called to get the PNR split. So, the task now was to convince my wife to travel with them or they could not go; and she was adamant not to travel. My son; who had heard the conversation with the call center agent and with my wife comes back to me after 15 minutes and says "Dad, that guy was wrong. See here it says both of us can travel as 'young passengers' as per the airline website and we can avail of the unaccompanied passenger facility". I took that link (http://www.jetairways.com/EN/IN/ProductAndServices/UnaccompaniedMinors.aspx)  and sent it to my travel agent; who in turn took up the matter with the airline's sales office; who in turn split the PNR and entered a remark that both children will travel as unaccompanied "young passengers" under the supervision of the airline's ground staff and crew. My Travel Agent asked the Sales Agent why did we get a different view from the call center? She said that it must be some new kid who is not aware of process. Huh! new kid? So, instead of helping out a passenger the call center cadet was actually doing the opposite because of a lack of training or whatever?

Back - "What was the problem dear?" I asked my daughter. "Dad, had we not requested a non-veg meal?" I nodded. "They said they ran out of non-veg food. Then, the TV did not work for most of the flight. When we asked the crew they said we will attend to it and each time we reminded them they gave us a dirty stare." My son jumped in "Dad we wanted to fly Jet because it is supposed to be the best Indian airline - right? If there was no food selection of choice and no entertainment on board then we may as well have flown Indigo - at least their crew behaves better with kids. We should ask them for compensation" "Yes, and Dad, please tweet what happened to us right now. Let the airline know that just because we are kids it cannot treat us unfairly. Someone yelled at the crew in the aircraft and got the selection she wanted and we who had booked our meal did not. Not fair" was the follow up by my daughter. These were strong statements. The angst in them made them forget that the ground staff at both Dubai and Mumbai treated them with care; which I reminded them of after they finished their snack and coffee at Starbucks. Yes, they did not eat on board, and I did send out a tweet with the feedback.

A friend of mine had just returned from Dubai a couple of days back; and he too had traveled on Jet Airways. He too was not in a mood to shower any compliments on the airline either. "Sad; it is heading the Air-India way - from pride of the Indian skies down into the pits. Can't blame the inflight crew really. The planes are showing their age and many of them are still configured as per the JetLite model (Budget) though the airline says it's back to it's one brand basics (http://www.jetairways.com/EN/IN/AboutUs/OnebrandJetAirways.aspx). Half the stuff that comes in the meal tray is unhealthy and most of it will end up as unconsumed rubbish. Can you believe that the bar was so ill provided for on an international sector? I don't know where they select their wines from?" were his views and they kind of got reinforced by what my kids had to say about it. 

Well, this is not a blog to bad mouth Jet Airways. For me, it's my first choice of flying within India and shall remain until I find the next full service airline that can better it. The point I am trying to make is that passengers of any age are no longer in an accepting mood and will vent one way or another. With kids getting more and more tech savvy; news of bad experiences will fly faster than the planes flown by airlines and that is no minor matter anymore.

(P.S.) The airline offered to credit my account with 2500 miles as compensation which was declined; not in the pursuit of more - but the fact that the compensation was not directed to or impacting the passengers really aggrieved.