Flight check BOM-SIN-BOM on AI342/343

I would have selected some other airline to travel on the Mumbai Singapore route, but pricing by SIA and the displeasure of flying long haul on a single aisle narrow body 737 or A320 or flying indirect pushed me to experience the national carrier. The advertisements it runs would certainly not impress me to fly it.

Air India flies a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, direct, at a decent time (both ways) at a price that is not too bad. Moreover, it would be my first flight aboard the 787 that have joined the fleet fairly recently, but have earned a bad rep for more than a couple of reasons.

Check In at GVK Terminal 2. It took more than 45 minutes to get to the check in counter. Counter staff inefficient and prone to VIP or related party pandering. Airport security check - quick and efficient. Immigration Check - dreadful. Took nearly an hour and I cannot figure out why so many counters were unmanned at peak time.

Flight departure. Announced on time and it was on time. Aircraft, spanking new. Cabin crew, spanking old. Seat pitch at 33 inch - fantastic. Seat width at 17 inches - no complaints. Seat Recline at 6 inch - comfortable. LCD touch screen in front at nearly 11 inches - pretty cool. My co-passengers, not so cool. Craft configuration: Business 18 seats in 3 rows of 2-2-2; economy 238 seats in 3-3-3 arrangement starting from row 11 to 39. Nice big windows with electronic window shades.

Flight announcements were clear, the security video boring. Flight push back on time (15 mins behind schedule).

Up in the air, Entertainment system not working. Electronic window shade would not operate. I had tried it on the ground - it did not work. I thought it would operate once air borne. Nope. The entertainment and control system on the neighbours seat had a couple of buttons jammed in as a result the reading light was on throughout the flight. My arm rest had an ink tattoo drawn my a person to immortalize his love in the air.

Good all else worked, as the aircraft has been notorious for fires and technical failures. Cabin sound very low. pressure and temperature - perfect.

An hour into flight, the cabin crew served a light snack. Avoidable unless rancid oil elevates your taste buds. Must say that it takes courage to handle Indians on flight and the well experienced crew have mastered the art. Many say that they are rude. If I was part of the crew, guess my tenure would have been short lived on account of throwing a couple of passengers out of the door in flight if I had the option. The drinks trolley was never circulated - strategically maybe. The crew was polite with me and I have nothing but good things to say about them.

Guess what, despite an over enthusiastic mother and daughter in the row behind, who were probably playing the game of kick and shout, I managed a 3 hour nap without the need of a sedative called alcohol, and without any stiff or pulled muscles. Thirty minutes before arrival, paid a reluctant visit to the loo. What? Clean? How? Miracle. I have always advocated that airlines flying in and out of India should drop a crew member and replace that person with a professional plumber/loo cleaner, This time however, that thought did not cross my mind.

Landing at Changi 2 - smooth and on time. From aircraft to baggage belt 15 minutes. Baggage was already trickling on the belt. My bag arrived with bits and parts broken. It was too early to pick a fight in the morning, I had a long day of work in Singapore and could do without the added angst.

Two days later, flight back. Check in at Changi 2, 5 minutes. Security 3 minutes, Immigration, 6 minutes, Duty free time 2 hours. Boarding, on time. Take off, on time. Arrival into Mumbai, 15 minutes ahead of schedule. Immigration 30 mins, Baggage arrival, further 15 mins. Customs, further 15 mins.

Incidentally, the same cockpit and cabin crew on return journey. Probably the same craft as well. the entertainment system worked and I caught 2 movies. Electronic shade - not.  Dinner was decent. Drinks trolley did go round.

I had a  young lady on the seat next to me, and I could not help over hear her conversation that concerned spare parts for a Dreamliner stuck at Kolkatta airport for the last 3 days. I struck a conversation with her, and she said that the aircraft was an over engineered technical wonder; the first true fly by wire by Boeing, and one where it has made tons of error in pursuit to gain superiority over Airbus. It has scored in some departments, but on others it's a "nightmareliner".

I read this article the very next morning:

NEW DELHI: An Air India Dreamliner (VT-AND) has been stripped of parts to keep the other Boeing 787s flying. 

Question that I ask myself, will I fly Air India B787 again? I have learnt to never say never, but I must add, not out of choice.