Hi Folks,
I am kind of getting used to reviewers who will not leave any stone unturned to save the smallest amount of money to travel low cost and then write cynical reviews when comparing low cost carriers to full service providers.
The last few reviews on Go Air are not exceptions..
Here is my review on their newly started MUM-DEL Route
My itinerary:
MUM-DEL - 5th April ’06
DEL-MUM - 9th April ’06
First things first - Lightning fast website, and honest down to earth prices. Within 120 seconds both my bookings were complete at prices of Rs 2320 per trip !
Visa payment reflected within a week which was quick processing.
The FINE print:
If you cancel a ticket, the amount does not get refunded but stays as a credit which can be used to buy goair tickets in future
If you reschedule a booking, the charges are Rs 500 plus any difference in fares for the new timing/route
If you cancel a ticket, Rs 500 gets deducted
And now on to the tarmac...
I checked in for my 8.20 flight from mumbai at 7.35 - just in the nick of time - The check in is from terminal 1A, which is the same one used by IC and KF (Indian Airlines and King Fisher). The lounge and check-in area was spacious and comfortable. After checking in around 20 kgs of luggage (they waived off the excess amount of 5 kgs)..I reached the boarding gate around 7.50..pretty quick isnt it?
Found a long line of passengers for my flight. Checked with the go-air staff to find that 120 seats were occupied in the 180 seater A320 aircraft. Not too bad for the 2nd day of the airline on this route.
Found out that the plane had not arrived from Baroda till 7.55 pm...i was thinking it is again a low-cost carrier that does not have regard for time..But surprisingly, boarding started by 8.05!!
First reaction from the boarding station, a PINK PLANE!! And in large text, a message proudly showing the official carrier for the Indian and English cricket team. More suprises inside..PINK head covers and I mean flourescent pink, striking and with a strong personality.
Within 10 mins, most people at boarded the aircraft and the message flying from the crew during boarding were repeated echoes that gates close at 8.20. Believe me, this startegy worked brilliantly to get the passengers moving quickly.
Sharp at 8.20 the gates were closed and by 8.25 we were taxiing to the runway.
The flight took-off around 8.40 (announced as delays due to congestion. I agreed coz they were ready to fly on time and did not get a take-off slot)
Now here is the first thing I did not like, as the crat was climbing into the air, I kept hearing metal clicks from various parts within the plane. It was as if metal is being stretched. I am sure GoAir is taking care of it planes but this sound wasn’t confirming. To top it all, after 10 minutes into the flight the overhead lights started flickering. Imagine 9.00 pm in the night, pitch darkness outside, metal clanks below your seat and fluctuating lights..scary isn’t it.. I think Mr Wadia should plug this asap.
Regarding f&b, water was being served in plastic cups of average quality, the water was being manually filled from Bisleri bottles by the staff. There was no restriction on how much water one drank unlike a spicy carrier I have flied earlier on :-)..
Snacks were sandwiches, burgers, chips and juices with around 35% premium on retail pricing. Not too bad for having the privilege of.. buying when flying..nice tag line ;-)
The journey was covered in good time and we landed around 10 minutes later than the scheduled time. The exit was good ans the bus dropped us to the arrival lounge in good time.
Trouble#2 - I had checked in 2 pieces of luggage from mumbai - a duffel bag and a carton containing a music system for my family in Delhii. I stood at the baggage collection counter and after 20 minutes I realised that the belt was empty and my baggage was nowhere to be found !! Exasperated, I spoke to the GoAir duty manager. He made me take a seat and called the cargo desk and the mumbai office to check for the box. IT was found that the baggage was not offloaded as it was mistaken for someone else’s and was sent back to mumbai in the same flight. I was understandably very angry and told them to do something about it rightaway! I was almost silly enough to tell him to turn the flight back !! ha ha..
On a serious note, the manager apologised and took my delhi phone number and address details. He gave me the delhi and mumbai manager’s cell nos and told me that the baggage will come back by the next day morning flight and will be delivered to my home by noon. I understood that he too was helpless and agreed.
Pleasantly surprised, at 11.30am the next day, a GoAir messenger bought my parcel back intact and apologized for the inconvenience. I told him not to worry about it and thanked him for his punctuality. Things like this change the impression of an airline.
My return flight experience was similar except that this time the plane was flourescent green..with GREEN head rests!! Man, GoAir is one colourful airline! Also, the boarding from delhi was through the good old gate 1B in the low-cost carriers area. In mumbai, an aircraft was stalled at the runway which delayed our landing by nearly 45 minutes. Again, not sure if that is the airline’s fault.
Problem #3 - What I saw in the second plane made me rething about not just GO Air but other carriers’ safety measures. From my window seat, I could see the insulation material between the aircraft wall’s crack and that made me wonder how and why does the plane have such loosely fitted interiors. Not just looks, but in turbulence or other air issues, these may be a potential hazard..
I can live with less water and no smile, but safety is paramount.
Except my observations, the flight was comfortable and I would be happy to travel on GoAir again.
Cheers