At one time long long ago, there was only Indian Airlines and Air India over the Indian skies.Then the private airlines came in about 20 years ago like a breath of fresh air and we all jumped for it.
To ward off the competition from the private airlines the sarkari airlines also improved their service dramatically.
The private airlines then decided to kill the competition the typical Indian way by making sure that Air India bleeds to death with more than generous help from ministers and civil servants in Delhi.
Once they had succeeded in this endeavor, the logical next step was to ape the sarkari airlines from their heydays in terms of poor service.
Jet airways of 2014 is now in this phase. Eighteen years after being granted a license to run as a scheduled airline, they do not care for their customers plain and simple- they are cattle meant to be transported as goods in transit.
Look around you in any airport in India and abroad and the longest queue will be at the Jet counter. Possibly they are using long queues to cut through overbooking; after all every airline has to survive on overbooking. The queue was beyond the airport entrance door on a chilly Saturday morning in Mumbai when I was traveling on this airlines to Singapore. Even in a super efficient airport like Changi, the queue is only at the Jet counter and even for passengers with web-check in.
On time departures from the ground? Just forget it, after all their base is in Mumbai where every delay can be passed as off under air traffic congestion. Then there is the eternal waiting, have you heard of a scenario where you are made to wait at the entrance door of the aircraft rather than in the waiting lounge? Well travel Jet Airways to experience it. And if you really want to know what some one meant when he wrote about the cattle class, just travel Jet to the Gulf Sector.
Then there are the planes – shabby is the only word to describe it; Looks like they do not believe in cleaning up their planes anymore and expect the paying passengers to sit alongside the leftover of the last passenger who boarded the plane. Their navy blue colored seats which have now added a grey hue (dirt?) adds to the shabby feeling that you get all around you. Someone had once rightly remarked that their rented unmarked head office in a building in Andheri, Mumbai was as shabby as CEO Naresh Goyal’s home is posh!
The next thunderbolt will then will hit you – non working entertainment system, it appears the airlines is not anymore interested in operating an on-board entertainment system.
My last three experiences specifically on this issue goes as follows:
Dubai Mumbai; System hangs up for everyone on board, repeated attempts to reset the system centrally had no effect and the complete system was then shut down.
Mumbai Singapore;Touch screen buttons work only partially and therefore the main entertainment appears to be in the struggle to get to the correct menu!
Singapore –Mumbai; The headphone do not work, thought it was faulty headphone but a change of headphone had no positive effect. After three such experience you are sure there is problem with the system and this is not a one time error.
Thankfully food is Okidoki, nothing sumptuous but piping hot, both veg and non veg and served well. Air hostesses are well trained and are trying their best at servicing an airline which does not believe in service. And you do get the feeling that they are a disgruntled lot.
When you reach your final destination, your woes will not end; your baggage will be last amongst all airlines to arrival on the belt, even in Changi.
So what is the overall experience of flying Jet Airway all about – you just get the feeling of being treated shabbily right from the time you check in to the time you collect your baggage. And to rub it in you are convinced that no one at the airlines now cares – after all they have managed to eliminate the sarkari competition and now would like to retain the same shabby treatment that we were used to from 20 yrs ago.
Thankfully, competition will either kill them or force them to change. The former looks more likely. Till then , avoid this airline whenever you fly.