departure scheduled 2045 actual 2127
arrival scheduled 1000 actual 1026
First impression on boarding were good, the cabin is spacious, well constructed and in four across herringbone configuration a bit like the C cabin on a Virgin 747. Rather than flip over, the seats electrically recline to a flat bed and felt longer and wider than the UCS (especially on a 346). The seating area is well designed, sturdy and has good glass/cup and stuff stowage. The IFE screen is a 15 one and very good quality, though irritatingly it doesnt move as far back as the one in the UCS when opened so your table / food / laptop gets in the way more than on VS. Seat controls are all electric, with a now common and underwhelming massage function. Theres a good do not disturb light on the suite wall too. Also, overhead and in seat lights which is better than the UCS option of only in seat. The table is weak however, very unsturdy, smaller than the UCS wobbles when keying for example and no room for food and laptop. Good power points, including a universal plug and USB, fiddly ear phone connection though.
Now to the seat I didnt really like it. Lumbar support was too hard, the back also too hard, the join between the back part and the head rest like a hard ridge sitting between your shoulder blades. It was covered with fabric your granny might have bought (as are many of the middle east / eastern airlines). But in partial recline mode it was much more comfortable, like NNCW.
On boarding we were offered soft drinks, Jet appear to have a rule of not opening the bar before take off, so no DP yet. The FA serving me had that terribly Indian habit of saying yes when I asked for champagne, then doing nothing (aka the answer is really no, but I am not able to say this so I wont), after asking three FSS I finally got a sensible female FA who told me about the bar.
Take off smooth and to the West with a great night time view of T5 then banking to go East over south London.
Champagne then served shortly after take off with only nuts hmmm.
Dinner menu:
No canap_s / crisps etc. only nuts.
Appetiser
Dal Shorba (lenthil) Soup no other options surprisingly
Entr_e
(1) Chicken Confit with fondant potatoes, red cabbage and Kenya bean parcels
(2) Linguini tossed with chilli spiced tomato sauce
(3) Chicken Rogini in sauce of brown onions and tomatoes, with beans and rice
(4) Paneer Subz Jalfriezle
Bread selection
Cheese selection
Desert
(1) Gajar Badaam Ki Kheer (grated fresh carrots, almonds in milk)
(2) Haagan Dazs
(3) Fresh fruit
I followed my usual of totally throwing the routine by asking for cheese before desert, otherwise it was unremarkable. The Chicken Rogini very tasty (to the degree that I ended up wearing a bit of it and have probably stained a very nice shirt, but nothing else notable served very nicely on gold rimmed china and the glasses were tiny so the need for constant refills was somewhat silly.
Wine list:
Dom Perignon
Ch. Yon Figeac 2002
Maison Albert Bichot Corton-Grand Cru
a Pouilly Fume and a Puligny Montrachet
Grahams 20 Year Old Port
Just outside the kitchen in a neat little walk through there is a pantry where all the bottles and some snacks are laied out I could have continued to help myself to drinks but went off to nod instead. The Yon Figeac was good, and the DP of course (I think I managed 1 bottle Howard!).
IFE was good, comprehensive and easy to use with a touch screen. However mine needed rebooting three times before it would work, watched 27 Dresses which was mildly enjoyable before putting the seat into bed mode and going off. It cant have been too bad because I slept like a log and didnt realise that I had left one single song on repeat on the iPod into my ears, that is until I awoke four hours later and thought it odd. The bed was hard and one small pillow didnt suffice I had no offer to help me make it up and didnt know if there was a bottom sheet available, I had a duvet and a blanket but because the cabin was so warm I used the duvet underneath. Sleep suits were handed out and two amenity packs very unnecessary since one contained meagre Bulgari rations and the other socks (good quality) and eye shades (bad quality like the Virgin ones).
Breakfast was chaotic the crew didnt work as a team and every single one asked me the same questions about what I wanted unlike VS where the UC crew have a well mapped section of the cabin and therefore know. Generally they were not very pro-active or responsive or ran to the other extreme of being all over you and attentive at once.
Flew over some very big hills across the borders of India and Afghanistan on the final approach to Delhi great views.
All in all the seat space, design, loos especially (very spacious clean and comfortable) were good points. The seat didnt work for me nor did the uneasy and slightly chaotic manner of the crew. They just didnt seem very co-ordinated or professional and I missed the relaxed but efficient nature of VS. On this basis I wouldnt choose Jet again if VS did the same route the only reason for this was that VS charge a fortune for one way travel, no matter when you book its at J prices, whereas this flight was considerably less and I have to do best for the company #61516;.
Sorry this a bit to the point writing now in Agra which is a 5 and a half hour drive from Delhi!!!!
Next leg on Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong and then Los Angeles.
There's a plane at JFK, to fly you back from far away
all those dark and frantic transatlantic miles
all those dark and frantic transatlantic miles
