I left pune in a hurry. I was late by 30mins than my plan. Stopped at a food plaza for some wada pav and water the cheapest items on the exorbiantly priced menu. Traffic on the expressway was scant and we made good time. Within 2 1/2 hrs were inside mumbai's borders. I was very worried if i woild be able to locate any atm on the way. I had very less indian currency with me but enough dollars for 2 nights stay at a five star hotel. But i would need to pay in rupees for the cab and in case i was carrying extra weight in my luggage. After missing out on a couple of ATMs on either side of the road on account of my schumi breed driver i managed to ask him to stop on busy road , ran to the atm and withdrew some cash. Back in the car, i began to sweat and started cursing the humid mumbai weather and the fact that my cab was non a/c. We took 1 hour to get through traffic and reach the international airport via congested flea market roads.
The airport from outside looked no better than new delhi railway station with a zillion people of all age groups and economic backgrounds. My driver dropped me at terminal 2b /c. I entered the airport after passing security.
Apparently the baggage x ray machines are different airlines and the one for British airways would operate only after 10:30pm. It was 9.20pm at that point. I cursed the system and the casual and indifferent support staff who were more interested in checking out female passengers rather than loading the luggage on the xray machines.
i couldnt collect/exchange rupees for pounds as the forex converters require the customer's boarding pass for some reason. So i milled around with my luggage observing confused passengers who were running all over the place. I had two samosas and bought a bottle of water total rupees 60. Yeah.. Still cheaper than other airports. I then headed back to the xray machine and started the queue at 9:45pm.
Indeed the staff arrived at 10:30pm and i was the first 'economy class' passenger to get my baggage xrayed.The british airways counter was right next to this place and i was greeted by a girl with heavy makeup. She took my passport keyed in things for a long time and printed out my boarding pass. No need for the eticket print out. She gave me two options - my luggage could be checked in till chicago or till 'milkawee'.. Yeah she said 'milkawee' every single time i asked to clear this point. Even though i would be taking American airlines from chicago i could get my bags checked in till milwaukee (milkawee).. I agreed and checked the theree boarding passes. Still i was confused as the third pass had the american airline flight info but a british airways header.. Both airline is part of 'one world' alliance. The airline staff also give the customs form. Once i got the boarding passes i confirmed that i was indeed going to Milwaukee,USA rather than Milkawee, Africa!
There are a lot of airline staff to assist you but mind you the other airline staff will not even address basic airport related questions.
i was looking for 'emmigration' only to find the 'bureau of immigration' counters on the other end of a huge snaking line. When it was my turn the officer at the counter leaned forward after looking at my customs form and passport. Realized later that the silent officer was looking at my face to match the photo on the passport. I was cleared and i headed to the departure gate at the lower level. I waited for the security check announcement and once they did i reached the security check.. You are not allowed to carry water past x ray. I found this quite perplexing and i thought this was some underhanded trick to make people buy water from counters past the security check.
I found one more wipro person travelling on the same flight to london. Chatted with him for a while and boarded the huge 747-400 british aircraft via the aerobridge at 2:15am.. Flight already late. First comes the cubie based club class then first then world traveller plus which has calf rests and more space. I sat at a window seat and next to me were a 50+ marathi couple. I checked out the flight entertainment, had the special asian veg meal, watching the grey moonlit ocean. The flight would go around gujrat, bypass pakistan and iraq and go via the black sea and bypass the swiss alps and reach london. I watched an episode of simpsons and dozed off at 3:30am.
Woke up, freshend up, had bfast of upma and tiny masala dosa. Watched 'hitman' the movie and waited for the aircraft to land at london. London from the air appears very green and organised. The 747-400 behmoth landed effortlessly. i went through to 'connections' corridor at london - heathrow and through a security check. Here one has to remove belt,wallet and shoes also! No water bottles again! I was carrying a small water bottle from BA. The moment my bag came through an alarm went off.. I was concerned.. It was becuase of the water bottle.. Yet the security lady took a piece for sterile cloth in long metal handle and wiped the insides of my bag and tested the cloth for some diseases maybe in a wierd looking machine. I was cleared. I reached the terminal 4 departure area where there are enough shops for everthing. Its a longish terminal lined with shops. For pay phones you need a 1 pound coin. Same for internet access on a console. I bought a diet coke with the twenty pound note which i had exchanged for about 1600 rupees back in mumbai after getiing the boarding pass. Diet coke 500ml cost about 2 pounds.
i used the change and went to a console that said telephone. The one next to it said internet.. So i searched for the reciever..couldnt find one on this telephone console..i thought maybe we had to use the builtin speakers that were visible..but after dropping the coin i realised this was also an internet console but deftly displaying 'telephone' on top!
The tata indicom calling card can be used from telephones toll free. My coin came out when i dialled the number..this was at another real telephone after i used up the internet and found the pay phone.
i then changed to formal clothes as advised by my company. Better impression on immgration officer at chicago.. I milled around lots of times, checking prices of various items to try and understand the pricing levels of all goods in london. I went into the second souvenier shop,determined to buy somethiung this time only to be confused again.. I picked up some collector coins..somehow some part of my arm brushed a small decorative plate and crash..it broke before i realised it was me who dropped it.. At once the foreigners at the nearby cafe went..'oh ho...some one's broken something'.. Already my mind was racing and i felt i wouild have to shell out all the lefft over british pounds and some dollars also.. But surprisingly the two indian girls at the counter swiftly cleaned up the mess and walked away.. Wow! But i did buy a coffee mug. They need ur onward flight number before billing..why?
finally the boarding call was announced along with the gate number for my flight.. I followed the group of passengers down corridors through another security check this time a pat down and manual bag check and then to the bus which took me to the boeing 777. This time my seat was next to the emergency exit and the window was too far from my seat on the door..damn!The flight goes through manchester, irish sea, near iceland by passing greenland and into cananda and around the lakes and only briefly over lake michigan and lands at chicago. Total about 7 hours.
the food was not as good as the previous flight and the tv options were also not choosable but broadcast channels whcih ran bbc news for 30mins then simultaneously 4 movies on different channels..then all screens went blank after 2 hrs except for the cartoon channel and the map channel showing live flight information. In BA you cannot upgrade your seat youself if you find empty seats in ther upper class..they get better food and drinks maybe..the two americans who shifted seats were asked to pay money or return back the economy class.
the landing at chicago was scary with the flight dropping altitude drastically many times. Windy conditions announced a calm captain after landing.
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