a tale of two cities

This is one of my infrequent travel posts. Some earlier examples are

1. https://hnsws.blogspot.com/2017/09/updated-budget-airline-flying-experience.html
2. http://hnsws.blogspot.com/2007/01/flying-air-deccan.html

I'd been to Pune and Chennai recently, visiting family and also hand-carrying some items needed for our lab here. 

Both Chennai and Pune seemed to be less congested than Bangalore, the traffic jams were less severe. Also rode the Chennai Metro and was favourably impressed. Not as crowded as Bangalore's Namma Metro, since there were many more coaches - 6 vs 3 - per rake. And the interior was quieter too, during the run. The lines for token vending machines in Chennai Metro stations were relatively shorter than the lines for human assistance counters. And as expected, travelling by Metro across town was faster than travelling by car. Just half an hour to reach the airport from Annanagar, including time taken to buy tokens, wait for train, etc. 

Pune's green spaces also impressed me. Went for a couple of walks in a gated community's park and in the University campus. Apparently, some hills nearby are also preserved from tree-cutting, and offer a haven for wildlife. 

Tried out AC 1st class train travel. Comparing with AC 2-tier, the berths are somewhat wider, longer and more padded. Is it worth three times the AC 3-tier cost? Doubtful, unless you are four of a group and want the privacy of a lockable cabin. In the coach I travelled, there were 3 1st class cabins - A, B and C - occupying half of the carriage, and the other half of the bogey had AC 2 tier passengers. There were 2 toilets (one Indian, one Western) on the 1st class side, but no sink/mirror outside the toilets. Except for an initial stink when the AC was turned on, no adverse issues. Power sockets worked etc. The power sockets in the AC 2-tier cabins I travelled in for these trips also worked fine. But there was a problem with the water in the toilets running out for the Pune-Bangalore train. 

I also had my first flying experience with low-cost carrier Indigo, Chennai - Bangalore. It was an A320, VT-IZZ according to flightradar24, less than one year old. Favourably impressed by aircraft cleanliness, crew and on-time performance. They ask passengers to be at the gate 25 minutes before departure, so that everyone gets on quickly, and they have the freedom to push back early. In this case, "flying conditions at Bangalore airport" delayed the push back from 1 pm till 1.25 pm, but still reached BLR before the scheduled 2 pm since flying time was only 30 minutes and not the scheduled 1 hour. Probably the "flying conditions" were strong crosswinds. Even when we landed, the windsock was blowing right across the landing path. Boarding at Chennai used an airbridge, while de-boarding at BLR was on the tarmac, followed by a 10 minute bus ride to the terminal. This air ticket was only 30% in cash, rest in points using HDFC SmartBuy. So, I paid only around Rs. 500 out of pocket.

While at Chennai airport, I also had my first airport lounge visit, complimentary with my credit card. Access to the Travel Club lounge seemed to be only via a couple of lifts, which were quite busy. The restrooms were located outside the lounge, and hand wash was available only in the restrooms (!) so after you eat something, you have to go out and come back. But the lady in the reception desk doesn't say anything, in fact, she was the one who guided me to the restrooms outside. At 11.30 am, there were some breakfast items like idli and salads, and also aloo paratha with rajma which was my choice. A nice apron view, aircon and a place to eat. A bit cramped, so at busy times may get very crowded.