I started from home in Trichur (50 kms from Kochi airport) at 10 am yesterday, with the hope that I would be home by the time the sun sets in Hyderabad. The reason to start at 10am when the flight was at 2 pm? Well, in Kerala you never know when an 'instant' bandh is called for and traffic paralysed. So I better reach the airport in time. The taxi fare from Trichur to Kochi airport - Rs.700. Then the ordeal started.
I checked with the Jet Lite Airways counter girl at 11.30 if the flight was on time. Yes, she said - but check in will commence from 1 pm. I curled up with a paper back and somehow managed to kill time till - 1 pm and surely enough we were checked in. But there was a problem, once we got into the security hold area. Jet Lite flight from Hyderabad had not taken off. So came the announcement, Jet Lite flight to Hyderabad is delayed by 20mts and will depart at 2.20pm. No sweat. Half an hour later an announcement comes, the flight is delayed again and will now leave at 3.15pm. Finally, we were allowed to board the aircraft at 3.10 pm and Jet Lite flight to Hyderabad took off at 3.30 pm.
"Our flying time to Hyderabad is an hour and 20 minutes". Half way through the flight, the pilot sensed the angry mood of the passengers and started a tirade against the Kochi airport, saying that the runway repair work was the cause of delay. Then strangely he retracted, saying that the flight was not delayed because of that. (Three flights landed and an equal number took off between 12 noon and 3 pm at Kochi). We landed at Hyderabad only at 5.08pm. It took another 15 minutes for the aerobridge to connect up and 30mts to get my luggage. By the time, I was looking for a transport to Secunderabad, it was 5.50pm. "No bus, we will have to wait." I preferred, as I was not in a hurry. (The taxi fare from airport to my home in Secunderabad is Rs.800). It was a Sunday and my family was still on vacation in Kerala.
Ten minutes later the aeroexpress bus appears, and we trudge into a contraption that was shaking all over. I wonder how Volvo built such a vibrating bus. We were driven through the longest and most congested roads by the GMR bus (avoiding the shorter Uppal route) and managed to reach Secunderabad by 7pm. And sure enough no auto drivers at Keyes School who would travel by meter to my place, Alwal. 100 rupees demanded one, while another kinder soul took pity on me and agreed for Rs 80 (the meter fare is half that amount). Of course, there were no traffic cops around to mind these auto drivers. By the time I had reached home at 7.40pm, i found that my maid and cook left after an hour's wait for my arrival. That's nine and half hours since I left home at Trichur. All for a flight that lasts 1 hour 20 minutes. Next time, I will take the train from Kerala. Mr Praful Patel, are you listening ?
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