You had me at Chatrapati...

I wrote about my positive arrival experience at Bombay's airport. With my departure to London today, I have completed my first arrival and departure sequence from the new international terminal.

I must admit, I'm impressed.

You had me at dedicated, fast and friendly business class checkin, security and immigration. You just overwhelmed me with flowing natural light, convenient gate access, impressive retail, moving walkways everywhere, high vaulted ceilings, creative art installations, green eco-walls, water features galore... and that's just the start.

People who read my posts know how critical I can be. First impressions here are very positive. Well done Bombay, well done.

Tons of natural light, high ceilings and no lines welcomed me to the new departures terminal.

Moving walkways, eco-walls, and convenient gate access? Yup.

Hello Boston!

According to the Boston East India Hotels business plan, "instead of catering to primarily Western or American travelers, hospitality companies of the future must plan to be conversant and proficient in the needs and desires of global travelers."

This "Hello Boston" ad for Emirates Airlines' new service to Boston from Bombay (via Dubai), which blanketed Linking Road in Bandra, Mumbai, today shows the resonance of our vision as we build our Troca Hotels brand into a collection of exceptional lifestyle luxury hotels in global gateways designed for travelers from around the world exploring an ever expanding universe.

Bombay's Airport Grows up - First Thoughts

I had heard a few rumblings about the new international terminal at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. Having lived in Bombay for several years a few years ago, I remember the airport being the bane of my travel existence. Dusty, dirty, functionally difficult, it was everything I didn't want in a travel experience.

I am happy to report that things have changed. Here are my first thoughts from landing at Bombay after a red-eye flight from London on BA199: Arriving at BOM was a breeze. Lots of carpeted territory to cover, but miles of moving walkways to assist.  I felt like I was at Delhi's airport, perhaps without the chauvinism and fear of being shot on the highway.  I thought the art and installations were - dare I say - interesting, and this was the first time in my life that Bombay immigration wasn't revolting. That said, the customs bit was still overkill, including the massive "x" marks they scribble in chalk on suitcases they suspect contain an extra few Rupees of goods. Saw a few nice suitcases indelibly marked so.

Parking and airport exit also happened smoothly. Yes, that's right. Smoothly. All in all, though, positive marks for an airport experience I once dreaded. Thankfully, the one hour backup steps away from the airport on the Western Express Highway traversing the ill-placed and poorly-timed construction effort on one of Mumbai major arterial highways reminded me, alas, I was back in Bombay. Unlike the US, however, this was likely sheer incompetence at the highway planning department and a healthy dose of low level corruption than the efforts of a New Jersey Governor Christie wannabe at work. Ahh, Mumbai, there you are!

The Consul and the Crime

I have refrained from making comments on the matter of Devyani Kohbragade, the Indian diplomat arrested in New York, because it seemed to be a diplomatic fracas of little long term import. On the one hand, you have Preet Bharara, the Indian born American US attorney for New York taking aim at the alleged illegalities of an Indian diplomat stationed within his jurisdiction. On the other, you have two countries awkwardly addressing an issue that should have been dealt with very differently.

I continue to be confused by why partial diplomatic immunity did not trigger a more gentle approach to Ms. Kohbragade and her arrest. At the same time, I am bewildered by both the decision by India's foreign service not to remove Ms. Khobragade from the US upon receiving notification that she was under criminal investigation (in September 2013) and its most recent decision to relocate her to India's UN Mission, also in New York. Ms. Kohbragade is no stranger to controversy, having been involved in the Adarsh Housing Society, a corruption riddled housing development in Mumbai. In this instance, she attempted to do something her limited diplomatic immunity did not allow her to do, namely commit visa fraud and violate US federal labor laws. While another American prosecutor may have been more deferential to Ms. Kohbragade's limited immunity, the rather aggressive Preet Bharara was not.

While US Attorney Bharara's posture smacks of a poor understanding of international relations (or blatant disregard thereof), India's childish removal of security barriers from the US Embassy in Delhi as retaliation does not even remotely befit the august role a country's official position must fill. India and Indians have far more important matters to address than this potential diplomatic misstep. At very least, Ms. Kohbragade's conduct -- and the apparent misguided insistence by the Indian government that she remain in the United States -- should not become the cause célèbre for a large swath of angry Indian citizens. US Secretary of State John Kerry has already expressed "regret" over the incident; India's government should do the same and move on from this silly affair.

Challenges Remain for FDI in Indian's Retail Sector

My friend Vikas Bajaj's article, India’s Embrace of Foreign Retailers, The New York Times, Oct. 9, 2012, touches on an important policy debate raging in India's political circles. The outcome affects much more than retail. Retailers like Walmart bring logistics and infrastructure on the back end that have far greater benefits to the country than policy makers who oppose foreign single brand retailers understand. Unlike developed countries, India desperately needs the logistics and infrastructure improvements if the country's economy is to be competitive globally.

Star Micronics vs. Epson: Sometimes better to stick with the market leader

I have always been one to support companies that herald innovation even if they are not market sales leaders. That would explain my avid support for Audi in the 80s, despite lackluster sales in the US, support for Saab in the 90s, and innovative software and computer hardware solutions from smaller vendors. Often, my decisions lead me to interesting and positive.

Sadly, sometimes they don't. Today, I was reminded why sticking with the market leader has value.  As Boston East India Hotels re-engineers The Sol hotel, which is part of our portfolio, I decided to leave the point-of-sale solution we had been using for years and adopt another solution made by a small company in Belgium. We have an event at The Sol that requires faster food and bar ordering, and we decided that the POSiOS system would be right fit. The only drawback was that the software that comes with the POSiOS solution requires printers made by a small Japanese company called Star Micronics, which has very little presence in India. The clear market leader is Epson, another Japanese company, which is supported by several other software packages I was evaluating.

The Sol currently uses Epson.  Against the advice of my food and beverage director and senior advisor, I placed my faith on the sales and support team of Star Micronics to deliver what they promised. I ordered a Star Micronics TSP-743LAN (which I was told is compatible with a Star Micronics TSP-143LAN), paid by immediate wire transfer as was urged by the Star sales team, and was promised delivery the next morning. Alas, the morning came and went, and the printer hadn't arrived. When it did finally arrive, it came without the LAN port, which enables the printer to connect to a network to receive print signals. In short, the printer can't print. The distributor for Star Micronics in India, POS Solutions Pvt. Ltd. lied to me and advised me that the LAN port had been shipped and would arrive later in the day. Alas, it hadn't. Upon further review and only after several hours of trying to locate support, I learned that the LAN port might arrive an entire day after the event for which we had adopted the new POS solution.

So, I'd like to publicly thank Star Micronics and POS Solutions for reminding me why some companies become market leaders and why some don't. If you are considering Star Micronics or POS Solutions in India, I'd highly recommend reconsidering. Stick with Epson and thank me later. 

M’tafiti Imara and The Jazz Junction

Straight from San Diego, California, M’tafiti Imara and The Jazz Junction! Only this Thursday, July 26, 2012 at The Sol in Nerul, Goa!

Mumbai Unite!

While I left Mumbai before the unbelievable crackdown on people's liberties and right to congregate, I believe passionately about this issue. I urge you to sign the petition and read more about this worthy initiative.

Change.org|Start an Online Petition

Why I am leaving Mumbai, and why I will never leave...

The journey which began with a leisure trip to India in December 2005 has come to an end; today is my last day in Mumbai (or, Bombay to the faithful). My trip to this land and city started initially as a two year stint with a hotel investment firm. I came to India to help usher in a new era of institutional hotel development and investment in a part of the world that badly needed it. End corruption, fix infrastructure, improve market efficiency, increase transparency -- those were the goals I thought I could promote. In short, I wanted to change India. In the end, India changed me much more.

When I moved to Mumbai, I was a disaffected corporate lawyer from Boston seeking a thrilling new professional avatar.  I had lived in a variety of American cities -- but never in India.  As I look back at my first few days, weeks, and months in Mumbai, I chuckle at the rookie mistakes I made (my expense reports from China House are just the tip of the iceberg).  Because Bombay is a functioning dysfunctional cosmopolitan city, those mistakes are inevitable and valuable. I feel as if the city forces you to get things wrong before you are blessed with getting them right. The bigger the first mistake, the better the final outcome.

As a child, when mom dragged me to Mumbai to visit my relatives, I'd count the days until I could return home. That has changed. As an adult, having now spent more time in Mumbai in one stretch than in any other city since before law school, I can't ignore the amazing magnetism that this city exudes.  This isn't New York, Paris, Milan, San Francisco, or Boston. No, folks, Bombay is a different breed of animal. This city amazes you because it can be poor and rich, beautiful and ugly, harsh and kind -- all at the same time.  In Mumbai, an emaciated homeless man at the fringe of humanity finds shelter under an overpass adjacent to the Rolls Royce dealership.

So, why am I leaving? After losing my aunt this January to lung cancer and watching her yearlong battle, I decided I needed to make wholesale changes to my life. Months away from my parents at a stretch had to become weeks away. Corporate bureaucracy had to become start-up efficiency. A life of excess had to transform into a life filled with value and values. My new company's first two major projects are based in Goa, which is a 45 minute flight from Bombay. Having considered and seriously contemplated working from Mumbai, I realized that moving to be with my team would allow me to be more efficient and squeeze more time to be in the US with friends and family. Having made the painful decision to leave, I started to reflect on what lessons Bombay provided me.

Bombay has taught me more than I can write in this short piece. It has taught me about the vibrancy and energy of people both strong and weak; the power of good friendships and the danger of bad ones; to follow my passions and embrace my fears; that Indians like to drink and can't really drive; that white folks love to dance to Bollywood; that while divorce might be rarer than in the West, cheating isn't; that commuting more than a few minutes each day is generally wasteful to life; that while clubs may close earlier than in New York, the nightlife doesn't; to crave Holi and enjoy Goa; and to be thankful I don't live in Delhi. While there may be no single unified theory of this place, it is the third rail of metropolitan cities.

I leave behind some of the closest friends I have ever had the fortune to meet. While distance and time do filter out the friendships too weak to handle them, I know that I have met an incredible group of amazing people with whom I shall hope to share many years of meaningful experiences. Most of them, like me, came to Mumbai seeking something. The came, they stayed, they shared, and they lived. Thank you to all of you who are part of that group for enriching my life beyond imagination.

While it is true that I'm leaving Bombay today, I doubt that it will ever leave me. Goodbye for now, dear friend. 

Sick in Goa? Beware of the medical talent available to help you...

Thoughts on Nerul Polyclinic's Dr. Archana Salgaonkar:

So, I am in Goa tonight. I'm staying at The Sol, located next to the "Nerul Polyclinic," which advertises itself to be a 24x7 medical clinic and emergency room. I drove to the clinic with an eye infection (I feel fairly strongly that I've pet one too many stray dogs, a weakness of mine). Dr. Archana Salgaonkar, the attending physician at the clinic, after barely viewing my clearly infected eye, suggests only that I should return the next day, despite the availability of available eye disinfectants. "Wash your eye with tap water," she offers me.

I love Goa -- but if this is the best medical care we can get, I feel we should all be concerned.

Farewell, Hilton...

For the past four years, I have served as a senior member of the Hilton Worldwide team in India; today is my last day in that role and marks an important professional and personal milestone for me. When I moved to India in late 2006, it was for a two year stint as a hotel advisor. Back then, I was a bored American lawyer looking for the thrill and challenge of working in India.

When I joined Hilton in 2008 the company had no hotels operating in India and was coming off a largely failed joint venture. Today, the Hilton flag flies proudly over seven hotels in India, with nearly that number opening this year and dozens of hotels under construction and in the pipeline. I am proud of the time I've spent at Hilton, my fellow Hilton team members, and the wonderful people I've met and done business with along the way. It has been a ride I could not have imagined six years ago. Tomorrow, we officially launch Boston East India Hotels LLC, an American hotel ownership, development and management company of boutique and branded mid-scale and lifestyle hotels that will operate in India and the United States. Today, I celebrate and salute Hilton Worldwide.

Thanks for the amazing opportunity.

Turbulence in the skies over Kingfisher Airlines

One of my first posts on this blog was my review of Kingfisher Airlines. At the time, I suggested that the airline was more talk than substance. This week's earnings shortfall, reported by my friend Vikas Bajaj in the New York Times, suggests that the clouds over KF have grown darker.

Kingfisher, in my opinion, has been long on promise but short on delivery for years. I don't need a model helping me to my seat, I need someone who can manage the process efficiently (though the fact she isn't a tank may be preferable). The government should let the market rationalize supply by letting this poorly executed venture fail. Fly away Kingfisher, far away. 

Thoughts on yet another Mumbai terrorist attack

The citizens of Mumbai have seen this before.  Bombs, Bombay, and terrorism against this big bustling city that just takes it and moves on has become a recurrent theme. While the year 2003 was an especially bad year for explosions in the city, terrorism has hit with alarming frequency and with little or no opposition from India's military or intelligence operation. Just over five years ago to the day, on July 11, more than 1,000 people were killed or injured from seven coordinated bombs in the city. Who can forget the terrorist attacks of the 26th of November, 2008? Surely not Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunman of the 2008 attack, who celebrated his birthday today. Did anyone in the intelligence apparatus of India know it was Kasab's birthday today? Did anyone have even one conversation about whether someone might use the date to plan attack? Did anyone care? Probably not.

So what do we do about all this terror, death and destruction? What can we do? While there is no one answer to solving terrorism, one thing is quite clear: India's government, politicians and public institutions have failed their people. Government is instituted by people to ensure, at a minimum, the common peace.  India's government, with rather striking universality across its many states and cities, has failed to deliver clean water, roads, and air. But those are relative luxuries, it would appear. India has also failed in its basic duty to protect its citizens against attacks, both foreign and domestic. Whether it is a completely failed response to terrorism that happens nearly weekly in the northeast states, or the internationally publicized attacks in Mumbai like those of earlier today, India's politicians are more interested in pointing their many fingers at Pakistan than in trying to make their people safer.

Zaveri Bazar, which has been hit before by terrorist blasts, had no improved infrastructure, no CCTV monitoring, no bomb detection or prevention methods. In fact, with the exception of the haphazard approach taken by hotels in Mumbai, nowhere in the city will you find any coordinated approach implemented by the government to prevent, deter, monitor, or detect the type of terrorism that the city regularly now faces.

The politicians will make bold and impassioned speeches tomorrow. They will point fingers. They will appeal for the public's strength, unity and determination. The next day, they will return to business as usual, as will the amazingly forgiving and tolerant public that elevates these politicians to power every year. Bribes will be paid, favors will be handed out. Scams will be hatched, public tax revenue will be squandered. Yet, sadly, nobody will do anything to make it even a touch less likely that today's attacks won't be the same as tomorrow's ones.

The brave citizens behind the Public Concern for Governance Trust have long advocated for better governance in India. It is time to head their calls. It is indeed time for the people to stand up, not just to the debased humans that perpetrate these acts of violence, but also to the politicians that allow them to continue to feast on an unfettered buffet of terrorist opportunity.

India Calling (Little India Magazine)

Click here for Naomi Abraham's article on Indian Americans moving to India for opportunities, which has a mention of my own experience here.

Hangla's, the taste of Kolkata

Linking Road, Opposite Amarson's
Linking Road, Bandra (W), Mumbai 400 050
www.hanglas.in (non-operational when posted, but is the site they publicize)
Bandra: +91 7738-364225 and 91 7738-3364235

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Located inside a newspaper stand-like street front stand alone structure on a corner of Linking Road in Bandra, Hangla's most recent outlet is a welcome addition to the Bandra culinary almanac. Nobody I spoke to when ordering could speak Bengali (odd for a restaurant which produces the "taste of Kolkata"). That, combined with the quality of my Hindi (and the quality of his English) made for a bit of a challenging ordering process. The food was Bengali enough to satisfy this Bengali's cravings, despite the initial language barrier.

I ordered three items to test Hangla's capabilities: a chicken kathi roll with egg, a mutton biryani and mutton kasha (essentially a Bengali mutton curry with a thick, relatively dry gravy). The chicken kathi roll with egg was delicious, as many online reviewers had suggested. The Kolkata style biryani was quite good as well, though chicken would have been less oily than the mutton, which couldn't quite free itself from a touch of red meat grease (though much less than most Hyderabadi style biryanis I've had in Mumbai). The kosha mutton was acceptable, though a touch sweet. The mutton, while tender and flavorful, did not fully satisfy me from an aromatic perspective.

The serving sizes were generous and the service quite fast. This was the first Bengali food I've been able to purchase in Bandra in my four years here. While the place is a street corner dive, and the quality wasn't stellar, it was Bengali enough, tasty enough, and clean enough to garner a return visit someday soon.

Vie Deck & Lounge

102 Juhu Tara Road,
Vile Parle West
Mumbai, Maharastra 400 056 India
Tel: +91 22 26604884

D+

Mistakes and Mosquitoes. That summarizes our recent meal at Vie Deck & Lounge, which in my opinion has become nearly unbearable for anyone seeking decent food and passable service. While I can't entirely blame Vie for the mosquitoes, I can certainly hold them accountable for the mistakes. We were seated at perhaps the worst outdoor table in the house. I asked repeatedly about better tables that appeared to be available. All taken, I was told. More than two hours later, when we left Vie, most of the tables I had inquired about were still empty. The one table that was no longer empty was taken by a couple that apparently was given a different answer by the restaurant; they hadn't reserved that table either. Let's set aside seating issues. After all, had the restaurant been packed -- and not nearly empty -- we might have justifiably been seated where we were.

Unfortunately, the food and service were unacceptable as well. The humus plate came with six mini pita wedges. Yes, mini wedges (think pita chips from a bag). Having ordered the humus in the past, I had ordered extra pita wedges. The ten additional mini wedges that came for Rs. 150 (US $3) were equally inadequate. The baked mushroom appetizer was tasteless, while my kebabs/skewers were woefully undercooked (evidenced by the pool of blood and the fact that the kebabs refused any attempt at cohesion). Raw and unacceptable. I asked that the kebabs be cooked some more. They were taken back to the kitchen and never returned.

Besides the food quality, the service left me feeling cheated for leaving the house. My drink order came without the vodka that I had asked be repeated and a pasta dish with shrimp came without the shrimp. When I asked Glen, our server, about the missing crustaceans, he advised me that he had heard and confirmed that the dish was to be presented with mushrooms. While all four of us at the table had heard shrimp be ordered, there was a bigger problem with Glen's claim: the pasta lacked even the mushrooms he had based his defense on.

I spoke briefly with the manager, Dilip, who offered little in the way of consolation. When the bill finally arrived, the bloody kababs had been taken off, but a service charge had already been added to the check. Given how bad our experience was -- and we were multiple-time repeat clients -- I would have expected some additional gesture from the restaurant to help palliate our concerns.

On my way out, manager Dilip walked me to my car and said, "hope to see you again, sir." No, Dilip, I don't think you will. I wasted an evening at Vie. I won't let that happen again.

Bev & Barry from Shooters Bar, Calangute, Goa

Bev & Barry from Shooters Bar, Calangute, Goa

I have finally located traces of Bev and Barry from Shooters Bar in Calangute. After stopping at Shooters over a period of several months asking for Bev and Barry, the owners, and being told that they were still not back from their travels, I began to suspect the worst... Had the pair left Goa for new adventures? Alas, after a bit of internet research (ok, fine, a quick google effort), I have located the pair's blog. For all of you who have accompanied me to Shooters for a shot of something strong and tasty, here's a link to the pages of the couple, who are apparently back to traveling for a bit. Stop in to their blog and say hello!

Indian Customer Service -- the Tata Indicom Way

Tata Indicom
Tata Teleservices (M) Ltd
Ispat House, B G Kher Marg
Worli, Mumbai

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Those of you who have never done business in India may enjoy this quick story. Those of you who have or are doing business in India will empathize. We recently ordered telephone service from Tata Indicom, an Indian provider of wireless telephones. We needed the number quickly since we had people waiting to receive and utilize the phones. We were promised 48 hour turnaround.

Our orders were considered complete over two weeks ago, during the third week of July, and since that time we have been calling several times a day to inquire as to their whereabouts. Every day we are told, in essence, that the phones are to arrive, and every day, there is some reason the phones have not. Last Friday, we were told the phones did not arrive "because the rains were heavy," a few days prior to that we were told that the "go down" (the common Indian term for warehouse or distribution center) was flooded, while today were were informed that additional paperwork needed to be completed. Amitava Das, MK's Vice President for India, Amitabh Devendra, MK's Strategic Advisor for India, and Jacob Purackal, MK's Senior Manager for India have all been involved in the hunt for the Tata phones, consuming nearly a hundred hours of corporate time. As of today, August 6, 2007, no phones.

Earlier today, we were told by Dinesh Yadav, the "Sales Executive" at Tata Indicom that someone needed to be at my residential address to sign and deliver additional paperwork. Having had people waiting at my apartment for Tata in the past, we offered to travel from the office to the apartment on the condition that the phones be ready and waiting for us. Mr. Yadav refused, stating that surely the phones would be delivered after this latest round of document requests and wondering why we doubted his assertions. We decided to speak with Mr. Yadav's supervisor, Sachin Kulekar a "Manager" at Tata Indicom, who informed us that he did not care that we very dissatisfied with Tata and needed help. In effect, we were informed that customer satisfaction and prompt delivery of promised products was no longer part of Tata Indicom's mission.

So, if you are considering telephone service in the Mumbai area, and receiving a phone number and phone equipment is important to you, consider avoiding Tata Indicom. While Tata products and services are still considering reliable in India, Tata Indicom and its Mumbai sales and service operation failed more completely than any other service provider I have dealt with in recent memory. Timely and reliable service remains a scarce commodity here in India -- Tata Indicom's failures, coming from a well respected Indian conglomerate, while perhaps not unexpected, were truly disappointing nonetheless.

We are off to Reliance, a competitor, to see if we fare any better. Stay tuned.

Kingfisher Airlines - Business Class - Puffery in the Skies

Kingfisher Airlines Limited
Kingfisher House,
Western Express Highway. Vile Parle (E)
Mumbai 400057
Tel: 022 2626 2200
Fax: 022 5502 0625

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I have not traditionally written airline reviews. There are many reasons for this, but primarily because most US airlines are some version of awful. Jetblue, in my opinion, now stands out in this regard because it is generally both the low cost carrier on any particular route and the service leader. Last week's meltdown in Jetblue's service levels, on account of severe weather, notwithstanding. Until about a decade ago, the same could have been said about airlines in India. Only one domestic carrier, Indian Airlines, dominated the Indian skies. Old planes, sloppy food and poor service dominated the sector. This changed with the advent of Jet Airways. Jet brought new planes, impeccable service, and on-time performance to a country where bad airplane service had been the norm for years.

The advent of Jet Airways in India ushered in a new era of air transport. Jet Airways changed the current landscape in Indian aviation. More recently, with the explosive growth of the Indian middle class and the large class of young and financial empowered Indian, airlines such as Kingfisher, Go Air, Air Deccan, and SpiceJet have ushered a new era of low cost flight options to the Indian skies. Kingfisher, in economy class, is in the middle of the pack for fares but promises to offer passengers a spectacular flight experience. Dr. Vijay Mallya, the flamboyant chairman of the airline and owner of United Breweries, the company that brews and sells Kingfisher beer, a popular Indian ale, invites passengers to fly the "Good Times" aboard his airline. The reference is unmistakably to enjoying his beers and women (he calls his flight attendants "flying models"). The irony is that Indian civil air regulations prohibit the consumption of alcohol on all domestic flights!

I flew Kingfisher quite a few times when it first launched. The planes were brand new, the generally attractive female flight attendants were well dressed in Kingfisher red skirts and jackets, and the service levels were high, both on the ground and in the air. The seats, on the other hand, were lackluster. To keep rates low, Kingfisher crammed in as many rows as it could. The result was a claustrophobic feel when seated. Reclining one's seat meant causing someone behind a shocking loss of personal space.

Kingfisher recently added a large business class cabin, called Kingfirst. Molinaro Koger's Assistant Vice President for India, Pranav R. Bhakta, and I decided to try this new service. We had booked ourselves in economy (Kingfisher Class, as the airline calls it) but paid personally to upgrade our seats. We flew on flight 309 from Mumbai to Delhi . The seats themselves are spacious and there is substantial room between rows (quite rare and nice on a domestic flight). Most business class features except for lie-flat and massage options were available on the chairs. The video display units were seemingly designed by prison inmates who sought to chuckle at the free world's inability to extract the units from storage. The following short review is excerpted from a letter I wrote to Dr. Mallya, the chairman of the airline. The video clip that plays ad nauseam on the airline, shows Dr. Mallya inviting personal comments on service to which he promises personal responses. Ahh, promises... Dr. Mallya's form response to my letter -- sigh -- is also attached.

Kingfisher gets high marks for the space given to their business class guests. Much else remains (food quality, drink selection, maintenance of equipment, attention to detail), however, before it can truly be called a first-rate business class service.

LETTER EXCERPTS

I must admit some disappointment with our experience on Kingfisher. While I do believe that the airline has done a great job with the airline in general, we were especially disappointed by our experiences in your business class cabin. First, neither my nor my traveling companion's video display units worked. We were offered the option to move to other seats. Upon inspection, we found that some other seats had malfunctioning or non-functioning units as well. Not wanting to be bothered with hunting for an operating display and having work to do, I decided not to move.

Our experience with your meal service was not much better. We recently arrived in Mumbai on Austrian Airways business class. While I have never been a huge fan of Western European airlines' meal services, our experiences on Austrian were quite exemplary for food. The food was well prepared, well presented and generally very palatable. While the lack of wine or beer service while in-flight is disappointing here in India, that is not something Kingfisher or any other carrier can do anything about at the moment. My food experiences on Kingfisher early last year -- prior to the launch of your Kingfisher First service -- were generally positive. When we arrived on board for flight 309, neither Pranav nor I had eaten lunch and were quite ready for a meal. I had told Pranav that my food experienced on Kingfisher had been positive and that we could expect decent fare. However, the meals we ordered and received, a salmon preparation as I recall, was thoroughly unappetizing. It arrived as if it had just been taken out of a frozen food container, reheated, then slathered with a red gravy of some sort. It did not taste different than its appearance would dictate.

I had a few other general comments that I won't your time recounting. I did not email you to list a litany of complaints. Again, I fully support the mission of your airline and your vision in effectuating it. Kingfisher has been part of a revolution in Indian air travel, one that promotes and enhances many aspects of life in India, including the hospitality industry of which I am a part. Rather, I thought I would share the experiences of two fairly seasoned travelers. We are perhaps the more demanding air travelers -- but when we are satisfied, we also become brand apostles who talk about our experiences, experiences that others make purchase decisions based upon.

Thank you for taking the time to review my comments. I hope you will take them in the constructive manner in which they were intended.

KINGFISHER FORM RESPONSE

Dear Abhijeet,

Thank you for your gracious e-mail of 22 February, giving me feedback on your experience of Kingfisher First, when you and your colleague Mr. Bhakta, flew IT 309 from Mumbai to Delhi. I have invited feedback from guests who fly Kingfisher Airlines as I firmly believe that firsthand feedback is the true indicator of the performance of my airline; I therefore appreciate the time and trouble you have taken to send me your inputs and your suggestions.

Abhijeet, I have created Kingfisher First specially for my guests with developed tastes and a desire for the very best in life. I have put in a lot of time and energy to transform an air journey into a superlative flying experience, so that you can enjoy the finest flying experience in the Indian skies. However, I am concerned to learn that your First experience was not all that it could have been and I do regret that you were disappointed.

I also appreciate your suggestions on the areas of our service that need attention.

Please accept my apologies that the video display unit at your seat was inoperative, and you were therefore unable to enjoy this feature of our service. I also note your feedback on the quality of food served on your flight, and regret that we were unable to meet your expectations here as well. We care about the quality of food we serve on our flights, and constantly strive to achieve consistency in this area of our service. We believe that our guests have every right to expect the highest standard of catering at all times; we also pay close attention to what our Guests tell us. I have therefore shared your feedback with our caterers to ensure our guests have a truly gourmet experience when they fly with us.

I agree that consistent levels of service have to be provided to all our guests on Kingfisher First and I apologise that we have been found wanting in this area. I know that there is a need for continuous improvement in the quality of product and service offered at every level, and I welcome your inputs. Please rest assured that I will also put in place the necessary corrective actions to ensure that my guests on Kingfisher First enjoy a truly superlative experience on board as well as on the ground.

Once again, thank you for your good wishes, and for your genuine interest in the success of Kingfisher Airlines. I look forward to welcoming you on board the “Good Times” again.

Cheers !

Dr. Vijay Mallya, MP
Chairman & CEO
Kingfisher Airlines Ltd.,
A UB Group Company