http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/traveloutdoors/2003312744_webindiatrip23.html
A close call on Air India
By Carol Pucci

Seattle Times travel writer

 THOMAS AUCIELLO / SPECIAL TO THE SEATTLE TIMES

Passengers on aborted Air India flight inspect the engine.

Privately owned Jet Airways is considered the top airline in terms of service, and now there's price competition from new discount airlines such as Go Air and Air Deccan.

That's good news for Seattle. Boeing recently doubled its forecast for sales to India in the next 20 years.

And it's good news for travelers. Anyone who flies often in India will tell you to avoid Air India. Its service is government-issue, its safety record spotty, and it charges foreigners high prices.

I ignored what I'd heard because it had the flight times I wanted and it was easy to book tickets online from Seattle. But I learned my lesson when I had the scariest close call ever on an Air India flight bound from Jaipur to Mumbai (Bombay), followed by the worst service ever.

After the cabin doors were closed, the pilot announced a delay due to a problem that required the engines to be shut down and the engineers called.

About 20 minutes later, the problem apparently resolved, we began to taxi, then suddenly the pilot slammed on the brakes. Everyone lurched forward. Bags, purses and books flew. The plane skidded to a stop near the end of the runway.

Silence. Then this announcement from the cockpit.

"I'm sorry. We have to abort this flight because a bird flew into the engine."

An emergency crew was called to check to see if the tires were blown, then the plane taxied back. Some got off the plane and crowded around the engine to see if they could see the "bird."

Others swarmed the ticket desk inside the terminal, but there was no one to provide information.

One harried agent started processing refunds by hand, but, with people yelling and arguing and waving their tickets in the air to get his attention, this looked like it could take hours. We followed several Indian businessmen to the Go Air desk and booked another flight that left an hour later.

Back at the Air India desk, when the crowd thinned out, and I asked about the refund. The agent looked at my ticket. "Oh, an e-ticket. I'm sorry. You'll have to go to the Web site."

A few days earlier, there were news reports that an Air India flight was delayed in London two days because a bird flew into it. Another was reported to have crash-landed.

I was happy to be flying with Go on a brand new Airbus A320.

Today I learned ...

Most bank machines take either ATM cards linked to the Plus or Cirrus systems but not both. An exception is Citibank, which accepts both, but Citibank machines aren't everywhere.

If you're traveling in India, make sure you carry cards tied to both systems, and bring travelers' checks as a back-up.

I've cashed travelers' checks twice so far, once when I needed to pay cash for an airline ticket (the airline's credit card system was down and the nearest ATM didn't accept my card), and another time when I needed to pay a hotel bill.

Writer seems to be confused. If this is the flight she is talking about, then it has to be the Indian Airlines flight. IA on this route had a bird hit recently and most passengers were transferred to Go Air.

Aircraft too looks A320. Only clue is the wingtip/fence. Another clue is the belly. Loks A320ish.