New Delhi Airport: The Nine-Hour Layover

9:30 AM Local time:  Upon my arrival into New Delhi/Indira Gandhi International Airport, an announcement was made that those who had Jet Airways connections were to wait in a hallway just outside of the airplane, before the airport gates.  While in this hallway, I heard a woman say she had a 6 AM flight to Kathmandu.  I had a 6:45 AM flight to Kathmandu.  I asked her if she were trekking with Trekker.

“No.”

We waited in the hallway while a small crew attempted to set up a security check area.  At the same time, another small crew set up a check-in table.  After handing our passports, boarding passes and baggage tags for processing, we proceeded to line up in the hallway for security check.  The hallway did not have an electrical outlet for the x-ray machine, so we lined up in the security check point area for the airline crew/staff.

In the meantime, my new friend, Chloe, introduced me to her mom, Myla and friend, George.

The second station couldn’t get together its plan for processing us – or the x-ray machine hooked up in this area – so we were told to wait in the adjacent Transfer Lounge – a small area with two food/drink counters and chairs similar to the linked molded plastic chairs found at the airport gates.

We proceeded to the business lounges upstairs.  First, we went into Jet Airways’ lounge, but were told that only high level frequent flyers, first or business class ticketholders could use the lounge.  However, we could use the lounge next door.

The lounge contained a restaurant with a separate business lounge, glassed in like a sports arena’s box overlooking the security check points for the airport gates.  The host greeted us, gesturing with a sweep of a hand the way to The Ashok Lounge after we indicated that we were interested in the lounge, not the restaurant.  After we settled around a small table, the host informed us with a smile that, for 40 USD each, we could have the lounge to ourselves (after the other two people in the lounge left) until Jet Airways’ representative came to get us at 5 AM.

Even after the host introduced us to the Jet Airways rep, various other airline reps would step into the lounge every few minutes to call us, in case we were flying with their respective airlines.

Our host returned with cold sodas, wine and beer.  There were complimentary cucumber/tomato/cream cheese sandwiches, small bags of chips, cubed pound cake and cubed biscuits in glass domed platters on the counter.

The large flat-screened television had CNN reporting England’s Prime Minister Brown’s resignation and his replacement Cameron’s acceptance of appointment of office, almost non-stop.  I guess nothing else was happening in the world….

As Tuesday transitioned to Wednesday, we talked about my past travels (Mount Kilimanjaro leading to this trek to Everest Base Camp; side trips to Agra and Machu Picchu; and Antarctica, etc. for my penguin book) and Chloe’s hotel management schools.  Chloe, a founder of a chain of hospitality schools, was on her way to Kathmandu for the graduation ceremony of one of their newest schools.  I told her about a lesson I learned from a customer service seminar I attended at my office.  She modified her commencement speech to reference our conversation regarding customer service.  We exchanged business cards/contact info, took group photos and continued talking until about 2:30 AM.

I napped in a chair using another chair for my feet until 3:30 AM.  I took the opportunity to use the complimentary computer in the lounge to check my Gmail.  After I wrote to my kids and to friends, I tried to nap again.

4:45 AM: Our host reminded us that we had The Ashok Lounge until 5 AM.  After 5 AM we needed to vacate to the restaurant.

5:15 AM: two Jet Airways reps entered the lounge with our boarding passes and baggage claim tags, as well as Jet Airways tags for personal carry-on bags.

We proceeded to the security check points.  After sending my bag through the x-ray conveyor, I stepped through the ladies’ metal detector gate and into a private inspection room.  In that room, I stood on a platform with my arms lifted as the female inspector ran a metal detector wand over my body, front and back.  After retrieving my belongings, she stamped my baggage tag marking my approval for exit.

We went downstairs to Gate 1 via escalator.  At the bottom, we showed our passport and boarding passes to the reps before moving to the seating area to the right.  We sat for only a few minutes before getting into line to board a bus to our plane.

Before ascending the stairs to the plane’s entrance, we again showed our passports and boarding passes.

7:02 AM: Airborne and bound for Kathmandu.  The adventure begins…