We rolled down the runway 10 minutes after scheduled departure, but made up the time en route. Photo / NZPA
The plane: The spacious and aesthetically pleasing 777-200R
Class: Promisingly was checked in at the Business desk (but only because I had one bag). It was economy thereafter.
Price: Someone else was paying so ...
On time? Rolled down the runway 10 minutes after scheduled departure, made up the difference en route.
My seat: 39H. I had asked for an aisle seat because it was a night flight and there was nothing to see. There was a spare seat between me and the Singaporean man who feel asleep during the safety announcement.
Fellow passengers: Mixed.
How full? Almost.
Entertainment: About 80 movies including Les Miserables, Jack Reacher, The Hobbit, various Indian, European and Chinese films, kids' channels, TV programmes (125), radio, music and apps.
The service: Typically professional, attentive and unhurried.
Food and drink: All of that, and very good options (to reflect the cosmopolitan travelers).
The toilets: Clean and sufficient.
Luggage: One in the hold, small carry-on.
The airport experience: I'd been warned Mumbai was slow and it was true. Many passengers had an unnatural amount of baggage (a family of three with three large trunks and nine pieces of carry-on). Security check was slow, but it's better to get it right.
Would I fly this again? Some might say yes, just to get out of 40 degrees and noisy Mumbai. But yes, because it was a comfortable flight ... albeit with a bumpy landing.
Step aside Bali, this spot is just as beautiful and off the beaten track.