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Background
The Himalayas is known for its soaring peaks rising almost to a typical airplane cruising altitude and a flight in and out of the region will be an interesting experience whereby one is literally flying through the mountains, sandwiched between soaring peaks like a bird.
This route is also a rare thin route with only a single flight from Delhi each day. For information, little-known Kullu airport (from which the flight in this report departed from) is located in the Kullu valley, a couple of hours before the major tourist town of Manali in northern Himachal Pradesh just before the high passes to the tibetan arid lands of Ladakh.
So it happened that this recent September, which was also my birthday , I and a couple of friends put up a camping trip into the Great Himalayan National Park – a little known corner of paradise that even most Indian tourists hardly ever heard of. It was an amazing trip, and also a spiritual awakening for me after a hiatus of 13 years from the mountains. I went up by jeep which is how most people travel, and I flew back because I thought it would be an interesting experience although on a per kilometre basis, I think I paid the most expensive economy fare in the country (some USD250 for a 500km one-way hop).
The Flight
Number: AI 9806 (9I 806)
Seat: 1A
Class: Economy
Load: 25/70 (35%)
My journey started in the valleys just before sunrise to catch my 815am flight.
It was a gorgeous morning whereby we drove alongside a river. It was mixed emotion for me as in the preceding few days, I thought I was in paradise, and now reality started creeping back.
We also passed through a gorge.
And then a tunnel.
After the tunnel, we entered a relatively broad Kullu valley where the airport is located.
Signpost to the airport
There is only a single flight a day, so most of the time the airport is gated closed.
A quiet drop off porch. I think I was just the 3rd or 4th passenger to arrive. This was 1.5 hours before scheduled departure.
There is no need for flight information board here as there is only a single flight per day. And check-in is at this single check-in counter. How simple and straight forward.
There is practically nothing here. And I was hungry!
There is a VIP lounge to which nobody seems to have any access to since the ATR flight has no business class. I am a Star Gold but in any case, the check-in counter was not open yet.
Its furnishing is rather basic. I guess this must be only for politicians and celebrities, and I think mainly for the former. But then again, these people will only come at the last minute (or late!)
The Himalayas is known for its soaring peaks rising almost to a typical airplane cruising altitude and a flight in and out of the region will be an interesting experience whereby one is literally flying through the mountains, sandwiched between soaring peaks like a bird.
This route is also a rare thin route with only a single flight from Delhi each day. For information, little-known Kullu airport (from which the flight in this report departed from) is located in the Kullu valley, a couple of hours before the major tourist town of Manali in northern Himachal Pradesh just before the high passes to the tibetan arid lands of Ladakh.
So it happened that this recent September, which was also my birthday , I and a couple of friends put up a camping trip into the Great Himalayan National Park – a little known corner of paradise that even most Indian tourists hardly ever heard of. It was an amazing trip, and also a spiritual awakening for me after a hiatus of 13 years from the mountains. I went up by jeep which is how most people travel, and I flew back because I thought it would be an interesting experience although on a per kilometre basis, I think I paid the most expensive economy fare in the country (some USD250 for a 500km one-way hop).
The Flight
Number: AI 9806 (9I 806)
Seat: 1A
Class: Economy
Load: 25/70 (35%)
My journey started in the valleys just before sunrise to catch my 815am flight.
It was a gorgeous morning whereby we drove alongside a river. It was mixed emotion for me as in the preceding few days, I thought I was in paradise, and now reality started creeping back.
We also passed through a gorge.
And then a tunnel.
After the tunnel, we entered a relatively broad Kullu valley where the airport is located.
Signpost to the airport
There is only a single flight a day, so most of the time the airport is gated closed.
A quiet drop off porch. I think I was just the 3rd or 4th passenger to arrive. This was 1.5 hours before scheduled departure.
There is no need for flight information board here as there is only a single flight per day. And check-in is at this single check-in counter. How simple and straight forward.
There is practically nothing here. And I was hungry!
There is a VIP lounge to which nobody seems to have any access to since the ATR flight has no business class. I am a Star Gold but in any case, the check-in counter was not open yet.
Its furnishing is rather basic. I guess this must be only for politicians and celebrities, and I think mainly for the former. But then again, these people will only come at the last minute (or late!)
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