AIRPORT STORIES

“Kursi ki peti bandh lijiye… this is not just a flight, this is a story.”

Hi my viewers, how are you?
I know you are shivering in this cold, and still reading my blog. While reading my blog, you may get a feeling of warmth and full enjoyment.

It is my first time that I got a chance to visit various airports for my counselling process in a very short time. As you know, due to massive cancellation of flights, I was unable to get a direct flight to the allotted college. So I had many indirect flights. Because of this, I got a chance and opportunity to experience the architecture, interior design, interior facilities, and cost of each thing in the airport.

As you know, when we were children, most of the readers didn’t have affordability to board flights. We only had a chance to see airplanes passing above our heads. We and our family used to come out of the house to see the aircraft and say, “See that aircraft, it is going to that place.” And we continuously watched the aircraft until it disappeared.

But now, the standard of living has increased in almost every family, and most of them can afford flights—not all the time, but in emergencies, when you don’t get any train tickets and get nothing even in Tatkal.

Today, I am here to share my stories of various airports which I got a chance to visit during my journey, and I will tell the unique points of each which attracted me. Kursi ki peti bandh lijiye, we are ready to take off on the flight of enjoyment.

As the story starts, I got allotted a college in Trichy during severe winter and a busy period around Christmas, where all trains were booked. Rarely do trains go to that area from Varanasi. It may also be due to Tamil Sangamam inaugurated by Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India. Due to Tamil Sangamam, we got an extra train from Varanasi to Kanyakumari via Trichy.

Now only two trains are available to reach Trichy:

• One is Kashi Tamil Express (16368) from Varanasi Junction to Kanyakumari

• Another one is Banaras Rameshwaram Express (22536) from Banaras to Rameshwaram

Both run only on Sundays from their initial stations.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get tickets for any of the above trains, and I was forced to book flights, as our government only gives 7 days to reach the allotted college. At the same time, the Indigo crisis was also going on, as only Indigo provides a direct flight from Varanasi to Chennai. But it got cancelled citing bad weather conditions. It frustrated me so much; hence, I booked another flight from Air India (Varanasi to Chennai via Delhi).

Now my journey starts, which you were awaiting. I took an auto at 12:00 PM. Fog was everywhere. My legs were shivering due to extreme cold, and I packed my whole body in sweaters and a cap. It took almost 1 hour to reach the airport, and after walking inside, I got rid of shivering and felt some warmth.

Varanasi Airport

Here, there is only one departure gate (meaning gate to entry) and one arrival gate (gate to exit). I smoothly entered with no big crowd. After entering, we go to the right and then left for the security check. Now the real crowd was encountered. There was no proper line; everything was very haphazard. The security personnel somehow managed it.

People there were unable to understand where to put their baggage for checking and where to go for self-checking, but we anyhow managed to pass it. Then we searched for our gates (each gate is allotted for flights, and only that gate can be used to board your booked flight). These gates are opened only during boarding time; otherwise, they remain closed.

We had enough time to sit at the airport and got a chance to see what was happening around us and what features were present in the airport. You can easily get food items near your gates, but prices are almost 20 times higher than outside the airport, like tea costing ₹100–150, and a water bottle of less than 1 litre (usually Vedica, a Bisleri premium bottle) costing around ₹80. As we were full and had our own bottles (water bottles are allowed in almost all big airports), we didn’t need to buy anything.

A very strange thing I noticed in almost all airports is that restaurants inside the airport don’t have washrooms. They keep red wipes or tissue paper to clean hands. For proper washing, you have to go to the restroom (toilets), which are usually far from these shops or very few in number, meaning you have to walk more to use them.

In Varanasi Airport, near the restroom on the first floor, there is a children’s area where toddlers can play (a play area made for them). Here I also encountered many foreigners from every corner of the world. Such a big number I had never found in any airport at one place. It may be due to Modi’s influence.

After some time, our flight boarding started. I also want to mention that Air India and Air India Express are two different flights operated by the same company. The only difference is their premiumness. Air India provides bigger seats and charging facilities at each seat, which are absent in Air India Express.

I was totally afraid that my second flight from Delhi to Chennai might get cancelled for any reason. But I was shocked when our flight landed at the airport—nothing was visible. We were unable to know when we reached Delhi due to smog. We couldn’t see adjacent flights. At that moment, I thought that if any flight can take off and land in such conditions, then it can do it in any weather condition. Because among all airports, Delhi truly deserves the tagline “Bad weather reasons.”

". and then i start doubted the indigo(which cacelled my direct flight).

New Delhi Airport – Confidence Turns into a Challenge

At New Delhi Airport, I was completely relaxed. We had one full hour, and our second flight was from the same terminal, so I thought there would be no problem at all. I was traveling with my father, who has an operated thumb, and I believed everything was under control.

But this confidence turned out to be my biggest mistake.

Here, the real challenge started.

Even within the same terminal, there are almost 62 gates, and our boarding gate was number 54. Suddenly, we realized that we had only 20 minutes left and needed to cover nearly 3 kilometers. During this stressful moment, Air India staff were extremely helpful, especially during the security check.

That was when I learned an important lesson: for every flight boarding, you must pass through security again—even for connecting flights.

Fortunately, horizontal escalators were available, which reduced some of our workload. Still, we had to run on those moving walkways. Somehow, we finally reached our destination gate. We were gasping for breath, completely exhausted—but also deeply relieved. We had reached just in time, almost missing the flight.

Soon, we boarded our Air India flight to Chennai. The aircraft was filled with South Indian passengers, happily acknowledging each other with cheerful conversations. During the flight, we were served dinner, which felt comforting after such a hectic experience.

After a comfortable two-hour journey, we finally landed at Chennai Airport at around 9 o’clock.

Chennai Airport – A City Within a City

Near the exit gate of Chennai Airport, there is a WTI cab reception, and just opposite to it, a prepaid taxi counter. I asked there about a nearby bus station from where we could get buses to Trichy. They suggested Kilambakkam Bus Station, which is around 31 km from the airport and costs nearly ₹1000 by taxi. It felt a little expensive, but they mentioned that Trichy buses run very frequently from there.

However, someone from our flight suggested Tambaram Bus Station as another option, where Trichy buses are also available. The WTI cab staff then asked us to wait, saying that an official would come and take us to our booked taxi.

After exiting Chennai Airport, we entered an adjacent building and took a lift—probably to the 4th floor. Interestingly, on the 2nd floor, we saw Ola and Uber cabs. That’s when I realized something unique about Chennai Airport: there is hardly any difference between the ground floor and upper floors. Cars move seamlessly everywhere, and you only realize you are above ground when you walk to the edge and look down.

The building we entered was actually a multi-storey parking facility, where each floor is dedicated to different cab services or personal vehicles. On the 4th floor, we waited for around 15 minutes, and then our taxi arrived.

Here, I noticed something surprising—in many parts of Tamil Nadu, people walk barefoot or even ride vehicles barefoot. Not everyone, of course, but a significant number of people.

We boarded the taxi, and the driver was very friendly. He asked where we were coming from, and after about 20–25 minutes, we reached Kilambakkam Bus Station. The place looked more like an airport than a bus stand—a massive entrance gate with the station’s name written entirely in Tamil, with no English or Hindi written below it.

At the main gate, the taxi driver dropped us and demanded a tip. Since we didn’t have cash, we politely denied.

Inside the bus station complex, some people—walking barefoot—approached us and asked about buses going to Madurai and Trichy, speaking in Tamil. Since we were completely unfamiliar with the language, we replied, “No Tamil, only English.” They didn’t understand and called another person who knew a little English.

We asked about buses to Trichy, but he didn’t mention the price or whether the bus was seating or sleeper. Without explaining much, he took us to the Omni Bus terminal, where we were offered a non-AC bus, which we declined. We wanted an AC seating bus.

He then introduced us to another bus mediator who had only AC sleeper buses. We requested seating again, so he took us to another mediator from National Travels. They had only two seats available, numbers 17 and 19, at the back, and claimed it was a Bharat Benz bus, one of the best.

After waiting for nearly 30 minutes, we were taken to another terminal, as the bus arrived there instead. The conductor also struggled with Tamil but understood a little Hindi. Finally, he guided us to our seats, and at last, we could relax.

After completing our work, two days later, we continued our journey…

Tiruchirappalli Airport – Small Airport, Big Realizations

We were staying about 3 km from Tiruchirappalli Airport. At 6:00 AM, we booked an Uber, which initially showed a fare of less than ₹100. However, after accepting the ride, the driver demanded ₹170, claiming an additional ₹50 as an entry charge. We agreed, and within 15 minutes, we reached the airport.

On the road connecting the main road to Tiruchirappalli Airport, I noticed something interesting—blinking lights installed on both sides of the road, guiding vehicles toward the airport. The auto driver dropped us a little distance away from the main gate. There, I saw a large number of two-wheelers parked, which I assumed belonged to airport employees.

That’s when a realization struck me: airports are designed mainly for higher-income travelers, but at the same time, they provide employment to a large number of people from lower-income backgrounds. An airport is not just a place for travel—it is a source of livelihood for many.

We entered the departure gate and soon realized that we were very early. Our flight was Air India Express from Trichy to Bengaluru, and then onward to Varanasi. At the boarding pass counter, there was no Air India Express staff present. We waited on the seats, and interestingly, there was one more passenger sitting behind us for the same flight.

After waiting for a long time, I noticed a boarding pass machine, which looked like an ATM. We entered our PNR and last name, and all our tickets appeared on the screen. I clicked “Reprint Boarding Pass”, and the machine printed them one by one. Since we were two passengers with two flights on the same PNR, it printed four boarding passes. At that moment, I unknowingly ignored the second flight’s boarding passes, where the seat numbers were not mentioned.

Yes, you can print all your boarding passes at any airport using these machines.

We then proceeded to the security check. The security personnel scanned the boarding pass using a camera-like device, asked us to place our bags in trays, and advised us to keep water bottles in a separate tray. The process was smooth, and we cleared security easily.

On the way to our boarding gate, a girl stopped us and offered lounge access for ₹999, even without a debit or credit card. (A lounge is a comfortable waiting area with massage chairs, less crowd, and complimentary food—though some lounges charge separately.)

We chose to sit in the common waiting area just before our boarding gate. There, I noticed something thoughtful—charging sockets were placed just above the seats, though not on every seat, but alternately. This facility was missing in Varanasi and Bhubaneswar airports, where charging points were either far away or limited to the last row of seats.

We ordered some food from a nearby shop that sold two types of samosas—potato-stuffed and onion-stuffed. One potato samosa cost ₹80, and we also ordered an egg patty for around ₹100. I observed that in Tamil Nadu, almost every food stall or restaurant includes egg-based items—they truly love eggs.

After some time, boarding for our flight began. We entered the boarding gate and joined the queue to board the aircraft. While standing there, I noticed a Korean-looking passenger holding a passport. He was continuously bitting his passport against a steel rod, and the front cover looked completely worn out, with no visible markings—only impressions. Out of curiosity, I asked which country he was from. He replied that he was from China and had traveled to Bengaluru for business.

Soon, my father and I boarded the flight and searched for our seats. After settling comfortably, my father suddenly noticed that the second boarding pass (Bengaluru to Varanasi) had no seat number mentioned. I panicked immediately and called my uncle for advice. He calmly told me, “Once you reach Bengaluru Airport, just ask for the boarding pass again—they will issue it.”

With that reassurance, we relaxed a little, and soon our flight landed at Bengaluru Airport.

Bengaluru Airport – Where Travel Meets Nature

Bengaluru Airport is truly massive. As soon as we landed, I saw a large number of aircraft from different airlines parked across the apron. An Air India Express bus arrived quickly, but it became full within minutes, and we were left waiting. During that time, I noticed how carefully the Air India Express staff were unloading luggage from the aircraft.

After a few minutes, another bus arrived. We boarded it, waited briefly, and then it dropped us at an open space, similar to a small bus stop. From there, we entered the airport building and began searching for Domestic Departures. Soon, we reached the security area, where we spotted an Air India Express staff member. When we asked about our boarding passes, he immediately printed them for us—this time with seat numbers clearly mentioned.

We passed the first boarding gate, and that’s when the first “wow” moment began.

 

I was completely astonished by the architecture of Bengaluru Airport. The entire structure is designed with bamboo, beautifully crafted, giving the feeling that you are walking through a small jungle. Man jeet liya—wah! It felt peaceful, natural, and unique, I never seen such a beautiful airport before.

Following the domestic departure signs, we reached the security check once again. The process was similar, but soon after clearing it, another security official stopped us to check our boarding passes yet again. Among all the airports I visited, Bengaluru Airport had the strictest security checks.

And then came the next wow moment—a stunning artificial waterfall (jharna). It looked incredibly beautiful and had multiple selfie points. We clicked a few pictures there before moving toward our boarding gate.

By now, our stomachs had started gurgling with hunger. We had eaten nothing since breakfast. I asked my father to first confirm our boarding gate and then proceed for lunch. Between the security area and our gate, we saw a long line of restaurants—most of them selling liquor. I had never seen an airport with so many liquor shops, not even Delhi. Many of these shops didn’t display signboards; you could identify them only by the wine bottles on display. No wonder Karnataka is often called the hard liquor capital of India.

We finally found a bakery and asked for a thali. The staff directed us to a restaurant at the corner called “Gully Kitchen.” At last, my father and I felt relaxed—we finally had a chance to fill our stomachs. The menu showed ₹400 for dosa and ₹660 for veg thali. We ordered masala dosa and were asked to wait for 10 minutes. There was also a takeaway option, but since we had enough time, we decided to eat there.

After 10 minutes, they asked us to collect our food, as it was a self-service restaurant. When I asked for handwashing facilities, they provided red wipes—similar to the himalyan wipes used your sister and mother to clean their faces  after coming from outside. These wipes didn’t contain soap, only water mixed with alcohol, much like a sanitizer, along with tissue paper.

Our food arrived—a cylindrical masala dosa, stuffed with potatoes, served with four different types of chutney. We enjoyed it thoroughly, it was very much tasty, and enough for our stomach.

Soon after, boarding was announced. We walked to our gate, boarded the flight, and after a smooth journey, we safely reached Varanasi Airport.

Here, the story comes to an end.
I hope we meet again with a new journey and a new story.

Please let me know how you rate our story and don’t forget to share your own unique airport experiences in the comment box.

Tada… Bye Bye 👋

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