On the outbound trip I flew from Chennai (Madras) to Bangalore on one of their ATR72 turboprop planes. This was my first flight on a so-called 'state-of-the-art' turboprop. Though it was a bit noisy during take-off, otherwise it felt just like a jet. The flight departed Chennai on time with an almost full passenger load destined for Bangalore and Goa. On-board service was excellent, considering the fact that this was a short hop with a scheduled flight duration of one hour. It included sweets, coffee/tea, an additional optional bottle of mineral water/soft drink and a full meal (including a vegetarian as well as a non-vegetarian option) that was superior to what I often get on international scheduled flights of a much longer duration. The cabin crew's attitudes towards passengers were also excellent, very courteous and really personalised with staff addressing each passenger with his/her surname while boarding/disembarking. We reached Bangalore slightly ahead of schedule, only 55 minutes after our departure from Chennai. Disembarkation and luggage retrieval at Bangalore's Hindustan airport were quick without any problems.

On the return trip from Bangalore to Chennai I travelled on one of their 'Next Generation' 737-800s. This flight, which had originated in Pune, was totally full. The flight left Bangalore on time. Again, on-board service was excellent. The cabin crew were again very courteous and added a personalised touch by addressing each passenger by their surname while boarding/disembarking. However, since this flight was very short - it took us only 35 minutes to reach Chennai from Bangalore, there no coffee/tea was served and was there was no full meal service either. Instead, we were served mineral water, an additional soft drink and a sandwich. The flight landed at Chennai ahead of schedule. Once again, disembarkation and luggage retrieval at Chennai's Kamaraj (domestic) air terminal were quick and unproblematical.

Altogether, both flights - which I had booked as two separate one-way journeys, were very pleasant experiences and I would definitely fly with Jet Airways again. Their service actually surpasses that of many reputed international airlines and this airline is a shining example for other carriers, both within India as well as abroad. Hopefully, the Indian government will continue its liberalisation of the aviation sector enabling it to become a global competitor to both of India's state-owned carriers - Air-India and Indian Airlines respectively - as well as the foreign airline companies operating from/to India.