KOCHI/ T’PURAM: They were like a bunch of kids, engaged in excited chatter, as they set off on their maiden voyage. But this bunch was as disparate as it could be, with the average age around 56 — the retirement age in the state government service. The time: Around 8.30 am, scene of action: Cochin International Airport domestic terminal lounge. There were 50 of them, both men and women, some in their 30s and 40s, many well into their 60s and 70s. The one thing common, except their leaders, was they were all about to set off on their maiden flight. And they became part of the trip through the word-of-mouth talk about the exciting 'flight’ opportunity while attending prayer groups in churches, temples and 'ayalkoottams’.
Welcome to what could be the harbinger of a new era in domestic tourism — those venturing out to take their maiden flight. And the advent of the smart tour operator, alert to spot a whole new space in domestic air travel! A one-day trip - from Ernakulam to the state capital. The lure of taking a flight is so overwhelming, they are only happy to take the late bus ride back, many of them reaching home in Kalady, Malayattoor and Perumbavoor only near dawn the next day. It is one trip they will not forget in a hurry as it includes the must-see locales of T’Puram, shopping spree before and after the lunch break and a quick detour to Kovalam. All for Rs 3,500!
As one gets talking to Beena, who is on her maiden flight though her son is in Doha, it becomes clear none of them wants to hide either their glee or sense of adventure in getting airborne.
“Most of us don’t know each other though all of us got interested as this tour package came with a flight ticket. My two sisters too are here. It is truly a common man/woman’s dream come true as none of us had to depend on others to raise the tour fare. None of us is ashamed to say this is our first experience in air travel,” she says.
It does not deter the chirpy lot that their destination was only a stone’s throw away in aviation parlance — T’Puram, a 25-minute flight. To say the Indigo crew was nonplussed by the onslaught of these virgin air-travellers would be a non-truth as it was total chaos for about 15-20 minutes. With the aircraft taxiing out to the runway, there were a few dozen gamely struggling with the seatbelts, a few excitedly chattering away on their cell phones.
Many of the regular, bored passengers looked on in amused tolerance as a significant space in the aircraft turned into a recreation alley. And the stewardesses gamely dissuaded the many incorrigible uncles who kept standing up for a good view of the ocean as the bird started its descent into the T’Puram airport. Getting them off the runway was something else as they gleefully kept clicking away pictures on the cell phones. Naturally, Baiju Paulose, the tour operator, is too busy shepherding them out to say how he got the group together.
The day after, it takes a while to get through to Baiju as he is still ‘recovering’ as the last ‘tourist’ was dropped off only around 3.30 am. “I normally do Holy Land trips but this is a new concept that I started working on more to satisfy the wish of many elders in our locality to travel by air. This is my second such trip in as many weeks. The level of satisfaction is so high the ones who came on the first trip now want to go to Bengaluru on a 2-day trip with a night halt. I am working out the details. It will cost around `5,500 and include a one-way flight and return by train. This is an entirely new client base that is merging from the rural areas,” says Baiju.
Clearly, this is a clientele undergoing a profile makeover – from a predominantly Christian one, where the less moneyed lot set its eyes on Velankanni and the ones with deeper pockets looked as far as Israel to one from the SNDP Yogams joining the Bible study groups. Speak of inclusivity for a business model!
All for Rs 3,500
It is one trip they will not forget in a hurry as it includes the must-see locales of T’Puram, shopping spree before and after the lunch break and a quick detour to Kovalam. All for I3,500!