From: ahmed-shakil@CS.YALE.EDU (Shakil Waiz Ahmed)
Subject: Re: Airlines, Travel Agents?
Organization: Yale University, Department of Computer Science
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 01:47:31 GMT


In article <65866@cup.portal.com>, hassan@cup.portal.com (hassan monu alam) writes:
> I'd be interested in hearing experience of people going to Bangladesh
> via PIA (Pray Inform Allah? :-). I'm not sure how efficient
> international transit/transfer at Karachi is. My suspicion is
> they treat non-desis better than desis. 
> 
> Also do you have to change terminals, go through customs, get harrassed
> by officials over petty rules, etc.

On the way there, you can avoid customs and all because you'll be in
transit, but it's a long wait.  On the way back, you have to stay the
night in Karachi, and that can be a major hassle.  I've flown that way
twice -- you don't need a visa.  Instead, immigration in Karachi keeps
your passports and tickets, and returns them to you upon departure.

Last time I flew that way, I had my camcorder with me, and of course,
the customs officials in Karachi were very glad to see it.  They
refused to let me take it with me, despite the fact that I was in
transit.  They insisted that I leave it with them.  After a little
arguing, I agreed to do it if they gave me a receipt.  I asked them
where I could pick it up the next day on my way out of Pakistan.  Two
different officers came up with two different answers -- not
particularly reassuring.  But to top it all, they started arguing with
each other about their respective answers, the argument reaching a
rather heated climax.  Eventually, they reached some kind of
agreement, and let me proceed, but when I stepped out of the building,
the bus with all the passengers had already departed, and I had no
clue where they went.  I asked around, but nobody knew what to do.  I
tried entering the airport again to ask the airline, but they wouldn't
let me into the building because I didn't have my ticket or passport
(immigration keeps your passport and ticket)!!  So I was totally
stranded.  I finally managed to convince a bus driver to take me to
the various hotels near the airport, and after some failed attempts,
finally found the hotel where everyone had been taken -- what a
nightmare...

I did get my camcorder back the next day, but they had written all
over the case in some ugly, and terribly permanent ink, sigh...

I don't recommend flying PIA to Dhaka -- I've had much better
experiences with Biman.  Admittedly, Biman's ground staff gives you
enough trouble to tell your grandchildren stories about, but at least
it's in an environment which is familiar to us and we have some ideas
how to deal with it.  More importantly, once in the air, Biman's
service is great, and the food is wonderful too...


-- Shakil Ahmed
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