Nikhil, a managing director, symbolizes the face of today’s entrepreneurs - young, dynamic, good humored, yet affable and down to earth. Someone who knows the power of his wealth but somehow has managed to remain unfazed about it.
A man who has seen the bigger, brighter, prettier things (that we all die for) so early on in life and from such proximity that today, it’s the smaller, grainier details that excites him more. Like discovering a new tooth in his son’s gum, waking up early to catch the first rays of the morning sun or spending some quiet moments with his dad.
So he doesn’t find it odd to drive his Audi Q7 all the way from his spacious bungalow in Jor Bagh to his cosy office in Noida every morning, while his driver takes a small nap in the back seat. “I love the sheer thrill of the beast in full throttle. Plus, the poor chap needs some rest as well,” is all he nonchalantly says.
Nikhil has been traveling abroad, since the 4th standard, every year without fail. Though foreign trips were with his parents in the plush business class, his trips back home to Delhi from his boarding school were usually alone and in the economy class. It was a simple way devised by his parents to ensure he had global exposure early on in life. The earliest flying memories include being cajoled and pampered by beautiful air hostesses, painting tattoos on coloring books and his first taste of Pepsi, way back in the early ‘80s.
“When I’m in a flight, I need space for myself and I need to be pampered. I don’t want to engage in conversations. And I don’t want to doze off endlessly.” For a guy like Nikhil who must have spent half his life flying, it’s very important to be pampered so that his mind remains diverted, or else the long haul flights can be pretty boring and stressful. The whole thought of being stuck in one place for 8-12 hours without having much to do is pretty unnerving. So he wants to indulge in food, drinks and entertainment as a means to de-stress himself. The food and drinks have to be the best.
He fondly remembers that when Jet started its first class cabin services they were the first to serve Dom Perignon champagne on board. And he also loves to have a wide choice of movies. “I’m a big movie buff - Bollywood, Hollywood, everything. And I don’t get time to watch the latest flicks while I’m at home. So this is the only time I can catch up on my favorite movies.”
The Virgin Lounge experience in London was a wow moment for Nikhil. “The funky bright colored décor with the 60s retro look with swiveling chairs straight out of an Austin Powell movie set, completely blew me off my feet. Coupled with the whole host of services on offer - sauna, steam, massage, haircut, sushi, I mean….gawd!, there was so much to do that I didn’t feel even for a moment that I was at an airport lounge waiting endlessly for my flight to take off.
Another time, I was on my way back from London and also traveling on Virgin Airlines. The chauffeur, who had come to pick me up from my hotel, did my security check with his device right in the car itself and checked me in. When I landed at the airport, someone took care of my baggage right away while I headed directly for the waiting lounge. That was one hell of an experience.”
Nikhil also experienced a great travel moment with Lufthansa. “This one happened while I was traveling from Frankfurt. The distance between the baggage check in the terminal and the lounge is quite far. Some lucky ones get a car ride. But I guess I had the best experience. Neither did I have to walk nor was I driven. I was flown from one terminal to the other in a private chopper. That’s the privilege I got by being an Amex privilege customer and a Lufthansa frequent flier.”
Personally speaking, he’s never had any rude moments with an airline, what with a retinue of people ensuring he has the best travel experience. But he quoted one incident that happened with a fellow passenger at United Airlines that left him aghast. While the passengers were entering the flight and settling down in their respective seats, an elderly gentleman picked up a bottle of water from the shelf while walking towards his seat. A flight attendant immediately lunged towards him and snatched away the bottle, muttering about the privilege only being available after the flight had taken off. “Look, being concerned about the security and doing one’s job well is okay, but that doesn’t permit you to be rude and uncouth with your passengers. I still think the situation could have been handled in a better way.”
Nikhil sums up his loyalty with airlines this way: “It’s a quid pro quo relationship between the airline and its privileged customer. I expect to be treated royally because I choose you over others. You treat me in a special way because I fly you the most.”
Give courtesy and respect as a “luxury” for all. Treat them royally and they’ll remember the experience forever.
POSTED BY AYAN BANIK, SAATCHI & SAATCHI, INDIA, NEW DELHI
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