Indian Airlines
Jet Airways
Sahara Airlines
Air-India
International Flights
Airports
Indian Airlines
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Booking a ticket: In India, tickets on Indian Airlines (IA) can be booked on the spot, at the
airport or the local I A
office and paid by credit card (Visa, Mastercard or Amex). If you
plan to purchase your ticket on the spot, do reach the airport early in
case there are inexplicable delays.
A reservation, without payment, can be made upto five hours before
the departure of the flight, even by telephone. When you make a reservation there is a time limit by which the ticket must be purchased.
You may book your Indian Airline ticket abroad at
the nearest Air-India office even if you are not buying your ticket to
India
with them. If you need to know the location of the nearest Air-India
office write to us
- Fares: On Indian Airlines a return fare is always double of a one
way fare. They do not offer discounts because you are doing the return.
US dollar fares, for foreign passport holders, are 30 per cent higher.
Business
fares are 32 per cent
higher.
Child fares below 12: 67 per cent of adult fares.
Child fares below 2: 10 per cent of adult fares.
- Concessions for Indian passport holders: Special concessions are available for senior citizens. Indian
Airlines offers 50 per cent discounts to senior citizens above age
65, holding Indian passports, on the basic fare.
To apply for this discount, the IA concession form, available at the
nearest Indian Airlines office, must be filled, two stamp-sized photos
and proof of the applicant's age attached. The completed and signed
forms will have to be submitted to the nearest IA office for their
approval and then the ticket or a permanent ID card will be issued.
Indian Airlines does not issue approvals or concessions on holidays and
Sundays.
Special concessions are available for students. Indian
Airlines offers 50 per cent discounts to students, holding Indian
passports, on the basic fare.
To apply for this discount, the IA concession form, available at the
nearest Indian Airlines office, must be filled, two photos attached and
signed by the school or college authorities. The completed and signed
forms will have to be submitted to the nearest IA office for their
approval and then the ticket will be issued.
Indian Airlines does not issue approvals or concessions on holidays and
Sundays.
Indian Airlines offers special discounts to the handicapped, armed servicemen , war widows, ex-servicemen and gallantry/bravery award winners.
Indian Airlines runs certains promotional schemes from time to time for certain destinations or in a tie up with hotels for Indian passport holders. Check Indian Airlines News.
- Concessions for foreign passport holders and NRIs: Anyone in the age group between 12 and 30 can avail a 25 per cent
discount on
economy class US
dollar fares for foreign passport holders on IA's
domestic sectors.
Indian Airlines offers foreign passport holders and non-resident
Indians
a special travel card that
allows unlimited travel on Indian Airlines flights within the country.
The Discover India pass is priced at US $ 700 which will allow them
unlimited
economy class travel on all domestic Indian Airlines services. The pass
is
valid for 21 days from the first flight taken. And US $ 500 for 15 days.
However, no stop
may be visited more than once, except when passengers
wish
to take a connecting flight.
Indian Airlines also offers India Wonder fares to foreign passport
holders and non-resident Indians. These are four types of fares each
priced at US $300. A wonder fare allows unlimited travel for
one week within either the north or south or east or west of India. Once
you pay for an Indian Wonder fare you are entitled to year round
economy
class travel, between any cities in the region of your choice, provided
you don't touch the same point
more than once except for purpose of transfer/connection.
Northern Region
Delhi, Agra, Khajuraho, Varanasi, Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Chandigarh,
Amritsar, Jammu, Srinagar,
Leh, Bhopal, Gwalior, Lucknow, Indore.
Western Region
Bombay, Nagpur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Ahmedabad, Aurangabad, Goa,
Vadodara(Baroda), Bhuj,
Jamnagar, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Mangalore, Indore,Raipur.
Southern Region
Madras, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Cochin, Vishakhapatnam, Hyderabad,
Tiruchirapalli, Madurai,
Trivandrum, Calicut, Pune, Goa, Nagpur.
Eastern Region
Calcutta, Patna, Dibrugarh, Ranchi, Imphal, Tezpur, Jorhat, Guwahati,
Silchar, Dimapur, Agartala,
Bhubhaneshwar, Varanasi, Bagdogra, Lucknow, Vishakhapatnam.
Indian Airlines runs certains promotional schemes from time to time for certain destinations or in a tie up with hotels which are not applicable to foreign passport holders or NRIs.
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Schedule:
Indian Airlines has a summer timetable which is released in April and is
in effect till the end of October. A winter timetable is released in
November and is in effect till end of March. Domestic and international
flight timings and frequencies change with the release of the new
timetable. There are certain destinations to which Indian Airlines operates flights only in the winter time like Puttaparthy. There are other destinations to which flight services in the winter can be irregular due to snow like Leh, Srinagar and Kullu.
- Night saver and shuttle flights: Indian Airlines offers night saver flights between Bombay and New Delhi.
These Mumbai-Delhi-Mumbai flights depart at 2200 hrs
and arrive at 2355 hrs daily except weekends, and the fare is 25 per
cent less.
Indian Airlines has introduced the metro shuttle between Bombay and New
Delhi. Indian Airlines will offers 10 flights between Bombay and New
Delhi hourly in the morning and the evening. Passengers may arrive at
the airport with an open ticket one hour
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Baggage: Economy class passengers flying by Indian Airlines are allowed 30 kgs
of baggage. Business class passengers
are now allowed 40 kgs free baggage. And an
extra 10 kgs is allowed for infants. Items permissable
on board are one handbag, a purse, umbrellas, a foldable stroller for an
infant,
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Cancellations and losing a ticket: A passenger will lose 100 per cent of the basic fare for cancellations
made less than one hour before the departure of the flight. A passenger
will lose Rs 100 for cancellations made more than one hour before the
departure of the flight. A passenger can cancel his ticket on the
telephone but he must bring the ticket in for formal cancellation within
24 hours thereafter. A passenger can change the date of his ticket, without paying a cancellation fee, unless the change is made less than hour before flight departure.
Indian Airlines does not issue a refund on loss of a domestic ticket. On loss of an international IA ticket, a passenger is required to lodge an FIR (first information report) with the police and send a letter to Indian Airlines and the airline will consider issuing a fresh ticket.
- Frequent fliers: Indian Airlines offers special benefits to its frequent fliers including free or discounted tickets, upgrades. Details of these privileges are available at member service centres at the city office of Indian Airlines in Bangalore, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras and New Delhi. Do check the following addresses
- Flight reconfirmation:
It is advisable to reconfirm your onward flight, 72 hours before, especially if you have broken journey for more than 72 hours or if you have a group booking.
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Advisory: It is always advisable to check your flight timings before leaving
for the airport in case of inexplicable delays.
For information on the latest flight changes do check out
Indian Airlines News or
email Rediff Travel.
For details of rupee or dollar fares email Rediff Travel. Would you
like us to post you a copy of the Indian Airlines schedule? Email us.
Jet Airways
- Booking a ticket: In India you can make a booking on Jet Airways, around the clock, in the
major metros. To do so dial its
round-the-clock reservations in Bombay, New Delhi, Calcutta and
Madras:
Bombay (Mumbai): +91 22 5703838
New Delhi: 011-6853700
Madras: 044-2346557
Calcutta: 033-5119894
A reservation, without payment, can be made upto four hours before the
departure of the flight, even by telephone. Less than four hours before
a ticket must be procured from the airport. Reservations may be made as
much as one year in advance or more.
Tickets on Jet Airways can be booked on the spot, at the airport or the
local Jet office and paid by
credit card (Visa, Mastercard or Amex). If you plan to purchase your
ticket on the spot, do reach the airport early in case there are
inexplicable delays.
You may book your Jet Airways ticket abroad at
the nearest Jet recognised agent If you need to know the location of the
nearest Jet office write to us or
check this Jet Airways list addresses
- Concessions for Indian passport holders: Special concessions are available for senior citizens. Jet Airways offers 50 per cent discounts to senior citizens above age
65, holding Indian passports, on the basic fare. When the passenger does his ticketing, either at the airport or at the ticketing office, he must show some proof of his age and fill up a special Jet Airways form and submit two passport photographs.
Special concessions are available for students. Jet Airways
Airlines offers 50 per cent discounts to students, holding Indian
passports, on the basic fare. A student has to fill a Jet Airways concession form and have it signed by the head of the educational institute he/she is studying at.
Jet Airways runs certains promotional schemes from time to time for certain destinations or in a tie up with hotels for Indian passport holders. Check Jet Airlines News.
Concessions for foreign passport holders and NRIs: Anyone in the age group between 12 and 29 can avail a 25 per cent
discount on
economy class US
dollar fares for foreign passport holders.
Jet Airways offers foreign passport holders and non-resident Indians
a special travel card that
allows unlimited travel within the country. A 15-day Visit
India fare plan is available for US$ 550 per adult and a 21-day
Visit India fare
plan for US$ 800. Children under 12 get a 50 per cent discount and
infants, below two years, pay 10 per cent. One can visit as many
destinations within the fare plan period in one continuous direction
or a circle trip. No city can be
transited more than once except to catch a connecting flight.
- Fares:
On Jet Airways a return fare is always double of a one
way fare. They do not offer discounts because you are doing the return.
US dollar fares, for foreign passport holders, are 30 per cent higher.
Business
fares are 32 per cent
higher.
Child fares below 12: 67 per cent of adult fares.
Child fares below 2: 10 per cent of adult fares.
- Night saver flights: Jet Airways offers night saver flights between Bombay and New Delhi.
These Mumbai-Delhi-Mumbai flights depart at 2200 hrs and arrive at 2355
hrs daily except weekends, and the fare is 25 per cent less.
-
Baggage: Economy class passengers flying by Jet Airways are allowed 20 kgs
of baggage. Business class passengers
are now allowed 30 kgs baggage. Passengers arriving from USA or Canada are allowed two pieces of the international piece system dimensions, each not exceeding 62 kg. Items permissable
on board are one handbag, a purse, umbrellas, a foldable stroller for an
infant, a bag for an infant
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Cancellations and loss of a ticket:
A passenger will lose 50 per cent of the basic fare for cancellations
made less than one hour before the departure of the flight. A passenger
will lose Rs 100 for cancellations made more than one hour before the
departure of the flight. A passenger can cancel his ticket on the
telephone but he must bring the ticket in for formal cancellation within
30 hours thereafter.
On loss of a Jet Airways ticket, a passenger is required to lodge an FIR (first information report) with police and fill out an indemnity form and the airline will process the refund at the end of one year.
- Flight reconfirmation:
Jet Airways requires passengers to reconfirm an onward flight 72 hours before departure.
- Club Premiere passengers:
Jet Airways provides special lounges for its Club Premiere passengers at Bombay, New Delhi, Bangalore, Calcutta
and Madras airports. Refreshments and snacks are served at these lounges.
- Advisory: It is always advisable to check your flight timings before leaving
for the airport in case of inexplicable delays.
For information on the latest flight changes do check out
Jet Airways News or email
Rediff Travel. For
details of rupee or dollar fares email
Rediff Travel.
Sahara Airlines
-
Booking a ticket: In India, tickets on Sahara Airlines can be booked on the spot, at the
airport or the local I A
office and paid by credit card (Visa, Mastercard or Amex). If you
plan to purchase your ticket on the spot, do reach the airport early in
case there are inexplicable delays.
When you make a reservation there is a time limit by which the ticket must be purchased. A reservation, without payment, can be made upto six hours before
the departure of the flight, even by telephone.
- Fares: On Sahara Airlines a return fare is always double of a one
way fare. They do not offer discounts because you are doing the return.
US dollar fares, for foreign passport holders, are 30 per cent higher.
Business
fares are 32 per cent
higher.
Child fares below 12: 67 per cent of adult fares.
Child fares below 2: 10 per cent of adult fares.
Air-India
Air-India operates a handful of domestic flights,some of them are night
flights. Tickets on these flights are considerably more economical.
Air-India fares are about 20 per cent lower. Air-India night
fares (between 2000 hours and 0800 hours)
are 30 per cent lower.
The check in time for Air-India domestic flights is three hours before
and it is necessary to pass through customs.
Air-India offers flights between Bombay and Cochin, New Delhi and
Bombay, Bombay and Ahmedabad, Bombay and Bangalore, Bombay and Calcutta,
Bombay and Goa, Bombay and Hyderabad, Bombay and Madras, Bombay and
Trivandrum, New Delhi and Ahmedabad, New Delhi and Madras, Bombay and
Calicut and Trivandrum and Cochin.
For details of flight schedules check the Air-India schedules
International flights
It is possible to make a reservation for an international flight by telephone. There is a time limit by which time the ticket must be purchased. If you are buying a ticket through an agent make sure your booking is confirmed before you purchase the ticket. Code sharing is now very common on international flights out of India. Though you may purchase your ticket on a certain airline, it is possible on the day of travel the flight is being operated by its partner airline.
Some airlines only operate out of one big metro or another. It is common practice for agents to suggest the option of taking a domestic flight to another city to catch an international flight. However domestic flights can get delayed and you may not make your connecting flight and it is advisable to allow for even a 12 hour margin between both flights. For instance: You are Bombay based and would like to travel to Amsterdam by a certain airline that has flights out of only New Delhi. Your agent may suggest you take a domestic flight to New Delhi (maybe at no extra cost) to connect with the the international flight. It would be imperative to arrive in New Delhi during the day for a late night flight (or early morning flight).
Reconfirmation of your international flight 72 hours before departure is required. Many airlines have done away with this requirement but it is still advisable to call in and confirm.
It is always advisable to check your flight timings before leaving
for the airport in case of inexplicable delays.
Airports
Most airports in the larger metros are situated far from the city
centre. It is advisable to allow minimum one orone and a half hours to reach the airport
in case of traffic delays especially during rush hour.
One must arrive at the aiport minimum one hour before the departure of a domestic flight
and three hours before the departure of an international flight. If trolleys are not
available outside the airport you may have to go inside and procure one. It is necessary to first scan the luggage you plan to check in. Haphazard queuing may delay the process.
In some of the major metros the domestic airport and the
international airport are situated separately. Domestic airlines have
coaches at all hours that link the domestic and international airports.
Transferring frpm the international aiport to the domestic airport to
catch a domestic flight make take up to two hours or more -- luggage
arrival delays, customs, passport clearance -- from the time you
touchdown.
Prepaid taxis are available at both domestic and international
airports in the major metros. In Bombay it is possible to hire an AC
taxi (silver and blue) at the international or domestic airport. If you
are not hiring a prepaid taxi, check out the fare, from the airline
personnel. It is not advisable to hire a taxi without
ascertaining (not from the taxi driver) the right fare, including night
charges and luggage charges. It is not advisable to share a
taxi with anyone. It is advisable to write the license plate of your
taxi down.
Passengers travelling out of India are required to pay Rs 450 as aiport tax. This tax is usually incorporated in the cost of the ticket. It is advisable to check with your airline.
International and domestic airports usually all have restaurants or at least a coffee and snack counter and a bookshop. It is difficult to find a foreign exchange counter at a domestic airport
It is always advisable to check your flight timings before leaving
for the airport in case of inexplicable delays. During the monsoon severe rain may disrupt flight schedules and during the winter fog prevents flights from taking off in North India. A weather problem even in another part of the country may delay your flight if it is a turnaround flight.
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