Multiple Options to Pick for Hyderabad to Singapore Flights

Hyderabad is the capital of the newly created state of Telangana. It has been a historical city and has seen many phases of development. Due to its long history and being the centre of administration, it has always been a major hub for trade and commerce in the South Indian region. The transportation infrastructure of the city has been developed, connecting it to different parts of the country. It is also served by an international airport, which connects it to places across the world. Among the international destinations that people can reach from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport is Singapore, a city on the edge of the Malaya Peninsula.

Scheduled Hyderabad to Singapore flights are operated at specific times and days of the week. These play a major part in developing multi-dimensional relations among the residents of the two cities. The city-state is visited by people from Hyderabad and from close-by regions for many reasons. By the virtue of its location and status of a duty-free port, it has evolved into a major trading centre for a number of commodities. It is also a famous tourist destination, enthralling tourists with its city life, natural and man-made attractions, cultural aspect and economic prosperity. A hub for education in diverse fields, it has highly advanced information technology, healthcare and other sectors. Air connectivity from Hyderabad provides people with the opportunity to travel for the reasons of leisure and adventure tourism, trade, business, education or medical treatment.

Direct Flight Information

Both non-stop and connecting air services on the route are available, though the number of non-stop flights is rather limited. There could be one to three daily direct flights, but all of these are flown by carriers from the city-state. SilkAir, Tigerair and Singapore Airlines are the only three carriers, operating these air services. Till date, Indian carriers do not fly non-stop on this sector. Tigerair is a low-cost carrier, operating on this route, and it provides the cheapest flights.

It has a flight at 1:00 am whereas SilkAir operates at night at 11:00 pm. Another SilkAir departure is at 12:50 am, but this is not flown on a daily basis. Of these two carriers, the business class cabin is offered exclusively by SilkAir. Thus, passengers can travel with greater comfort and have more amenities on its business class.

Connecting Air Services

While direct services are limited, there are many connecting flights, operating throughout the day. Malaysia Airlines, Thai Airways, Cathay Pacific, Jet Airways, Air India and AirAsia are the prominent carriers, offering this service. The main stopover locations for these carriers are Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Hong Kong and Bangkok. These connections are helpful for business travellers, who might want to transact some business at these locations before moving on to their intended destination.

DGCA, the regulatory authority of civil aviation in India, reported that Hyderabad to Singapore flights carried a total of 89435 passengers in 2014-15. Out of these, the share of SilkAir was 51481, and that of Tigerair was 37954. The latter flies A319s on this route that is a 124-seater jetliner, suitable for short-haul routes. Likewise, the former flies Boeing 737s that are also used on short and medium-distance sectors.

All major travel agencies of India provide online reservations facilities for travelling on this route. These also provide total travel solutions and full customer support for a hassle-free journey.

2 Comforts on Bangalore to Pune Flights

The development of the IT sector in India in the last two decades has seen many new hubs come up in different parts of the country. Hyderabad, Gurgaon, Bengaluru, Pune and Chennai have been the prime attractions for the multinational companies in this sector. With the development of infrastructure, these have been increasing the movement of people to and from these cities. Air transport infrastructure has also been upgraded, and airports have been modernised to meet this increasing demand. Two such hubs, the air traffic handling capabilities of which have been beefed up due to increasing demands, are Bengaluru and Pune. Scheduled Bangalore to Pune flights is provided by IndiGo, SpiceJet, GoAir, AirAsia India and Jet Airways. Here are the two main comforts that passengers get by flying on this route.

Sightseeing Destinations around Pune

There are about 10 daily scheduled flights on this sector that take around 1 hour 20 minutes to reach their destination. Besides serving corporate travellers, these also help tourists visit the city for holidays. Pune has a long history of Maratha rule since medieval times that is manifested in its many monuments. The hill stations of Lonavala and Khandala, famous among travellers for their scenic beauty and cool climes, lie on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway. Other famous hill stations, Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani, popular among people, in the area, are also connected to the city by road. The historical city of Satara and Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary can also be visited by coming to Pune. Using air services from Bengaluru, travellers can reach the city to visit all these places conveniently.

Flight Cabin Comforts

Flights on the route are both non-stop and connecting, giving people loads of options. Low-cost airlines, IndiGo, GoAir and SpiceJet do not offer free in-flight meals or Wi-Fi and have an average legroom of around 76 cm. However, these generally provide the cheapest airfares, making the trip budget-friendly. Travellers, who want to travel in economy class, can  book tickets on these carriers. These also operate most of the daily scheduled non-stop flights for passengers, since Bengaluru to Pune is a short-haul sector, ideal for their model of operation. Jet Airways is the only full-service carrier on this route, operating a single non-stop scheduled service in the afternoon. It uses Boeing 737 to offer both economy and business classes. Its Economy Class has an average legroom of 76 cm whereas the business class seats come with extra recline and more comfort. While in-flight Wi-Fi and in-seat power are not provided on its flights on this sector, it does allow the streaming of videos on the personal devices of passengers.

Special Assistance and Booking

Details about Bangalore to Pune flights can be obtained, using online travel portals, which list all the options available for passengers. They can also know about the on-ground and in-flight services, provided by different airlines, on such websites. In the case of people requiring special assistance, such as pregnant women, unaccompanied minors or wheelchair-bound flyers, these portals provide information and arrange for special travelling aids with the airline. However, passengers are required to inform about their special needs a few days in advance of the travel date or preferably at the time of booking tickets. Online ticket booking on the different platforms, provided by such agencies, is secure and can be accomplished in a matter of few minutes.

Loads of flight options and the ease of booking are two comforts that can make the journey enjoyable for people.

List of Prohibited and Restricted Items on Air Asia India Flights

Air Asia India is an Indian subsidiary of Air Asia Berhad of Malaysia with about 49 percent stake, the other two stakeholders being Tata Sons Ltd and Telestra Tradeplace Private Ltd with about 41 and 10 percent stakes, respectively. The airline runs on low cost model with operations focussed on short-haul flights only. Air Asia India flights currently serve only domestic sector, connecting 11 Indian cities. Passengers are allowed to take up to 15 kg of check-in baggage and up to 7 kg cabin baggage per person, for free. However, certain types of items are restricted from being carried onboard.

List of Prohibited Items

Prohibited items are those which are not allowed on-board Air Asia Indian flights either in cabin or as check-in baggage. These include firearms and ammunition; any solid, gaseous or liquid item, which is likely to catch fire or explode, such as aerosol paints, paints, matches, fire lighter and refills. Solvents, thinners, organic peroxides, such as resins, poisons, radioactive substances, and corrosive materials like acids and alkalis are also included in the list. Even oxidizing materials, such as bleaches, and weapons like swords, knives, etc are also not allowed.

Restricted Items

Restricted items are those which can be carried onboard but not as part of cabin baggage or hand luggage. Thus, these have to be checked-in. There could be certain exceptions to the items listed under prohibited items, such as firearms being carried by security personnel or sports persons, knives for use in kitchen or for Sikh religious reasons, scissors, etc. Then, there could be items such as toy guns, sporting equipment, devices having certain types of batteries, aerosols, etc which can be carried in check-in luggage only.

However, there are proper procedures for carrying them which shall be adhered to. Passenger shall contact their travel agents or airline customer service if they want to know whether a particular item is allowed on Air Asia India flights or not. If found in possession of any such item which is prohibited and being carried without following procedures for the same, there could be hassles at airport. Thus, to avoid inconvenience, it is important to seek prior information and complete permission formalities.

Lists Inclusive but not Exhaustive

These lists of prohibited and restricted items are not exhaustive but inclusive in nature. This means that if a passenger is found in possession of any material which is not listed above, it shall not be presumed that this would be allowed onboard. Airline or agency staff, by virtue of their experience and knowledge, can deem any such carried item to be of hazardous nature which is not included in these lists and can prevent its carriage in aircraft.

Air Asia India flights operate as per the guidelines, rules and regulations issued by International Air Transport Association (IATA), Indian laws and directions issued by the civil aviation regulator, the DGCA, on the carriage of these items. If travellers are not sure about taking certain items in their bags, it is important to seek advice from the airline or the travel portal. 

Multiple Options for Mumbai to Dubai Flights

Dubai is an emirate in the Persian Gulf region and one of the constituencies of the UAE. Once famous for its gold souks and as a prominent trading centre in the region, it has a much diversified economic base now. It has positioned itself as a major centre of finance, trade, leisure and adventure, recreation and wellness, and entertainment and shopping. Indians form one of the largest communities, living and working in the city. It is connected to different cities of India with scheduled air services. Mumbai to Dubai flights allow people from the financial capital of the country and its hinterland to visit the emirate for vacations, work or visiting their relatives.

Airlines on the Sector

This segment is one of the most profitable routes for airlines. All Indian carriers that have operated in the domestic sector for 5 years and have a fleet of 20 aircraft are allowed to fly to international destinations. Thus, the only Indian airlines that currently fly to Dubai from Mumbai are SpiceJet, IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express and Jet Airways. Out of these SpiceJet and IndiGo are budget carriers flying only economy class. However, Air India, Air India Express and Jet Airways are full-service carriers, providing Economy and Executive or Business Class services.

Two airlines of the UAE also operate on this route: flydubai, the low-cost carrier, and Emirates, the full-service carrier. These also operate non-stop services, taking people to their destination in the quickest time. Other prominent operators in the region, offering direct or connecting air services on this route, are Etihad Airways, Gulf Air, Oman Air, Kuwait Airways, Qatar Airways and Saudia. Besides, there are carriers from other countries, operating connecting air services via India, as well. Thus, there are multiple options available for flying on this route.    

Flight Options

Travellers also have to choose among direct or non-stop services or the ones, which connect to an intermediary location. Non-stop Mumbai to Dubai flights take about 3 hours to 3 hours and 30 minutes to reach the destination. No stops en route and the prospect of completing the journey quickly make these highly popular among people. However, if travellers want connections, these are available for many cities, the most important among them being Doha, Bahrain, Delhi, Muscat, Colombo, Chennai and Hyderabad.

Departure Slots

Passenger air services to this global finance hub are available all through the day. Non-stop flights, both of budget and full-service carriers, are available late at night and early in the morning. This is extremely convenient for businesspersons, who can skip the morning and the evening hour traffic rush in the two cities, attend to their work and then come back the same day.

Booking

Flight tickets for this segment can be booked either with these carriers or numerous travel agencies. Further, these can be booked by either visiting their contact centres of agencies or using the online medium. The online facility provides flexibility of any-time and any-place booking. Agencies can also help travellers with all the paper work and arrangements as part of their special assistance facility. These offer many choices of routeing from the origin to destination city with different carriers that are appropriate for passengers. Visa service to enter the UAE is also extended by agencies and airlines. 

Passengers can consult this information before booking their tickets for a hassle-free travelling experience.

Flying within India Becomes Cheap Courtesy GoAir Tickets

GoAir, one of the leading low-cost carriers (LCCs) in the country, began its operations in 2005. Headquartered at Mumbai, this carrier has its primary hub at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and secondary hub at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. As of February 2016, the airline has a fleet of 19 aircraft, which includes only Airbus A320-200 models that can carry up to 180 passengers. It also placed an order for 72 A320 neo models in 2011; the delivery of which is expected to start from 2016. This LCC caters to 22 cities within India, with about 975 weekly and 140 daily flights. Some of the cities where it operates are Chandigarh, Bangalore, Goa, Kolkata, Pune, Leh, Nagpur and Bhubaneswar. If you wish to fly to any of its 22 destinations, then all you need to do is to look for a GoAir ticket, which can be found on different online travel-related websites.

Deals and Offers

All through the year, this airline, similar to other domestic ones, comes up with various discounts deals and money-saving offers to keep its customers interested. While some are valid for the entire year, others have a limited validity. Deal of the Day and Happy Tuesdays are two such promotional offers that have been doing well and getting the airline a good number of customers.

Deal of the Day

Under this promotional scheme, this LCC offers flight tickets at lower rates than what is being offered by other carriers for different routes. This low fare list is updated on a daily basis, and it mentions ticket rates for up to a week for different destinations. This gives travellers an opportunity to keep a watch on the fare trend of a week, helping them to book tickets at the minimum cost. There are certain terms and conditions for cancellation and re-booking ticket under this deal that travellers must keep in mind. The re-booking or modification charges per reservation have been set at INR 1500 for this scheme.

Happy Tuesdays

This promotional offer started on 6^th February 2016 and will end on 28^th June 2016. Under this deal, travellers can get 20 percent off on the base value of their tickets. However, the travelling dates have to be a Tuesday like 9^th February, 16^th February, 15^th March, and so on. While making reservations for Tuesdays, travellers can use the promo code given by the airline to avail this discount.

Similar to Deal of the Day scheme, this too has certain terms and conditions.

According to its terms and conditions, this offer is not valid for travel to and from Leh, Port Blair and Srinagar. Also, the deal is only valid on a one-way fare. Group discount is not valid with this promo code, and it cannot be clubbed with any other promotional offer by the carrier, as well. In addition, the promo code cannot be used for booking seats for infants. Last, not the least, this offer is valid subject to availability of seats.

So, if you have plans to travel within the country in the coming months, then you can make GoAir flight bookings and avail its promotional deals to cut down on your travelling expenses. However, do keep its terms and conditions in mind.

Travel Lite with GoAir Flights

GoAir airline of India operates on the low-cost business model. This model is characterised by lowest airfares without any attached frills of services, such as meals or entertainment inside the cabin. As per the rules of civil aviation authority in India, airlines are required to provide an allowance of certain baggage to the passengers. Typically, the allowance for domestic routes is 15 kg of checked in baggage and 7 kg of cabin baggage per person for economy class travel. However, the airlines, while permitting this allowance have also been encouraging passengers to leave their checked in bags at home and travel with only the hand baggage. To end this, they have added another fare class to their tickets. Go Air flights can now be booked on GoLite fares with the same objective.

As per the rules of these fares, the persons with only hand baggage are charged less sum for their tickets. It also gives passengers the option of paying only for their seat and a piece of hand baggage when they have no checked in luggage to carry. These fares are applicable on all domestic GoAir flights, for both non-stop and via-flights.

If passengers have to check in their baggage after buying these fares, airline charges some nominal additional fee for it. The fee is more if check-in is done at the airport than done online. In the event, the passengers refuse to pay these charges at the airport, before getting the boarding pass, airline reserves the right to deny the boarding to such passengers and can even forfeit the entire ticket fare (except government taxes).

Passengers are allowed to carry only 1 piece of cabin baggage under this fare category and that should not weigh more than 7 kg and have a sum of more than 115 centimetres in length, breadth and height. If the weight exceeds, there will be an additional charge of Rs 250 per excess kg. However, passengers are allowed to carry a regular sized laptop bag or ladies hand bag along with this cabin baggage without entailing any additional costs.

On Go Air flights originating from airports at Jammu and Kashmir, there is no provision of carrying cabin baggage due to security reasons. In that scenario when a passenger books a GoLite fare ticket from airports at Jammu and Kashmir, the bag will have to be checked in. All other conditions of carriage remain the same.

The rationale of introducing these Hand Baggage Only fares stems from the fact that more load due to checked in baggage on the aircraft reduces the fuel efficiency of these carriers. Since fuel costs comprise one-third of the operational costs, it makes sense to reduce the fuel consumption in every possible way. One of the ways to do it is to increase the fuel efficiency of the airplanes. Encouraging people not to bring their checked in bags is aimed at reducing the load on airplanes. Thus, introducing GoLite fares is one of the measures to meet the objective of improving fuel efficiency. 

6 Payment Methods of AirAsia Flight Booking

Air Asia, the Malaysian budget carrier, having a sizeable presence in South and South-east Asia region, provides easy online booking facility with its user-friendly website and mobile application interface. Even when people want to fly on its subsidiaries in other countries, they can use the same interface in their respective countries for Air Asia flight booking. It has tied-up with prominent travel agencies in respective countries to facilitate the sale of its tickets. While booking tickets, passengers have the choice of many different payment options. These varied choices cover almost all ways in which a traveller can make the payment so that online ticket booking is not hampered by availability of suitable payment mode. These modes of payment are mentioned here.

Credit Cards

Air Asia accepts all major types of credit cards from passengers. These include Visa, Mastercard, Amex, JCB and UnionPay. Out of these, Visa and Mastercard are accepted for all currencies whereas Amex is used for currencies of Malaysia, Thailand, the USA, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and India. JCB is used for Japanese Yen and Thai Baht. UnionPay credit cards are used only for Thai Baht. However, it shall be noted that JCB and UnionPay cards are used at the sales counters operated by Thai AirAsia and the airport only.

Prepaid Cards

Three prepaid cards, which are actually the cobranded cards of BIG frequent flyer program with Visa and MasterCard and the AirAsia ezpay cards, are also one of the methods of payment for tickets booked online.

Debit Cards

At present AirAsia airline provides the debit card method of payment for Indonesian Rupiah only.

Direct Debit

Air Asia has tied up with a number of payment portal solution providers or directly with banks for direct debit for various currencies. It has arrangements with FPX for Malaysian Ringgit, Siam Commercial Bank and GHL Thai Debit for Thailand Baht, KlikBCA, BCA KlikPay and CIMB Niaga for Indonesian Rupiah, eNETS for Singaporean Dollars, Dragonpay Corporation for Philippine Peso, AliPay, Tenpay and UnionPay for Renminbi, CC Avenue and Axis Bank for Indian Rupee, PayPal and POLi for Australian Dollar, Smartlink for US Dollar and some banks of Japan for Yen.

ATM Payments

It accepts ATM payments from passengers for Indonesian Rupiah, Vietnamese Dong and Japanese Yen. The airline has tie-ups with local partners for this purpose.

Over the Counter and Cash on Delivery Options

To facilitate convenient online Air Asia flight booking, the carrier also provides convenient cash on delivery options in some countries where it operates. It also provides over the counter (OTC) payment facility for some currencies through designated retailers.

OTC payments for Indonesian Rupiah are taken by Indomaret and Alfamart outlets, for Indian Rupee by Smart Shop, for Japanese Yen by a number of banks and for Thailand Baht by 7-Eleven, K-Bank and Siam Commercial Bank.

Cash on Delivery mode of payment for the tickets booked with AirAsia is available in India for Indian rupee payments only.

It also has a number of payment partners for online bookings. For South Korean Won, the partner is Korea Cyber Payment. For Philippine Peso, these are Bayad Centre, 7- Eleven, Robinsons and others with some attached conditions.

With all these diversified options provided by the carrier and also by travel agencies in India, prospective travellers will not face any issue for using their preferred mode of payment while doing Air Asia flight booking.

Policies of Refunds on SpiceJet Bookings

SpiceJet is a budget carrier that flies with only economy class cabins. It seeks to provide the lowest airfares to customers, allowing them to travel economically. The airline allows passengers to book tickets through different means for optimum convenience. SpiceJet bookings can be done with various travel agents and online portals. In case reservations need to be cancelled, it has clearly formulated rules. Some of the essential elements of these rules are provided below:

It is important to check whether the tickets are refundable or not because cancellation of every reservation will not entitle people to get their money back. Heavily discounted sale tickets or promotional ones might be non-refundable. In the event of a cancellation of such a flight ticket, only the government taxes will be reimbursed. If a seat has been booked with some agent or agency, then the process has to start with them. The airline cannot intervene and process refunds on its own by circumventing the third party. However, the carrier can be approached to know the status of the refunding process.

Travellers need to remember that they will not get the payment back upon cancellation until and unless they ask for it. Many times, people simply cancel the bookings, but do not ask for refunds, assuming that these would be processed automatically. It is better to email or call the agency or airline to get the reimbursement. On successful processing, the sum goes directly to the bank account through the same channel, which was used for making the reservations. For example, if a credit card was used, the amount is sent back to the credit card account. In case, net banking was the mode of payment, then the money will be credited to the bank account.

Such credits are processed after deducting the necessary charges, which have been stipulated for the cancellation of SpiceJet bookings or are non-refundable in nature, such as convenience fees. There can be situations, where the whole amount needs to be forfeited and passengers only get back the government taxes. Therefore, the amounts which are refunded could be lesser than what had been paid by passengers. If booked with agents, there could be their charges for cancellation as well.

The carrier gives customers the option of using its credit shell for keeping the funds instead of transferring them to bank accounts. This can be used if people are planning on travelling with the airline in the future. It also helps in saving the processing expenses for the carrier. Passengers have to mention that they do not intend to use the shell and the money is to be reimbursed.

The process of giving the paid amount back to travellers generally takes about a week. It can take longer if the request has not been raised by passengers or the amounts are lying in the credit shell of the air service provider. There is a grievance redressal cell of every commercial aviation company and an ombudsman, whose contact details are provided on the website of airlines or DGCA. Complaints can be lodged if the reimbursements do not arrive on time or there is an unexplained deduction of money.

The above-described information can be helpful for travellers in case they change their itinerary and need the amount back.

4 Pieces of Information on Air India Web Check-in

Air India is owned by Air India Limited, an enterprise of the Indian government. It is one of the largest airlines in the country with a fleet of over 100 aircraft. More than 100 international and domestic destinations are served by its Airbuses and Boeings. Founded in the year 1932 by JRD Tata, it was initially known as Tata Airlines. Its primary hubs are in Mumbai and Delhi, where the headquarters of the company is also located. The two subsidiaries of the flag carrier cater to domestic and mostly Asian locations.

In the year 2006, Awaz Consumer Awards recognised it as the Preferred International Airline for travel and hospitality. It was also named the most trusted air service provider in the nation by The Brand Trust Report 2015. Among the many services, it has introduced to keep up with modern times, is online check-in. The following section consists of a description of Air India web check-in, along with its advantages.

About the Feature

It is an online facility, offered by the flag carrier that makes it possible for passengers to check themselves in without leaving the convenience of their home or office. Having a mobile phone, tablet, computer or laptop with net connectivity at your disposal is required to complete the process. This way, you will have done the formalities beforehand and will not have to waste time in airport queues.

The Process

In order to check-in using the online system, you need to visit the official website of the national airline. The feature can be found on the page by placing the mouse on the Manage your Trip tab. Upon clicking it, you will be asked a set of details like your electronic ticket number, full name, date of flight, and its number and origin. Once you have filled these in, you can proceed to receive your electronic boarding pass, which you can print out.

A Few Important Points

The window for Air India web check-in opens 48 hours prior to the scheduled departure for domestic and international destinations; this window lasts up to two hours before take-off. All passengers, holding a confirmed ticket for its flights, can avail this facility. However, the feature is unavailable for flyers, travelling from Dhaka, San Francisco, Muscat and Vienna. The AI 9000 series flights also do not come under the category of air services, for which the process can be done online. Travellers with special requests, such as a wheelchair or visual and hearing aids or unaccompanied minors cannot use the feature as well. In case you are travelling with family or friends, a total of nine passengers can be checked-in on the internet simultaneously.

Only passengers taking domestic flights will be issued a boarding pass online. To those, who are travelling to international destinations, a confirmation slip will be issued, which is to be produced at the airport counter. As per the prevailing safety norms and regulations, a government photo ID card will be needed along with the boarding pass for security clearance and boarding.

Merits

One special advantage of using the web check-in facility is that you will get to choose your preferred seat on the aircraft. A seat map will be shown to you while completing the formalities online, from which you can pick a seat, which fulfils your requirements. In a case of emergency travel, the facility is rendered especially useful.

To make the process of confirming, whether they will be boarding the flight, smoother, people can check this information.

4 Reasons to Choose OTAs for Air Asia Online Booking

AirAsia India is the Indian subsidiary of the Malaysian parent company, AirAsia. It launched its Indian operations on the presumption that the economic growth in the country will propel air transportation and there will be significant growth in the sector in future. It seeks to solidify its position and let customer experiences its flights and services. For the sale of its tickets, it has tied up with a number of agencies, including the prominent online travel agencies (OTAs). Air Asia online booking can be done, using the OTA platforms, which passengers are already accustomed to. Here are the four distinct advantages of buying tickets on these portals that have also made them popular among passengers.

Interface

Using the familiar interface of their preferred OTAs, passengers can easily search for flights. They can navigate through the offers and other elements of the portal in no time. Such platforms list all the airlines on a particular route and what services and classes are being provided by them. Apart from this, people can also see the flight duration, departure time, layovers and most importantly, airfare, on a single page. This saves considerable time, especially when there is a need to book tickets fast or avail limited period offers like highly discounted fares.

More Flight Options

Air Asia online booking for domestic destinations in India is limited only to a few cities at present. Thus, if people have to connect to some other city, they can check the alternatives, using OTA services. Furthermore, if there is a need to fly to international destinations with the airline, then these services are provided by the parent company. It is the online travel agencies, which travellers can visit for booking tickets on all flights, even those taking them outside the nation. These are single windows for booking seats on aircraft of not just it, but other airlines as well.

Add-on Features

Among the best features of such agencies is the lowest airfare calendar for a particular route. Such calendars play an important part in helping passengers devise their travel plans. These list the lowest price in a day for a specific route, offered by various airlines, for a definite time in future. If travellers want to see the cheapest air tickets from only Air Asia on these calendars, then the search can be further refined to select the carrier. Similarly, there could be a number of enhanced features, such as airfare notification alert settings that are provided exclusively by OTAs and aid in making reservations within budget.

Other Products

Passengers would also find it useful to connect with the agency for any enquiry, which may or may not be specific to Air Asia online booking. Thus, there is a broader scope provided by agencies for queries, related to a number of travel products, be it visa, hotels, holidays, car rentals, cruises or other areas of travel.

These are the four biggest reasons that have made online travel agencies the preferred mode of booking tickets in the country.

Information on Jet Airways Web Check-in

One of the largest airlines, operating in India, Jet Airways is the choice of many frequent flyers. It was founded in 1992 and began functioning the next year. From its main hub at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai and secondary hubs at various other major cities, over 300 flights take-off, daily. This air service provider offers flights to over 60 destinations on a weekly basis, including 48 domestic and 20 international ones. Its international destinations include cities in Asia, Europe and North America.

Jet Airways began operating on a full-fledged scale in the year 1995, while international flights were added in the year 2004. The most recent award added to its accolades was the Best Cargo Airline (2016). The feature of Jet Airways web check-in has been introduced to make for a hassle-free experience of flying with it; the following section gives all the relevant information about it.

What is It

It is a convenient way of finishing the process, which needs to be undergone before boarding a flight. With the introduction of the online system, passengers do not need to leave the comfort of their home to complete the process. You can do it with your computer, laptop or mobile phone while sitting in your office or on the go. Yet another of its advantages is that you can choose your preferred seat on the aircraft.

Who Can Make Use of the Facility

The Jet Airways web check-in facility is available for all bookings, done through the official carrier website or travel agencies. Only those people, who have a confirmed ticket, can use this service. To complete this procedure on the internet, travellers must fulfil the time window, which is 48 to two hours prior to the departure for international travel. For a domestic flight, this window is 24 to 1 hour before scheduled take-off. Once you have completed the online process, you can print your boarding pass and choose the seat according to your requirement.

Restrictions

Any travellers with a waitlisted booking or special requests, such as extra seats or wheelchair, and unaccompanied minors cannot use the online system. People with upgrade vouchers and industry and agent discount tickets are restricted from using the facility as well. It is also unavailable for staff travels, and guests with interline and codeshare PNR, where the originating sector is not of the carrier.

Terms and Conditions

If you are carrying checked baggage, a valid photo ID proof will be required to be presented along with the luggage at the airport counter prior to boarding. Travellers need to complete the necessary formalities at the counter at least 45 minutes before the departure for domestic flights and 60 minutes before take-off for international ones. Keeping in mind certain safety regulations, passengers, who have used the mobile for completing the process, will be have to present their travel documents for verification at the airport. It is mandatory to produce the e-boarding pass along with a government-issued photo ID for security clearance and the boarding process. In a case of failure to report at the boarding gate at least 25 minutes before take-off, travellers will be offloaded from the aircraft.

Advantages

After the introduction of online flight booking, the airline has now made travelling more hassle free by launching this user-friendly online feature. Through this facility, people get to avoid waiting in long queues at the airport. Apart from saving time and energy, this is also a way to avoid any inconvenience that may arise if you are travelling in an emergency situation.

Travellers can consult this information to make the process of confirming their travel plans with the airline, smoother.

2 Ways to Check-in for Goa to Mumbai Flights

Mumbai, located on the western coast, is one of the major cities in India. Known for being the cradle of the entertainment industry, it is home to iconic film stars, sportspersons and top industrialists. It is also the pivot of the financial sector, with the headquarters of a number of institutions located here. Another city on the western coast of India, known for its entertainment industry, is Goa. It is also the most popular beach destination in the country. With about 435 km of flight distance between the two cities, people can commute in about 1 hour, using air transport services. Goa to Mumbai flights allow the movement of people in the shortest possible time. 

All Indian carriers, including the new entrant, Vistara, offer services on this route. There are 24 daily scheduled non-stop flights to meet the demand of people. Since Goa is a popular beach-holiday spot and also lies close to Mumbai, travellers find it opportune to visit the commercial capital of India for sightseeing or business purposes. The seaside state holds a number of festivals and events all through the year, and the metropolis attracts professionals from here.

All carriers flying on this route offer multiple ways of checking-in and getting the boarding passes. Check-in is a process, through which people get their travel documents verified, are able to select their seats and opt for additional services. It follows certain timelines, which have to be adhered to by travellers. These timelines are specific for every airline that passengers can know well in advance of the departure date. Earlier, people were required to be present at the airport to complete the pre-boarding formalities; however, airlines now offer multiple means of undergoing the process from home or office.

Web Check-in

Travellers can use the web check-in facility, which is available with all the carriers on this route. Generally, the service begins 48 hours before and continues till a few hours prior to departure. Passengers, travelling with only cabin bags and having completed the process beforehand, can move directly to the security clearance area at the airport.

For passengers, who have booked flight tickets and are also carrying checked baggage, this facility allows them to save time on selecting seats and ordering meals. Such travellers are required to tag their bags at the airport and leave these at designated counters before proceeding for the security clearance.

It is also particularly helpful when travellers have connecting Goa to Mumbai flights, and meeting time deadlines can be tight. Online check-in might not be available for certain passengers and in certain situations. Therefore, it is important for travellers to enquire about this before booking their tickets.

Kiosk Check-in

Kiosk check-in is another alternative, which is offered by many airlines. This allows passengers at the airport to avoid long queues, and instead get their boarding passes printed from self-operated machines. Like all options, this one too is available within a certain time window; hence, travellers need to reach the kiosk with enough time at hand.

With all these methods of completing the pre-boarding process available for passengers, there is a considerable saving of time and prevention of hassles at the airport.

4 Days to Get Cheap Mumbai to Ahmedabad Flights

Mumbai is not only the capital of Maharashtra but also the prime economic hub of the country. Apart from being the financial centre, this magnificent city is marked with many popular attractions, such as Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple, Gateway of India, Elephanta Caves and Haji Ali Dargah. Located on the banks of the Sabarmati River, Ahmedabad is known as the Manchester of India due to its textile mills, and weaving and handloom industries. The city is also dotted with numerous captivating points of interest like Sabarmati Ashram, Vastrapur Lake, Sidi Saiyyed Mosque and Akshardham Temple. Owing to the business opportunities and numerous sightseeing attractions in both these places, Mumbai to Ahmedabad flights are picked by a large number of people.

Indian carriers like IndiGo, GoAir, SpiceJet, Jet Airways and Air India offer their services on the route. On the other hand, Flydubai, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Kuwait Airways are some international carriers, operating in this sector. Due to the consistently high demand, numerous flights are available on the route every day, but certain days have been known to be cheaper to travel. Here are the details of the days, when the airfares are lower as compared to others:

Tuesdays

Usually, Tuesdays are considered some of the cheapest days of the week to fly. It is because being a weekday, fewer people prefer to travel unless they have to attend a meeting or have any other official work. There are over 120 flights, operated from Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM) on this day.

Thursdays

As per experts, Thursday proves to be a helping hand for travellers as they can fly cheaply on this day. Almost on all Thursdays, people can book less-costly Mumbai to Ahmedabad flights. Air India operates its first flight at 1:20 am and the last at 9:30 pm. Most of the services operated by the airline on Thursdays are connecting ones and have layovers in Bhopal, Kolkata, New Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai or Hyderabad. Being the middle of the week, only a few people are likely to plan holidays, and hence, the demand for tickets is low, bringing down the airfare.

Fridays

According to researches, another day to get the lowest airfare to the Gujarati city is Friday. On an average, there are over 110 flights in operation on Fridays, offered by almost 10 domestic and international airlines. The national airline again leads the chart with maximum services, scheduled from 1:20 am onwards. Travellers, who want to attend a meeting, can book a round trip and return the same day. This can further help them in reducing their travel costs as round trips are generally priced lower than one-way journeys.

Saturdays

Bookings can also be made for Saturdays, which are also a less-costly day to travel on this route. Much to the delight of passengers, several non-stop and connecting flights are available on Saturdays. For the convenience of passengers, the first non-stop air service for Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (AMD) is scheduled at 1:20 am by Air India. The last such service from BOM is offered by SpiceJet at 10:35 pm.

Though these are the cheapest days, people can reduce their travelling costs on other days by booking a round trip, flying with LCCs or availing the deals, offered by OTAs.

Purchasing Emirates Flight Tickets Gets More Easier with Visa Checkout

Emirates, one of the leading carriers in the world, has its headquarters in Dubai. The airline has its hub at Dubai International Airport, and it caters in 78 countries with 148 destinations. It is the largest airline in terms of passengers carried, revenue and fleet size in the Middle East. This carrier has codeshare agreements with international airlines like Qantas, Jet Airways, Virgin America, Oman Air, Bangkok Airways and Japan Airlines. It has a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft models, totalling up to 251. Since its inception in 1985, it has been instrumental in improving air travel standards across the globe with its excellent ground and onboard services as well as other customer services.

In a bid to make it more convenient for its customers to book its flight tickets, it has come up with a new service called Visa Checkout. This global payments technology set up allows travellers to make their payments for their tickets with their debit/credit cards online and on any device. This facility from the airline now has been made available in countries, such as Mexico, Malaysia, Australia, Argentina, Singapore, Colombia, New Zealand and the USA.

Visa Checkout for a Hassle-free Experience

This payment way-out will ensure that travellers are saved from the frustration of submitting a number of personal details, including their name, billing address and card numbers, each time they wish to make a flight booking with Emirates online. This option is certain to make the whole ticket booking affair seamless and secured. Another great thing about it is that the process is quick, and the option is easy to use. It is best for those travellers who prefer booking tickets frequently on smaller devices like tablet and mobile phones, and still likely to use the payment cards they trust.

Positive Results from the Onset

Recently, a study was conducted to see how the Visa Checkout technology has affected the air ticket booking patterns, and the results were positive as expected. The study showed that this option helped in ensuring that a browsing customer converts into a paying customer as 86 percent of customers enrolled with this technology completed their transactions. The study also suggested that 51 percent of the customers are more likely to complete a transaction as compared to those who are required to enter their card and address details manually as done in traditional online payment options. Another positive output from the study done was that most travellers see Visa Checkout as a secured and hassle-free method of acquiring flight tickets with Emirates.

How to Enrol in the Programme

The enrolling process into this programme is simple and has to be done only once. Customers need to enter their payment and shipping details in a secured account with Visa once, and then use that account for online flight booking with ease, each time.

OTAs Apps

Another alternative to traditional online payment structure for international or domestic flights tickets is the various applications rolled out by online travelling agencies (OTAs). With these apps, travellers are only required to store their names, billing address and payment mode only once, after which they can transact as many times as they want. As today, almost everyone is using smartphones, it becomes that more easy for them to carry out their regular transactions on these devices. The best part about these apps is that they are secured and safe from any unwarranted security breach.

Travellers planning to enjoy services of the Emirates airlines can choose for the Visa Checkout option or avail services of OTAs to make their flight booking with ease.

   

How does it Feel Travelling on the Vistara Premium Economy Class?

Vistara, a full-service airline, is a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines. The company was founded in 2013, but launched operations in January 2015. By the end of 2015, it had already flown about a million passengers on domestic routes. Currently, it holds close to 2 percent of the market share in the national aviation industry. Being a luxury carrier, it offers three cabin classes. It flies to 16 cities in India, using its fleet of Airbus A320-200s.

Travellers have the option to fly in Economy, Premium Economy or Business class. On its A320-200s, it offers 36 Premium Economy seats (6 rows of 3-3 arrangement) and 16 Business seats (four 2-2 rows) out of a total of 148. The remaining 96 can be booked by those, who want to travel in the Economy Class. It is the first airline to offer the Premium Economy cabin option in the country. Most of the carriers in the country do not give this travelling option to people. So, what is it that makes this cabin type so special?

Details

Booking air tickets for this class entitles people to have 20 kg check-in baggage, which is 5 kg more than what is allowed in the lower class. The hand luggage allowance, however, remains the same at 7 kg as per the prevailing government norms. Besides increased checked luggage limit, this also provides priority baggage handling at airports during departure and arrival. This means that there are fewer chances of loss or damage of luggage and travellers can get these ahead of others after landing.

Another associated benefit of travelling in this class is the facility of dedicated check-in counters at the airport. This saves people from standing in long queues for completing the formalities, getting tired and wasting time. This privilege extends all the way to the boarding queue, where passengers do not have to stand in the standard line, but in a separate one, meant for priority boarding.

Once on board, they would find that the seats are quite comfortable and reasonably spacious; also, these recline to 4.5 inches. This allows flyers to stretch to the fullest while seated, and relax and unwind. These also come with added cushioning and height-adjustable headrests, further adding to the comfort.

By booking an air ticket for these cabins, complimentary meals can also be enjoyed. A wide range of dishes is prepared by designated Vistara chefs. Beverages are also offered on board so that flyers can stay hydrated during the journey. Special meals are also provided for babies and children, vegetarian and non-vegetarian passengers, and for those, who have a medical condition. Any special meal request can be made preferably at the time of booking or a few hours before departure.

In order to avoid boredom and catch up with some news and interesting articles, newspapers and magazines are available on the journey in addition to the regular in-flight magazine. The carrier also provides wireless streaming of content on the personal electronic devices of passengers as part of its onboard entertainment system.

Meets Demand of Passengers

This cabin meets the demand of flyers, who want to travel with more comfort and enjoy special privileges like priority check-in and boarding, and baggage handling, besides higher baggage allowances. The ticket for travelling in comfortable seats with more leg space comes for just a little more money than the lowest option.

The launch of these seats has the potential to lead the carrier to new levels of success and earn it higher revenue.

3 Airlines to Fly Lavishly on New Delhi to Frankfurt Flights

Frankfurt, on the banks of the Main River, was a free Imperial city between 1372 and 1806. Today, it is among the most preferred destination for tourists. Its landmark attractions like Goethe House, Alte Oper, Palmengarten and Naturmuseum Senckenberg draw tourists to this city. Owing to its status as the financial capital of Germany, the metropolis is thronged by corporate persons as well. People from all around the world come here for different purposes, be it leisure or business, and India is no exception to that.

New Delhi, being the capital of India, is a tourist and business hub in the country. Therefore, most travellers book flights to Frankfurt from here. Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), which serves the city of New Delhi, is among the busiest airport in India. In 2015, it was also among the highest ranked airports by Skytrax in the Central Asia region. Around 120 flights are operated daily from DEL to the various airports in Frankfurt. These air services are carried out by many national and international airlines. Some passengers like to travel in comfort and style and nothing below the first class impresses them. So, some information on the most preferred luxury airlines is given below.

Etihad Airways   

The flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates, Etihad Airways, is also among the largest airlines in the Middle East. Established in July 2003, this Abu Dhabi-based carrier commenced its operations in November of the same year. The airline is preferred by people who like to travel in luxury.

The First Apartments and First Suites of Etihad Airways have truly revolutionised the First Class travel. In the former category, it offers a comfortable leather armchair, along with a 6 feet and 10 inch long bed. Passengers here can even enjoy small walks in the privacy of their private cabins. Its First Suites in Boeing 787 Dreamliners have a private wardrobe and a refreshment cabinet.

Etihad Airways has 3-4 flights on the New Delhi-Frankfurt route on a daily basis. These flights are usually available at 4:40 in the morning and 9 in the evening. This carrier also has a daily flight at 4:35 am, operated on codeshare basis with Jet Airways.

Emirates  

Emirates stepped into the international aviation scene in October 1985 with just two aircraft. Today, it boasts a large fleet, which includes Boeing 777-300ERs, Boeing 777-200s, Airbus A340-300s and A340-500s. It is also a proud owner of 75 double-decked A380s.

In these large wide-body aircraft, this carrier offers private suites and shower spas in First Class, while Wi-Fi access is available throughout the aircraft. Even the Economy Class seats of this aircraft have customised lighting and extra room.  

Emirates operates around 10 s every day, with the first and last one of the day available at 4:15 am and 9:50 pm, respectively.  

British Airways

British Airways has a history of more than 90 years in aviation. This carrier has a modern fleet of Boeing 777-300s, A380-800s, A320-200s, Boeing 787-9s and Boeing 787-8s.

In its First Class, this airline offers a private, spacious suite with a flatbed and a duvet. Passengers flying with BA can also enjoy access to lavish lounges and rejuvenate with spa treatments at the airport.

British Airways New Delhi to Frankfurt flights are usually scheduled at 1:50 am and 10:20 am. All these air services have a stopover at Heathrow Airport (LHR) in London.

Passengers, who fancy luxury in the air, can opt for the services of any of these carriers.