Many of us are visiting India regularly, may be every two to three years. This trip to India is so critical for all of us as we have minimum time and maximum tasks to be performed during a very short stay of around 3 to 4 weeks in India. This may also include lot of traveling within India. Hence, it is a prime necessity to book your air tickets for India very carefully so that you do not get tired at the very beginning of your crucial trip to your home country. Many of us end up in a terrible nightmare by booking air tickets considering only the economical aspects. I have been traveling to India almost every year, since last so many years. Based on the experience of these trips, I am giving some very useful and important tips for booking the air tickets to India.
1.Reliability of the airline- As many airlines are available now due to global competition in the field of travel, we have to select only reliable and proven airlines that have been providing services since last so many years. Such airlines shall be very helpful in case of any emergencies that can come during travel. They provide good hotel accommodations with best food facility in case you get stuck up anywhere in the way. Ensure that they will also provide free phone cards to each and every passenger in case the flight is stuck up for a day or more. Some airlines ignore passengers and make them totally helpless in the foreign land. Do consult your friends, relatives, and travel agents to compile list of such airlines. Do make sure to travel through reliable airlines only.
2. Economic consideration- Try to collect rates for three to four airlines selected by you through your travel agent. Select your day of travel carefully as sometimes weekend traveling is costly compared to weekdays. I have found booking of international air tickets cheaper through travel agents as compared to booking through Internet. The most vital aspect to save on airfare is to book your air ticket at least 3 to 4 months in advance.
3. Selection of route- Based on your location in USA, you can select the most convenient and suitable route, via South East Asia or Europe. If you are on the eastern cost, you may select the route via Europe. Most of the flights will make at least one stop while flying to India, mostly in Europe. Though there are few nonstop flights recently started from New York to Mumbai and Delhi. Make sure to select the stopover place mostly in English speaking countries of Europe. This will help you to properly communicate in case of any unforeseen circumstances. I was stuck up once in one of the hotels of Paris, from where it became almost impossible for me to contact my family in USA as the phone exchange of France was strictly in French only. My entire phone card got wasted in the futile attempts listening to French dialogues that I could not understand at all.
4. Time gap for flight change- Some travel agents give you the tickets with hardly one hour of time for the flight change. This will keep you in tension throughout your journey and will end up in undue running around, in case of even a small delay in flight. The time gap of around 3 hours is ideal for a typical flight change comfortably.
5. Selecting a time for travel- If possible, it is better to avoid high traffic season like June/July and Nov/Dec for going to India as the air fares will be high by around 25% during this time. September/October and January/ March are probably the best time for visiting India.
6. Departure and arrival time- Try to keep your departure time in the evening from both USA and India, so that you can have a full day’s rest prior to commencing the hectic journey. By this way, you will be in Europe in the morning hours, fresh and fit for the flight change during daytime. Flight change must be avoided during odd, late night hours.
7. Choice of food- Please indicate your choice of food precisely, avoiding heavy and unknown type of food items. Some of the air lines have started serving anti jetlag food service. Try to opt for it if possible. Try to have light meals while on flight and avoid alcohol totally.
8. Type of aircraft- Please make sure of the type of the air craft at the time of booking only. Prefer large carriers like Boeing 747, or 757 that have higher carrying capacity. This would reduce the effects of air turbulence considerably, saving you from air sickness.
9. Selecting place of embarkation- Sometimes if you select your departure city little far from your place of residence, it is likely that you may save lot of money. For example, if you are in Baltimore, you may select New York or Newark as your starting point. This may prove little inconvenient but surely can prove economical.
10. Travel insurance- Try to select the airline, which provides for higher insurance coverage in case of accident, medical emergencies, passport loss, luggage loss etc.
11. Luggage allowances- Even today, some of the airlines allow two unaccompanied baggage of 2 no, each of 70 lbs. However, most of the airlines have reduced it to 50 lbs. Confirm this aspect and consider it suitably while booking your air passage.
As a conclusion, remain cool and composed giving lot of thought to each of the above aspects at the time of booking your air passage. This will surely save your long journey from turning into a terrible nightmare.
