Airlines 

Indian Airlines Jet Airways Sahara Airlines Air-India International Flights Airports Indian Airlines 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. 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 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, 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. 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 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. 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. accumalate