Last Week At The Lounge: September 29, 2018

Hello everyone from Mumbai. I’m currently at the airport and am flying to Hyderabad for Sunday’s Mileage Mentor MasterClass. This is going to be my first SpiceJet flight in a decade. I can’t wait to see what they have to offer. Watch out as I report back on SpicEngage. This week, the travel space was buzzing with new airports and routes coming up with no-frills carriers taking center stage. You can read all about it and more in our weekly roundup.

Our Top Stories

Since the day IndiGo secured their slots at London’s Gatwick airport, we were trying to figure out how will they manage to fly to London without a wide-body aircraft. My buddy Karan took a deep dive into the matter and the verdict is that IndiGo’s long-haul operations may not start anytime soon. Jet Airways, on the other hand, delayed their plans to cut meals on some fare families by a couple of weeks. Can’t do without food? How about enjoying a full meal on business class for as little as INR 6,000.

News & Views

When it comes to no-frills international travel, Asia still seems to be king. SpiceJet announced that they’ll be flying their new Boeing 737 MAX christened ‘King Chilli‘ to Hong Kong starting next month. IndiGo added Kuala Lumpur to their ever-growing list of destinations. On the domestic front, Sikkim got its first airport this week at Pakyong and you might end up flying Spicejet’s new Q400s to this beautiful destination.

Reviews

Air India Boeing 787-8

I flew on Air India’s Boeing 787-8 last week to Delhi in economy class. The non-vegetarian breakfast along with the incredible comfort that the Dreamliner offers were the highlights of my flight. Wish I could fly on widebodies on domestic segments more often.

Air India 787 Economy Class: 4/5

Cards & Rewards

Radisson Rewards members are in for a great quarter as now you can earn 2X elite qualification nights and stays. Stack all your promotions and the next thing you know, you have enough points and status for a suite during your next European vacation. And it’s not just hotel stay or flights which earn you some great bonuses. Earn up to 12,000 Bonus American Express Membership Rewards points with the American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card which is now available for free!

Deals with Appeal

If you are like me who prefers flying direct instead of stopovers, Air India has some excellent discounted business class fares to Europe on offer. This offer has been extended a couple of time and I must say, the fares look quite attractive. Jet Airways is giving away 7 free business class upgrades and more to celebrate India’s Asia Cup victory. If you win one, let us know!

Mileage Mentor MasterClass Tickets

Before I let you go, let me remind you, tickets for our super duper MasterClass in the following cities are still available.

Have a great week ahead! Hyderabadis, see you tomorrow.