Shipra is my fiancée and the first of contributors at the blog. She has worked with one of the largest airline conglomerates in the world, and is now based in Mumbai. Shipra has lived, worked and travelled across 4 continents. We travel often enough, together and separately. These are her perspectives, as she gets used to the world of business and leisure travel and our hobby! The Novice Perspective: Initiating my Fiancée to Points & Miles The Novice Perspective: Getting used to Airport Lounges Brace yourself, for this is going to be a long one. My first holiday with Ajay in Goa almost led to a break up. Ajay asked me to choose a property to book and I opted…
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Review: UK 996, Mumbai – Delhi, Vistara, Premium Economy (Guest Post)
Vistara is the only Indian carrier to offer a three class config on domestic routes. While everyone offers an economy and a business class product, this is Vistara’s Premium economy review on the Mumbai to Delhi sector.
Flight Review: AI 687 Mumbai-Delhi, Air India, Business Class (B777)
A couple of days back, I was supposed to take a Mumbai – Delhi flight, to come back to family for the holidays. Since I kind of like wide body planes and the new GVK Lounge at Terminal 2, I booked myself on AI 101 which does BOM-DEL-JFK, but is a late night flight arriving into Delhi about midnight. However, last minute, I realised Air India was also operating a BOM-DEL flight in the afternoon on their 777s. I guess this is a plan for them to be able to clear the winter rush, as well as accommodate all the people who may get displaced from other flights due to fog. So, I looked at the price, and it was…
oneworld enhances benefits for Sapphire & Emerald tier travellers
One of the benefits of travelling with an airline which is the member of an alliance is the fact that your benefits as an elite member span across airlines. Till so far, as a oneworld Sapphire member, you had access to the following benefits: Now, priority handling of baggage was not a guaranteed benefit for oneworld Emeralds, but most carriers would offer it anyways to Emeralds. With effect from December 1, 2014, this changes as a notified benefit to be offered to Emeralds as well as Sapphire members: Most oneworld member airlines already aim to deliver as a priority checked baggage for their own top-level frequent flyers, along with other passengers flying in First or Business Class. Now, this benefit…
Air India’s system’s go down in Delhi, Y pax help themselves to Biz class seats
Earlier this week, I was in Delhi for a quick trip for a day, and I was on my way back to Mumbai yesterday. Circumstances changed and hence I wanted to be on an earlier flight than what I booked myself on (From 10 AM departure to 9 AM departure). Thank god for mileage redemptions, AI did not create a fuss and gave me a ticket on an earlier flight since they saw space there, once I arrived at the airport. However, that may have been one of the last things that their reservation system, installed by SITA, did for them. After a coffee and some breakfast, I headed to board the flight and it all looked okay. There were…
My Jet Airways Wishlist: consistent economy meal service
In case you did not get the memo, Jet Airways has been on the move again. After trying out a multiple brands model, it is coming back to becoming a full-service carrier. Here is how I see a full-service carrier v/s a no-frills carrier in India: Mileage accrual and status recognition for frequent flyer elites Priority services a premium service cabin such as business class meal service in all cabins ability to offer connections A few years back, I wrote a piece about Jet Airways cutting back on meal services. They were not eliminating meals, but progressively reducing the size of the meals, enough to make a snack size dinner. The reductions may not be prominent, but preserves are gone…
When the visa dragons decided to red tape me
I write this post from the Mumbai Airport Terminal 2 lounge, where I am finally comfortable after a long few days of feeling like kicking myself in the backside. You will perhaps read it after a few hours when I will be airborne. You see, I was trying to be loyal to the Royal airline (i.e., the British Airways), and for this, I need to get a visa every now and then, even to transit through the UK to go to a Schengen country. God help me with why do I need a visa for transit to Schengen countries, when I don’t need one to travel to the USA, Australia and some other places via the UK. The visa costs…
Flight Review: AI191 Mumbai–Newark, Air India, First Class
A friend and regular reader of the blog, Parag Mehta, recently took a First Class flight on Air India recently to travel between Mumbai and Newark, and I requested him for a Guest Post for the blog, since long haul Air India is not on my radar in the coming days. He came back flying Etihad First Class, booked on 9W miles, but try getting two trip reports from a busy investment professional You can read my review of EY F here. Over to you, Parag! I was planning a trip to New York for the longest time, and when the time came I looked at my pile of miles, and decided to try Air India and Etihad for the…
How will the Indian flyer benefit with Air India joining Star Alliance
Earlier this week, I put out the news about the official joining date for Air India to come into Star Alliance, the largest airline alliance. July 11, 2014 would be the day when they become the 27th airline to join the alliance. Readers have asked me over email and comments about the details of how is this going to impact their travels, and I thought it would be a good idea to make a post on how things will be different with Air India here on. While details are sketchy, I’m sure we will have more details soon. More destinations and choices: When an alliance comes into the picture, all the airlines codeshare with each other to be able to…
Air India to introduce Premium Economy aka European Business Class on some routes
Air India largely has deployed an Airbus 320 series fleet on domestic operations, but these come in two varieties: All Economy and Economy + Business seating. The decision to make all economy seating happened a couple of years back when Air India found itself not being able to sell premium cabins on non-metro routes to the extent it wished it could. Anyhow, they are now trying to monetise the limited opportunity that exists on some of these routes, such as Delhi – Guwahati – Imphal, with the introduction of a Premium Economy class of service on these A320 serviced routes. The strategy is similar to European carriers, who create a business class section on intra Europe routes by blocking off…
Airborne: 9W331 (BOM-DEL), Jet Airways, Economy Class
Jet Airways 331 Mumbai(BOM) – Delhi(DEL) Saturday, August 3, 2013Depart: 10:21 AMArrive: 12:33 PMDuration: 2hr12minDistance flown: 708 milesAircraft: Boeing 737-800Seat: 26C (Economy)Meal Service: Breakfast Last weekend, I was on a flight to Delhi, with Jet Airways, who else? For a flight scheduled to take off at 09:55 AM, I arrived at 08:00 hours to check in. My brother was booked in on the same flight but on the JetKonnect codeshare. Due to being listed for a upgrade, I was not going to be able to check into the flight online. So, in a nutshell, the both of us were at the mercy of the Jet Airways crew to get a good seat. As a Platinum, I had the option to…
