[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by DCEite

But in this case we do not know here the nationality of the offender. Perhaps, he was a US citizen ?

Originally Posted by Amrik Singh

The incident took place on 26th November and the issue surfaced more than a month later ? Why she remained silent for over a month ? What were other passengers doing all this time ? Nowadays everyone looks for anything unusual to capture on phone, and be the first one to post it on social media, why NOBODY did this ?

Originally Posted by SR-71

Every time we think AirIndia has hit rock bottom; it manages to surprise us!

Here's an update - the individual, Shankar Mishra, is indeed (no surprise there) a local. He's been booked under the required penal codes, banned on AI (for only 30 days though) and now his employer, Wells Fargo, has fired him for the offense.

Source: https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/bu...r-9823021.html


The below article might also help understand on the gap /time taken between the offense and the complaint raised now.

Link: https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/tr...n-9818451.html

[Theyota]

Originally Posted by dragracer567

Nothing matters more than your skin colour and Indians are treated as a labourer/house maid even if they are a CEO.

While you are trying to complain about your experience of racism in Kuwait in this post, you are subconsciously justifying another kind of bigotry. You are indirectly saying that it is OK to treat a laborer or a maid differently. Why should laborer/housemaid be treated any differently? Aren't they humans? I think, we privileged Indians are very vocal about discrimination we face in the rest of the world but are very much blind to discrimination that happens in our every day life with our own people in our own country.

Coming back to the topic of this thread. I have traveled a fair amount around this world in the last 22 years. I go with very low expectations in any flight. My only expectation is that they take me from point A to B in a safe, punctual and efficient way. In the current times, air travel is nothing more than mass commodity. One of the few ways I like to measure an airline is how well they manage the situation when "sh$t hits the fan". Almost all of them fail including the ones like Lufthansa or Southwest which like to pat themselves on their back for their high efficiency. Their leadership is no where to be seen on the front line and thousands of passengers are left at the mercy of staff manning the front desks in their airports who barely have any decision making authority other than entering data in their computers.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by Theyota

Why should laborer/housemaid be treated any differently? Aren't they humans? I think, we privileged Indians are very vocal about discrimination we face in the rest of the world but are very much blind to discrimination that happens in our every day life with our own people in our own country.

Their leadership is no where to be seen on the front line and thousands of passengers are left at the mercy of staff manning the front desks in their airports who barely have any decision making authority other than entering data in their computers.

Indians generally are pretty discriminatory and quite colour conscious. This is a plain truth.
The interesting irony is that in todays world the average IT worker at the entry level (coding engineer etc) may actually be getting paid just as much as a chauffeur or a house butler/ attendant in a well off home.
The reality is that high quality service people are very hard to find and are actually well worth their weight in salary. And I am very happy that the long suffering service persons are finally coming to the front.
The snobbish distinction between white collar and blue collar is blurring here just like it has abroad.

Back to our topic; in the service industry, or indeed in any industry it is a fact that the higher you go up the ladder, the further you go into those ivory towers, which also means the further removed you are likely to be, from the end consumer of your services or products. Shades of Marie Antoinette spring to mind; ‘Let them eat cake’ and so on.

[SuperGirl_Dad]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

Surprised to see people praising Jet. I've flown them only domestically and every time the service was borderline unpleasant.

That is the power of competition. As I had mentioned, they were third in the pecking order after Emirates and Lufthansa, for India to US flights in late 2000s and early 2010s. Most times I've seen Jet flying with half the business seats empty. So they give the chance to upgrade for a small money, experience their business class and hope to convert into business class bookings. Competition brings out the best.

[V.Narayan]

Tips to make international flying comfortable and convenient.

I’ve been flying internationally since 1982. I don’t know how many international flights I’ve taken but it is some number around 500 + or – 50. This covers 34 odd countries – interestingly all on business except two or three as I simply don’t like going overseas for a vacation.

Over these 40 years I have my own time honed routine of to do’s with regard to long distance air travel. Sharing them below in no order of importance. These work for me. Each traveller will have his/her own unique needs and style. I would welcome other seasoned flyers to add their own advice to this list.

Check the validity of your passport and visa for your destination. Most countries require an Indian to have a visa. Last few years many smaller nations in Africa and island nations in the Caribbean and Pacific have made it visa on arrival. This list might help. https://www.y-axis.com/news/travel-v...dian-passport/

Make a xerox and or mobile phone photo of your most important travel documents. 99.99% of the time you do not need it. But when you do it is usually when you are desperately praying simultaneously:-)

Single parent consent letter. Often if not always needed in the USA. If you’re travelling with young kids and without your spouse to USA carry a consent letter from your spouse.

Doctors prescription for medicines you’re carrying – needed in a few countries, New Zealand comes to my mind

Check the temperatures at the destination end and carry layered warm clothing on your person that is appropriate. These days it is so easy to know the weather. In the 1990s I would text via SMS and find out. In the 1980s I used my common sense.

Clothes on the person is a very personal matter and varies from person to person. When flying internationally I always wear a jacket, typically navy blue, loose khakis and a full sleeve shirt. Other than attempting to look half way decent the jacket pockets carry my travel documents, pen, forex cash, mobile and sleep kit comprising of ear plugs and eye covers. Xerox of travel docs go into the pant rear pocket. What goes where is fixed so my muscle memory knows instinctively.

Documents, medicines (if needed), cash, mobile and a pen are always on my person.

After smart phones came into my life carrying the lap top was dropped. Less weight less hassle at security.

Carry US dollars in cash, some of it at least, especially when travelling to smaller countries. Exchanging at the forex shops may not always be kosher and your credit card may not always work. I have received fake currency at authorized exchange counters in China & Guatemala. If carrying USD from India stay with 10, 20, maximum 50 dollar bills. The 100 dollar bills could be suspect. The country where I have four times experienced receiving fake currency at 5-star hotels, banks and forex counters is China. Stories of rank impudence and dishonesty that I’ll narrate another day.

Water – the Aerospace Medical Association recommends 250ml of water per hour of flight. So an India-Europe flight means 2 litres. Drinking appetite varies amongst people. But the net net is drink a lot. Most airlines do not serve adequate volumes of water. That is my observation. So carry your own bottle bought after security. Alcohol dehydrates the body and more so at the cabin maintained altitude of 8000 feet.

Charge up for devices – many airline seats now come fitted with sockets. That helps. But airports are still woefully short of charging points.

Travel as light as you can. Carry toiletries in your cabin bag. On trips upto a week I try and make do with a cabin bag to avoid long waits at US & French airports for the bags to arrive, not to mention T3 in New Delhi.

Customize your checked bag to make it stand out – I tie a colourful bow to one of the handles. In Singapore in 1999 I picked up someone else’s bag and he picked up mine. Both were identical to the last dot. But Changi being Changi and Singapore Airlines being what it is I got a call before I reached my hotel and within a couple of hours all was well.

And my favourite – reach the airport early and save yourself anguish. Lay overs I keep an absolute minimum of 2-hours. Three is better especially as we typically transit via large hubs where it takes time to get from one gate to another.

I have no tips on entertainment as I only read and sleep.

[mazda4life]

Team, planning to travel from US to India and am tempted to fly by Cathy Pacific due to the price but very fidgety on traveling via HKG due to the Covid situation in China. I had traveled back to Bangalore via the same route pre Covid and the experience was really a 'meh'...nothing to complain and nothing to praise as well. Still get goosebumps remembering sitting in an huge but empty terminal in HKG. Has anyone used this route ( LAX-HK-BLR) recently ?, is my fear of traveling via HK valid?

[Dieseltuned]

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...w/96629268.cms

Atleast the government has said transiting through high risk countries will not mandate an RT-PCR

[JoshMachine]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Tips to make international flying comfortable and convenient.
---
I’ve been flying internationally since 1982. I don’t know how many international flights I’ve taken but it is some number around 500 + or – 50. This covers 34 odd countries – interestingly all on business except two or three as I simply don’t like going overseas for a vacation.
--
Over these 40 years I have my own time honed routine of to do’s with regard to long distance air travel. Sharing them below in no order of importance. These work for me. Each traveller will have his/her own unique needs and style. I would welcome other seasoned flyers to add their own advice to this list.

Thanks for the very exhaustive list, am sure it will help reiterate the fundamental checklist for all of us.
I have also been flying international for the past 15-16 years now and may have done possibly 80-90+ trips. Almost 95% has been for work, though.

Not really to add much to your suggestions but here is something that I have learned from bitter experiences:-

* Always carry the country-specific travel adaptor for charging all devices. Back in the days, I had to carry separate adaptors for UK, Europe and so on - a big pain! Nowadays, one can get all-in-one adaptors.
* Ensure to get the international roaming activated on your mobile phones. I remember the purchase of Airtel foreign calling card on my first flight!
* Ready-to-eat stuff or premix chai/coffee powder. I cannot travel without my favorite "Indian" chai (premix) while on tour.
* And last but not the least, if possible, try to avoid scheduling travel overlapping with the birthdays & anniversaries of your most loved ones. I regret to this day, missing couple of birthdays for my daughter (when she "needed" me) and also my first marriage anniversary.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by no_fear

I know several folks who went to the airport without knowing that you need a visa to enter India. The conversations at the airport check in counter is truly hilarious. Entitlement at its finest and worst on display.
.

iATA rules state that the airline should ensure that the passenger has the correct visa. If failing that, and the passenger is denied entry to the destination country, the airline is subjected to a fine.

Airlines will always check that you have the correct paperwork on you in terms of passports and visa. They won’t let you board the plane if you don’t. The reason is that they are liable to repatriate the person in question. Subsequently they will need to see if they can recover the cost from that person.

when you buy an international ticket it is always the responsibility of the passenger to ensure he or she has all the required paperwork. It is not the responsibility of the airline as such, but they will check as it is a lot of hassle to them when their passengers can’t get past immigration at their destination.

In the defence of some of these folks, especially in India I get the impression there are often folks on the plane for whom it is a very first time flying. Travelling abroad, if you have never done it before can be quite a daunting task.

Jeroen

[akshaymahajan]

Originally Posted by JoshMachine

Thanks for the very exhaustive list, am sure it will help reiterate the fundamental checklist for all of us.
I have also been flying international for the past 15-16 years now and may have done possibly 80-90+ trips. Almost 95% has been for work, though.

Not really to add much to your suggestions but here is something that I have learned from bitter experiences:-

* Always carry the country-specific travel adaptor for charging all devices. Back in the days, I had to carry separate adaptors for UK, Europe and so on - a big pain! Nowadays, one can get all-in-one adaptors.
* Ensure to get the international roaming activated on your mobile phones. I remember the purchase of Airtel foreign calling card on my first flight!
* Ready-to-eat stuff or premix chai/coffee powder. I cannot travel without my favorite "Indian" chai (premix) while on tour.
* And last but not the least, if possible, try to avoid scheduling travel overlapping with the birthdays & anniversaries of your most loved ones. I regret to this day, missing couple of birthdays for my daughter (when she "needed" me) and also my first marriage anniversary.

I will add to this

• Keep a change of clothes and whatever minimum you will need on Day 1 in your cabin luggage. Your luggage may not make it with you and there may be a delay in delivering it. And at night, you can't just go buy a jacket even if your insurance will pay for it.
  
• Sounds stupid and maybe I was the one who wasn't smart enough to do this always: On a long flight, brush your teeth. It makes you feel so much fresher.

[Nimz]

Nice list. Thank you.

I have a few pointers I use especially when it comes to choosing seats (my flights are mostly economy)

- If I want to sleep asap I choose the window seat on the leeward side away from the side that gets the sun) of the craft. Aircrafts mandate keeping the window shade up and you may get the sun in your face.

- on international flights I prefer the aisle seat in the middle set of 4 seats. a) you don't have to trouble anyone in case you want to stretch your legs. b) in case you are asleep and person next to you needs to get up they can always go the other side too c) the number of times you have to get up to let them go is also less compared to an aisle seat on the window side of things.

- I avoid drinking on flights. My preferred beverage on international flights is Tomato juice with pepper and salt. A) Most international flights are at weird times and pumping in alcohol at those times on an empty stomach at 8000 feet may not be great for the body. B) I'd rather be fully alert when I land in a foreign country. C) Tomato juice has among the lowest sugar content. And it can also be filling.

- Order a special meal - anything. Low sugar / low salt. Whatever. You can get it first and be done with it. No chance of your preference getting over by the time the normal meal comes to you.

Happy flying.

[mchandra13]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Tips to make international flying comfortable and convenient.

Check the validity of your passport and visa for your destination. Most countries require an Indian to have a visa. Last few years many smaller nations in Africa and island nations in the Caribbean and Pacific have made it visa on arrival. This list might help. https://www.y-axis.com/news/travel-v...dian-passport/

Some European countries require transit visas if you are flying from US with an expired US visa on Indian passport and transiting through those countries. Germany is one I know of. I remember even the Brits requiring it.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Tips to make international flying comfortable and convenient.

Doctors prescription for medicines you’re carrying – needed in a few countries, New Zealand comes to my mind

US customs also looks for doctors prescription if you are carrying medicines. But you can carry upto 3 months dosage of medicines for personal usage based on the prescription

Originally Posted by Dieseltuned

Atleast the government has said transiting through high risk countries will not mandate an RT-PCR

This has been updated to make it mandatory for even transiting passengers from high risk countries. I have an upcoming travel next week where I am transiting in Singapore and they asked me to get a negative RT-PCR to the airport

[ontheroad]

Friends, I am planning an international flight in Air India and confused with entering given name and surname while booking ticket.

I have only given name ABCD EFG in passport. Is entering the whole name ABCD EFG in both given name column and surname column is the correct thing to do? I contacted Airindia via email and they didn't give a clear reply. Thanks in advance.

[V.Narayan]

Court in India orders British Airways and Lufthansa to pay Rs 50 lakhs as compensation to elderly lady for wrongful detainment, routing and callousness

https://lawtrend.in/ncdrc-directs-lu...elderly-woman/

The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) has ordered British Airways and Lufthansa airlines to jointly pay Rs 50 lakh as compensation to a senior woman passenger for the harrowing experience she had when she was unilaterally rerouted by these airlines.

These airline’s rerouted her without first checking if she had a valid transit visa and due to this she was detained for several hours by authorities in Copenhagen. The NCDRC also noted that the petitioner was only allowed to continue her return to India after her husband who is a former High Court judge intervened from Indian and was able to convince the authorities of the woman’s bonafides.

Presiding Officer Dinesh Singh and Member Karuna Nand Bajpayee noted that the woman was treated like an insidious suspect in a foreign country.The Commission also opined that restricting the freedom of an individual cannot be handled even if it was for a very short time. As per the Commission, both British Airways and Lufthansa are equally at fault for the disaster and these airlines showed careless indifference and subpar behavior.

British Airways I have never had a favourable opinion of, finding them rude and ill mannered, but I'm surprised Lufthansa is also involved. In fact I used to be quite a fan of Lufthansa till twice in last 9 months I got left stranded in USA/ Europe due to their strikes and on both occasions forced to buy more expensive last minute fares to get back to India.

People who are not frequent travellers would not know that in many countries in Europe you need a full visa even to transit.

I'm glad courts in India are starting to take airlines to task.

[dearchichi]

Hello friends,

We are a family of 3 (couple in their 40s with a 12 year old daughter) looking to tour Australia (Tasmania) this May. Though we have been on vacations abroad a few times, I would like to gather the wisdom of the community here to approach things better if possible.

1. We would be booking tickets online through the Singapore Airlines website after choosing the dates of travel based on results from Google Flights. Is there anything we need to keep in mind while doing so?

2. We would also be flying regionally (Sydney - Launceston) and would be booking through the Jetstar website. Is there anything that international travellers need to keep in mind while booking regional flights (apart from size and weight restrictions of baggage, and add-on charges for checked baggage and seat selection)?

3. Which vendor is recommended to insure our travel (including lost baggage, inconveniences due to delayed flights and health)? Would this cover both international and regional flights, as well as our time in Australia?

4. Which travel card is recommended (to load AUD on and use locally in Australia)? We have used Axis Bank cards in the past, but have found them to reject transactions at times. They also had a cumbersome physical process to reload the card (at least back in 2018). But, they did have a good online interface to check balances and transactions.

5. My spouse and I are fully vaccinated against COVID, but our daughter, who turns 12 late April, isn't and won't be while traveling. Would this pose problems during travel (especially while boarding the flight back to India)?

Thank you for your help.