5 Tricks for Happy Children on board

Are you taking Airline travel with your 4year old ? Are you getting anxious about the behaviour of your toddler on the flight? If yes, then its normal.

Taking the child on the flight can be stressful. I remember when i took my 3year old on flight i was more worried about the people around me. My hands were getting cold with the anxiety. Many questions like - if my son would behave nicely? Would he be able to stand in airport security queue? Would he be able to confide himself to the seat on the flight ? Would he be polite and not shout? were coming to my mind.

Its quite a big task to make little traveler happy on the flight. Today, i would share 5 tricks that would make the little one comfortable on the flight :

1) Involve and Prepare the child: Its always good to excite the little one and involve him in the planning of the destination. If he is too young to decide on the destination then give him options like - where would you like to go in these summer vacations ? Grandma house, Disney land, Water Park or Magic kingdom? This would keep up his spirits and he would be eagerly looking forward for the vacations.

2) Share and Talk about Plane and Airport : Start talking about the the airplanes, airport and the flight. Talk about how does it feel to be at the airport, If possible, then show the DVD of the airport or the flights. This would prepare him for the airline travel.

3) Check in early : Always remember to travel lite. Let the young traveller pack his clothes in his little trolley. Give him freedom to enter the Airport gate on his own. Please don't force him to sit or stand at one place.Let him explore the airport and spend sometime with him at kids zone. Checking early would give you enough time to make little one comfortable and he would be able to enjoy without any pressure on him.

4) Snacks on the way : No sugar candies or snacks !! Its always good to carry snacks on the flight so take the child to the super mart and buy snacks like crispy cucumber, grapes, fruits. Stress on healthy snacks

5) Unveil the magic : Keep up the enthusiasm and pep up the child through out the flight by revealing different games and gifts. Award him the games for his good behaviour. Surprise him with the puzzles that would keep him occupied in the flight.

These are few tricks that can make Airline travel for your child as a happy experience and he would be a cheerful traveler and trust me, you would be really proud of your little prince and princess.

Let me know your thoughts about my blog and I am keen to know the story from your part of planet as well. All the best and keep flying !!

Students- Airline Travel -8 Incredible Tips

Going Abroad for studies ? Applying for different colleges and universities involves lot of planning. As a student, you don't just have to consider the good college, hostels, scholarships, education system but also have to arrange the Airline Travel so that you reach the university well before the session starts. Planning in advance can save lots of time and pressure at the end time

I am going to discuss 8 incredible tips for Students taking Airline Travel

1. Advance booking : The minute you get the student visa or I 20 form , please go ahead and get the reservation created. Make sure that you are flexible with your dates. Flexibility with dates would give you an option of selecting different date even if the flight is sold out . Booking should be done atleast 2 months before the departure date. Airline's are relatively less occupied during the weekdays.
2. Best Deals : Almost all the Airline provide the best deal during student travel. Make sure that you explore al the prevailing deals in the market before finalising your ticket. Few of the Airline gives an extra baggage allowance where in you can carry 1 piece extra than the permitted baggage allowance. Booking online also gives you more discount than booking directly with the travel agent or the Airline.
3. Special service Request : Are you a vegetarian? If yes, then don't forget to get the vegetarian meal option added in the booking. Any special service can be added in the booking. Check about the pre seating and assign best seats before the flight.
4. Airport / Destination Details : Please do some research and make sure that you know the nearest Airport to your destination. In US the immigration is cleared at the first point of entry . For e.g: If you are going from London- Sanfrancisco and flight goes via New York , immigration would be cleared at first point of entry i.e New York.
5. Crystal clear with the Travel dates : Be specific and very clear with your travel dates. Your travel agent should have all the details starting from your travel date to the final destination. As far as possible ,let him know about the university you are going to. The date you need to report and the date preference.
6. Direct Flights : Remember to take direct flight to your destination as this would save time and you would be able to reach your place in short time. Some universities organises the pick up facility from the Airport. Speak to the university first to check on any such offer.
7. Be well verse with the Airport Rules: Please take some time out and read about the security and airport regulation of the country as these rules varies from country to country. UK allow only 1 cabin baggage where as 2 cabin baggage are allowed in US. Its always good to go through the website and airport rules and policies.
8. Transit Visa : Don't forget to check about the transit visa. If you are traveling to US and transiting via LON and your stop is not more than 24 hours then its all right. However, if you are planning to stay in London for 2 days then DATV visa is must and its entirely your responsibility to arrange visa. Remember - No Visa, no entry.

You are leaving your family and country to study abroad and I am sure that comfortable Airline Travel is first step towards your bright future. This is the travel, that you would remember throughout out your life.

Have a nice flight and All the Best !!

9 Conviction about Airport & Airline Travel

As laymen , we often assume lots of things and ignore the most vital aspect of the Airline Travel and Airport. Recently , I met one of my friend, who didn't take his scheduled flight and didn't even bother to call the Airline to cancel his flight in advance due which he was reported as a no show on that flight and system cancelled his entire ticket and onward journey. Eventually he had to buy new ticket to fly back to his home.

There are myths around Airline travel. In this blog, I would help you in understanding the common problem around Airline Travel and the way around the same :

• No show means that you can travel on other flight : This is very common mistake that lot of us tend to make or assume. In case of a no show ,the Airline would only protect and book you on the onward flight in case there was strike in the area or your earlier flight got late or if there was emergency at your place. However, no booking would be done if you report late at the gate or you decide not to travel but didn't notify the airline in advance. Changes might or might not be possible on your ticket
• Compensation incase of flight cancels : No that's not true. You would not get any reimbursement in case its bad weather or earthquake or any natural disruption. However yes, you are entitled for the compensation if there is problem with the aircraft machinery or if its time for the crew rest
• All the tickets are changeable and refundable : No, its entirely depends on the terms and conditions of your ticket. Tickets with flexible rules allow full refund and date change even if you are a no show on the flight. However, the restricted ticket would not allow any change at all and you have purchase altogether a new ticket
• Airline staff would wait for all the booked customers : No , please plan in such a way that you leave your place and reach the Airport at least 2-3 hours before the departure of the flight. Flight would never wait for the all customers to check -in. The Airline would depart at the scheduled flight irrespective of the fact if the booked passenger has taken the flight or not.
• Disruption means booking on the next available any carrier : No, in case of disruption Airline cannot book on any carrier, the airline has agreement with different carriers and is not necessary that can book on all the carriers.
• Late check in means upgrade : No it doesn't hold true at all. Many of us are under impression that checking late would give free upgrade to next cabin. Even if the airline is oversold then the upgrade option would be given to the customers with more tiers or are frequent flyer with the Airline.
• It not permitted to get your cigarette lighters or bottle of water in your hand bag
• Traveling with an Infant would always get you bassinet seat : No that's not true, If you are traveling with an infant then you can request for the bassinet seat but there is no guarantee that you would 100 % get those seats. Therefore all the customers traveling with the infant should check in early as the bassinet seats are assigned on first come first serve basis
• If your stop is more than 06 hours then you are entitled for the free hotel : No , many of the passengers, who are transiting London or any other major country and stopping more than 06 hours are not entitled for hotel or known as STPC in airline language. The hotel accommodation entirely depends on the class of travel and its open for the frequent fliers and passengers travelling in business or first class.

I hope that these small but useful tips would help you to understand the Airline Travel in better way and this time you would definitely call the airline before reporting as a NO-SHOW on the flight..

Promise to come back again with other useful Airline travel tips..

6 Non resistible tips for Cheap Airfare during Recession

At the time of recession ,whenever we plan Airline Travel for holidays or family vacations, we always tend to look out for the best available and cheap Airfare in the market. Each one of us like to save money.
As much as possible wants to explore all the Airlines before finalising the ticket. There are many factors that determine the airline fare like seasonality, booking class or cabin, destination, duration of the stay.

As an airline expert , I would reveal the checklist that needs to be checked before the decision is made.

Here are the 6 non resistible tips that are must for any cheap Airline Travel :
1) Low Seasonality : All of us are quite familiar with the term low season. Low season is the duration when there is less air traffic or fewer passenger than the targeted. This is the time when the fare is quite low. If you are flexible with your dates then always check for the low season fare . The travel within these specified months can actually save money. Even traveling during the weekdays is cheaper than flying during the weekend as weekend travel attract some surcharge.

2) Advance Booking : Is Christmas or Easter the time when you want to visit to your family or wants to go to romantic destination ? If yes, then please as far as possible plan your vacation in advance. Get your reservations at least 4-5 months in advance. The pre booking of the flight would not only give you better and cheap Airline fare but also save last minute planning chaos.
Few people are so well planned that they even get their tickets done at least 1 year in advance

3) Dawn and Dusk : The time of the day that you decide to take Airline Travel also decides the airfare. Most of the domestic airlines give lots of discount if you are fine to travel early morning or after midnight. Its good to check these discounts before finalising your flight.

4) Weekdays over the weekend : As I mentioned earlier weekdays are relatively less expensive than the weekend. So if you are flexible with the dates then you should go for the weekdays flights rather than the weekend.

5) Duration of the stay : Cheap Airline tickets are often valid for less duration starting from 15 days or 1 month to 3 months/06 months. Lesser the days, the cheaper the ticket is. To make it easy, the ticket that allows to stay for 15 days would cheaper than the ticket that allows you to stay for 3 months. If you are flexible and know that you would be back after 15days then always select the cheap tickets which are valid for lesser days.

6) Check out special deals & Promotions : Always explore special deal on different Airlines . Recently there was promotional deal from European carrier where in you pay for economy class ticket and get free leg upgrade to business class. So you travel both in Economy and Business but have to pay for economy class only. Therefore its always worth to check any prevailing deal or promotion in the market.

Did you see that tweaking your flights, days of travel, seasonality can save lots of money . Better planning and management can do wonders. So keep saving money and keep exploring Airline Travel..

Have a Happy ,CHEAPER and a safe journey !!

11 Brilliant Tips for Baggage Allowance for Airline Travel

How many bags can I carry to US ? Whats the total2 weight limit ? Can I carry 2 bags instead of 1? What about my baby's bag?

I am sure that above are few questions that you always check with the Travel agent or the Airline staff even before booking your flights. Whenever we plan to travel , there are lots of baggage related queries that keeps coming to our mind, like :

1) What is the total number of bags and total baggage allowance for my destination ?
2) What all can I carry in my bag ?
3) Are there any restrictions with the size of the bag ?
4) Would i need to pay extra in case I am exceeding the total baggage allowance ?
5) What about the baggage allowance for my infant? Can I carry his stroller free of charge ?

Do these questions sound familiar ? If yes, then don't worry as in this blog I would help you with your Baggage Allowance for Airline Travel.

Priceless Tip : Always , yes always travel light
Is it sounding weird ? I know all of us want to take gifts for the family or want to take pickle or Jam for the children or want to do lots of shopping on the way back .

Lets go step by step to understand the whole Baggage process --->
Different Airlines have different rules and regulations with regards to the baggage allowance.These allowance can change from airline to airline and can vary from country to country.

Airline Baggage Allowance :
1) As I mentioned earlier , the allowance of the Airline can vary and depending on that the baggage Allowance can be fixed. Customers flying in higher cabins like business class, First or Frequent fliers gets more flexibility than the economy class passengers
2) Most of the European Airlines allows total weight limit of 23Kg per bag
3) If you are travelling to US then you can carry 2 bags weighing 23kg each.
4) Most of the Airlines allowed hand baggage, weighing up to 7-8 kg only
5) Airport staff can ask you to pay excess baggage charge if your bag is 5-7kg over and above the permitted allowance
6) The baggage allowance of the respective airline can be checked on their website. Make sure that you speak to the airline staff or your travel agent before packing your bags
7) Baby's stroller and wheel chair can be carried free of charge.

11 Brilliant Baggage tips :
1) Always carry your valuable items like jewellery , laptop and other things, you can't live without in the hand bag. Always carry an extra pair of clothes, undergarments, i-pod, medicines, extra pair of specs so that you can survive even if your baggage is delayed
2) Remember that the hand luggage should as per the permitted size. In-case its over the weight limit and size then the staff can ask you to take out few stuff from the bag. Be ready to take out the things from your bag.
3) Infant is allowed baggage allowance of 10kg and can vary from airline to airline.Please do not forget to check the little one's baggage allowance.
4) Most of the Airlines have restricted the quantity of the liquid that can be carried. Don't get your own drinking water bottle as you would need to dispose off the same at the security. The liquid limit is only 100ml (can vary from Airline) and you have to carry this in the transparent plastic bag only.
5) Weight of the baggage plays the important role in the Airline Travel. Few of the Airlines do accept the bags even if the weight is exceeding by 5-8kg but this is not fixed and don't be surprised if you are asked to pay extra charge for taking 5kg extra
6) Effective 2008 , most of the European Airlines have started charging flat rate for the excess baggage i.e you don't have to pay per kilo but you can pay flat GBP25 (British Airways) for the extra bag but again it varies from Airline to Airline and it always good to check it beforehand
7) In US the bags are often opened for security purposes. Its always good to use TSA recognised locks as this will prevent breaking of your precious baggage
8) Other tip, try and choose bright colored bags and label them properly. You can also use different and bright colour ribbons. These would help you to identify your bags quickly from the baggage belt
9) Rolling luggage cart provided at the airport can ease your bags burden
10) Always retain the baggage tags as if your bags are lost then these tags would help you to trace the bags
11) Make sure that you check regarding the baggage transfer policy in case of multiple sectors.
I know that if you are transferring from Heathrow to Gatwick then the bags are not through checked-in . The customers need to pick up the bags from Heathrow Airport and again recheck in the bags at Gatwick.

I have managed to cover vital facts of Baggage allowance for Airline Travel but please feel free to share your experience or ask your queries.

Watch space for lost baggage Allowance and tips on Travel light..till then Have a nice Journey !!

Airline Travel in Pregnancy

As promised, i am back again with small but very important piece of information about Airline Travel Tips for expecting women. Lets start step by step:

Airline Travel in Pregnancy : Gone are the days when the women were asked to sit at home during the pregnancy . Now, more and more women are flying during their pregnancy. Air travel is not just limited to family visit but women wants to take break and are often going for romantic vacation before the arrival of the little one. Does not it sound amazing !!

I remember that I went to Australia during my pregnancy and trust me ,till date it's the most incredible vacations of my life. Lets talk about few vital things that needs to be checked before and during the fight .

Pre- Travel Arrangements :

• Make sure that you seek permission from your doctor before flying. Most of Airlines ask for the medical certificate, if you are more than 28 weeks pregnant
• Traveling in second trimester is safest as the chances of miscarriage and preterm labour is less. Also you would be very comfortable during this period
• At the time of making the booking , make sure that you let the Airline staff know that you are pregnant. Also check in case any documents are required by the check-in staff at the time of the flight
• Remember to pre assign your seats and if possible, always take the Aisle seat as this would give more leg room and you would be able to move freely.
• Avoid those countries that requires immunization

b) During the Flight :

• You should be well nourished, remember to carry snacks with you just in case you get stuck at the airport or on the way to the Airport. Once you are on the flight and if you are allergic to something then make sure that you let the Airline crew know about it in advance
• To prevent the stiffness or soreness , take stretch break ,take small walks and don't sit for long
• Always remember to carry your prenatal medical documents. Its good to be prepared for the worst
• Expecting mum's needs lots of water. Make sure that you are dehydrated and carry your own water bottle
• Last but not the least , wear some comfortable clothing as this would help you with the easy movements

Don't forget.. you have little life within you and if you are comfortable , he would be naturally at ease . So enjoy your journey and share your traveling experiences..

See you soon at same blog - Airline Travel...