[Steeroid]

Some tips for International Travel

1. Baggage Rules are there for a purpose. Respect them - dont land up at the airport with 45 kg of luggage when your ticket says 30 kg. And if you do, be polite and tell the counter staff that you are AWARE that you have excess and are ready to pay, can you please show some concession when you bill me for it? Invariably they will knock off about 5kg from the excess if you're polite - if you stand there and argue you'll be charged for the full excess.

As far as possible try and send stuff through unaccompanied baggage - if you're returning to India with some "dutiable" stuff, make sure you carry the stuff subject to customs WITH YOU. This will help you avail of the duty-free allowance per ticket (25k). You can send your clothes unaccompanied - after all you're coming back home.


2. Alcohol - firstly, dont drink on the flight just because the hooch is free. Alcohol causes dehydration, as does the dry air in the cabin. Together, you'll end up with a HUGE hangover pretty fast. A glass of wine or a couple of chottas are fine as long as you eat well.

3. If you're travelling Economy and are vertically impaired (too tall), make sure you're at the airport as soon as the counters open (usually 4 hours before the flight), and request for the seats next to the emergency exit. These seats are meant to be allotted only to HEALTHY MALE PASSENGERS - people who are capable of helping others in the event of an emergency.

4. Smile a lot at the staff, learn some airline terminology and speak to them in their lingo (they use IATA terminology) and you might end up with a business class upgrade for free if the flight is a bit full.

5. This works inside the aircraft too - if you're good to the cabin crew, you might end up being offered a seat in Business. This has worked for me on many of my economy flights.

6. If you're travelling abroad for the first time (to certain countries that do require an emigration clearance), please ensure ECNR (Emigration Clearance Not Required) is stamped on your passport. This has happened to the Yeti.

If you're travelling with your children, please make sure that any of your kids that have just turned 18 has the same done on his or her passport. Else the whole family can miss the flight. This has happened to a cousin of mine.

7. If you're travelling on budget airlines abroad (or flying budget airlines out of India) PLEASE CHECK YOUR TICKET TO THE BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE. They have lower limits, and each airline seems to have their own limits. NOTE: Budget airlines also have weight limits on the hand baggage, and WILL WEIGH YOUR HAND BAGGAGE IF YOU LOOK LIKE YOU'RE OVER LIMITS.

8. CUSTOMS - Oh that pain in the backside! If you're carrying duty-able stuff, its best to fly in through Mumbai, Delhi or Cochin. The other airports are filled with crooks in the name of customs officials. Look the customs officer in the eye and walk confidently through the green channel and you will normally have no issue. Try to pack your valuable stuff into suitcases and AVOID carrying cartons that cry out SONY/HITACHI, or expensive brands. Unpack all the stuff you have from their cartons (yes, gifts included) and pack them into your suitcases.

You can normally walk through customs if you have just 2 large pieces of checked in and 1 normal cabin baggage. Do not carry plastic or paper bags with famous brands on them.

If you have to buy liquor, buy it from the airport that you arrive at. The Customs chaps seem to appreciate it if you buy locally - this works wonders in Cochin where they dont even bother asking you "how many bottles?" if your duty free bag says "Cochin Duty Free". Invariably we are able to bring in more than the regulation 2 litres.

ON THE OTHER HAND - if you're carrying some really expensive duty-able stuff, you should be upfront about it. You dont have to give them the specifics - if you're carrying a Marantz amp, just say you have an amplifier in your bag. The rest of it depends on the mood of the chap.