[ajmat]

Originally Posted by sindabad.sailor

An acquaintance is travelling to Hubli for personal work and is requesting to check if there any public transport from Hubli airport to city and otherwise.
.

Uber does run in Hubli, I cannot comment on how good it is though!

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted by sindabad.sailor

An acquaintance is travelling to Hubli for personal work and is requesting to check if there any public transport from Hubli airport to city and otherwise.

There are taxis to and from the Hubli airport. More importantly, Hubli has Ola cabs too.

[Haque]

Friends, I need to travel to SFO for a business visit next week. Have booked Air India considering that flight duration is as good as Emirates and was tempted to give it a try considering the cost difference...
Does anyone on the forum have a recent experience on this flight ( DEL - SFO ) to share?
Considering the challenges AI is going through is it a safe choice?

[blackwasp]

Guys, a unique query. Can intercoolers be carried as hand baggage? The overall dimension is well under the hand baggage limit. My dad is travelling from PVG to BOM via SIN on Singapore Airlines.

Plan is to carry it in cabin as the main checkin bag won't be able to fit it.

Any tips for the same?

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

Guys, a unique query. Can intercoolers be carried as hand baggage? The overall dimension is well under the hand baggage limit. My dad is travelling from PVG to BOM via SIN on Singapore Airlines.

Plan is to carry it in cabin as the main checkin bag won't be able to fit it.

Any tips for the same?

Technically you should be ok I would think. However, these days security goes by rather safe than sorry. If they don’t like it, or don’t understand it, you are going to have a problem.

I would try and contact Singapore Airlines and discuss and get them to agree. If not I would not risk it. Buy the cheapest bag you can find that will hold the intercooler and stick it in the hold.

Jeroen

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

Can intercoolers be carried as hand baggage? The overall dimension is well under the hand baggage limit.
Plan is to carry it in cabin as the main checkin bag won't be able to fit it.

Don't understand this, how can a check-in bag not hold stuff that you can carry in? It will be risky, any heavy Metal Parts won't be allowed by Security so SIA won't able to help. I won't risk especially with seniors.

[prateekm]

Flying to Frankfurt in early Dec, have a couple of flight options which I haven't flown before

KLM: BOM - AMS - FRA
AF: BOM - CDG - FRA

1. The BOM - CDG leg on the AF is by their subsidiary Joon Airlines. Has anyone from the forum flown on it? Reviews?
2. Similarly, how's the BOM - AMS KLM?

Else, I can just stick to EY economy. The LH direct flight costs almost 2x.

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by prateekm

Flying to Frankfurt in early Dec, have a couple of flight options which I haven't flown before

KLM: BOM - AMS - FRA
AF: BOM - CDG - FRA

Avoid Air France, KLM will be better, though expect sometime long queues for Passport Control at Amsterdam but it will be better than Paris surely.

[autorahul]

Originally Posted by prateekm

Flying to Frankfurt in early Dec, have a couple of flight options which I haven't flown before

KLM: BOM - AMS - FRA
AF: BOM - CDG - FRA

1. The BOM - CDG leg on the AF is by their subsidiary Joon Airlines. Has anyone from the forum flown on it? Reviews?
2. Similarly, how's the BOM - AMS KLM?

Else, I can just stick to EY economy. The LH direct flight costs almost 2x.

I hate transiting in a Schengen country while going to another Schengen country. The process just does not seem as smooth to me, when compared to transiting through Gulf/Middle East. In addition European airlines are not as good as Middle East ones.

For me the preference, amongst the airlines I have flown to Europe, has been Emirates, Qatar, Oman Air and Etihad amongst the middle east ones, followed by European and Indian carriers.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by prateekm

Flying to Frankfurt in early Dec, have a couple of flight options which I haven't flown before

KLM: BOM - AMS - FRA
AF: BOM - CDG - FRA

1. The BOM - CDG leg on the AF is by their subsidiary Joon Airlines. Has anyone from the forum flown on it? Reviews?
2. Similarly, how's the BOM - AMS KLM?

Else, I can just stick to EY economy. The LH direct flight costs almost 2x.

Just my views based on my own experiences. KLM & LH are the best European carriers in terms of cabin service to brownies in Economy class. They are both very good in Business too - personally I love both. AF is ok-ok - to their credit they are better than they were 15 years back especially in business. BA and the rest of the Europeans are shabby & grouchy. Joon Airlines - if you have some irritating colleagues at work who you wish to settle scores with then send them by Joon. High density seating, low food, no blankets, weak service, crampy-cheapy. You have to key-in, procure & affix your own baggage tags, at CDG, and that increases the chance of a misplaced bag.

[sindabad.sailor]

Hello All,

Has anyone travelled Thai Lion Air in recent times?

They seem to be different to Indonesian Lion air that recently crashed exposing unsafe approaches.

I need to travel to a place for which Thai Lion Air flight seems suitable (4.5 hrs flight) hence the query.

Seems the airline also operates out of Mumbai often so guessing that some of us would have had first hand with it.

Cheers

[audioholic]

Question related to Baggage: I am returning from Germany this weekend via Emirates. As expected of any enthusiast, I have a bunch of tools I am carrying, along with a bike part. To be precise, I am carrying a socket set, another 45 piece bit set and a pair of mounting rods for a bike accessory. Will so many metal stuff catch the eyes of customs? The mount for the bike is a little long, say three feet which also comes with mounting bolts and stuff. I was thinking if it is better to keep this rod outside, exposed beside my rucksack so that security can just spot it and let it go. If not, I am worried that with so many items they might end up opening my suitcase and then perhaps calling me for the same. Any tips would help. One option is to put everything in the suitcase and let them open it if required. The other is to keep this mount separately tied to my rucksack so that the bad neednt be searched. Any way to go about this smoothly?

Originally Posted by sindabad.sailor

Has anyone travelled Thai Lion Air in recent times?
They seem to be different to Indonesian Lion air that recently crashed exposing unsafe approaches.
I need to travel to a place for which Thai Lion Air flight seems suitable (4.5 hrs flight) hence the query.

Not sure if this is recent, but I had flown Thai Lion in April this year, but for a short flight from Phuket to Bangkok. However, the aircraft was a brand new Airbus A330 with decent interiors and a bare basic infotainment screen. The experience was pretty decent overall. Not sure if this can apply to the rest of their fleet.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Question related to Baggage: I am returning from Germany this weekend via Emirates. As expected of any enthusiast, I have a bunch of tools I am carrying, along with a bike part. To be precise, I am carrying a socket set, another 45 piece bit set and a pair of mounting rods for a bike accessory. Will so many metal stuff catch the eyes of customs? The mount for the bike is a little long, say three feet which also comes with mounting bolts and stuff. I was thinking if it is better to keep this rod outside, exposed beside my rucksack so that security can just spot it and let it go. If not, I am worried that with so many items they might end up opening my suitcase and then perhaps calling me for the same. Any tips would help. One option is to put everything in the suitcase and let them open it if required. The other is to keep this mount separately tied to my rucksack so that the bad neednt be searched. Any way to go about this smoothly?

et.

With so much metallic stuff, my friend, I suggest that you pack it all along with clothes to soften and protect, in your suitcase. Be 100% sure that you’ll be asked to open it in Bangalore. Keep your invoices with you. They are perfectly reasonable blokes here as per my experience, and I travel on average once a month, all over the place. As far as possible Emirates, in my case too.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

With so much metallic stuff, my friend, I suggest that you pack it all along with clothes to soften and protect, in your suitcase. Be 100% sure that you’ll be asked to open it in Bangalore. Keep your invoices with you. They are perfectly reasonable blokes here as per my experience, and I travel on average once a month, all over the place. As far as possible Emirates, in my case too.

Thanks for the suggestion, mainly feedback about the customs chaps. In the past ten odd times I have returned from abroad, I have never been stopped by the customs guys after picking up my baggage. These have always been by emirates and I have observed that the customs officials usually pull over chaps who carry the Dubai duty free cover. But usually, there would not be so many metallic stuff and it would only be random things like electronics, shoes and so on. But I am suspecting that they will flag my suitcase during unloading in Bangalore because these metallic stuff turn up very clearly on the XRay. Hence, from your post I understand that if I show them an invoice and it is of low value(the Items dont cost above 50 Euro individually) except for a pair of shoes. I wont even be carrying liquid items too. I hope they deal reasonably and let me go without having to indulge in any negotiations, since I am not carrying any expensive stuff for which customs should be lawfully paid. Since I have never been flagged down, I am not sure how to deal with these guys.

On the other hand, I will have an office laptop, an Ipad, Apple Watch, iPhone and a secondary Microsoft phone with me which have all been purchased in India, but I dont have proof except for the iPad which is the most recent one. For the laptop I anyway have an authorisation letter from workplace.

Any idea about how they decide whether customs duty is payable for a product or no?

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Thanks for the suggestion, mainly feedback about the customs chaps. In the past ten odd times I have returned from abroad, I have never been stopped by the customs guys after picking up my baggage. These have always been by emirates and I have observed that the customs officials usually pull over chaps who carry the Dubai duty free cover. But usually, there would not be so many metallic stuff and it would only be random things like electronics, shoes and so on. But I am suspecting that they will flag my suitcase during unloading in Bangalore because these metallic stuff turn up very clearly on the XRay. Hence, from your post I understand that if I show them an invoice and it is of low value(the Items dont cost above 50 Euro individually) except for a pair of shoes. I wont even be carrying liquid items too. I hope they deal reasonably and let me go without having to indulge in any negotiations, since I am not carrying any expensive stuff for which customs should be lawfully paid. Since I have never been flagged down, I am not sure how to deal with these guys.

On the other hand, I will have an office laptop, an Ipad, Apple Watch, iPhone and a secondary Microsoft phone with me which have all been purchased in India, but I dont have proof except for the iPad which is the most recent one. For the laptop I anyway have an authorisation letter from workplace.

Any idea about how they decide whether customs duty is payable for a product or no?

99% I dont think you need to worry. Last week when I came back I had brought in some nice new cooking pots and pans from France. (My Wife’s special instructions). And the usual stuff that one carries, but there was only one extra thing - a small portable speaker which I’d bought on the trip. My suitcase was flagged with a chalk mark. After a long time.
And as I walked by, the customs chap asked me to scan the suitcase. I did so and explained the contents politely. He smiled and sent me on my way.
They are decent when it comes to normal honest people who aren’t trying to “game” the system.
So I dont really think you should lose any sleep over what you’re bringing in.