[prashkul]

I'm being offered the following itinerary on Cathay Pacific for my upcoming Bangalore-Toronto travel. Flying in Economy with wife and 3-year old daughter with full luggage as allowed by the airline.

Blore - HongKong - A330
HongKong - Toronto - A350

1. Is travel via HK okay now?
2. How is Cathay Pacific?
3. Any alternate preferred route/airline?
4. Arrival in HK is 0930 and departure of Toronto flight is 1035, both from Terminal-1. Isn't this a bit tight?

First time I'll be flying eastwards!! And A350!!

[noopster]

Cathay is pretty good. Have used them for Auckland runs since they are cheaper than Singapore Airlines. The situation in HK is still volatile so if you are not getting a significantly better deal, fly some other airline.

Toronto is East Coast so wouldn’t the Atlantic route be shorter? Emirates, Etihad, Qatar, Turkish airlines etc May be much better options.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by prashkul

1. Is travel via HK okay now?
2. How is Cathay Pacific?
3. Any alternate preferred route/airline?
4. Arrival in HK is 0930 and departure of Toronto flight is 1035, both from Terminal-1. Isn't this a bit tight?

First time I'll be flying eastwards!! And A350!!

Travel through HK should be fine as long as you do not pass immigration into the main area! Fat chance, considering you have only 90 min. Chances are someone will meet you and whisk you to the other gate.

Worst case scenario is if the pilot cannot make it to the airport but am sure Cathy have got contingencies in place

[Thad E Ginathom]

Recent Chennai Airport (International) Experience

I did one of my rare travels a few weeks ago, taking the BA flight from Chennai to Heathrow.

Departing from Chennai was not fun at all. There was a huge queue for emigration control, with a tiny number of officers and lots of empty desks. They must be badly overworked: the officer that checked me out was actually dozing off as he did so!

Security was worse. I'm used to the British kind of paranoid security theatre, (but actually, on my return, Heathrow was easy) but Chennai was awful. Everything electric had to be unpacked and placed on trays. Everything had to go through the scanner. And be repacked on the other side. They stopped me for one small allen key --- well, I suppose that proves that the whole procedure is worthwhile!

Are other Indian international departures this bad?

Anyway, anyone departing Chennai, international... Please don't go for a last-minute check-in!

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by prashkul

I'm being offered the following itinerary on Cathay Pacific for my upcoming Bangalore-Toronto travel. Flying in Economy with wife and 3-year old daughter with full luggage as allowed by the airline.

Blore - HongKong - A330
HongKong - Toronto - A350

Too long flight, not recommended at all even if you are saving a lot. Instead, take something via Europe (KLM/ Lufthansa /Turkish) or Direct from Delhi, Air India three times a week and Air Canada daily. Little expensive but totally worth. Amongst the middle east carriers, Emirates & Saudi goes to Toronto. Emirates is nice and so is Turkish.

[vb-saan]

Did Qatar Airways for my travel from Singapore to Philadelphia (with a stopover at Doha), and I must say that I am really impressed with the overall experience. Singapore Airlines was always my first preference and benchmark when it comes to international travel, but this one really surpassed my expectations.

[Newpunter]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Are other Indian international departures this bad?

I found that Bangalore is pretty good. The queues are usually short and immigration doesn't take more than 5 min at the most.

The worst I have seen is in Delhi where it takes a minimum of 30 min for every thing. I used to travel back from South America and had to go through immigration in Delhi before boarding the flight to Bangalore. It used to be a horrible experience, especially after you have traveled for 24 hours and 3 different flights. 30-40 minutes for immigration, then another 30 min queue to get the boarding pass for the next flight, and then no sleep for the rest of the night because the lounge was full.

[drmohitg]

Me and wifey need to travel to the UK in January. I was checking the ticket prices today and was shocked to see them. Usual norm is approx. 50k for a Delhi - London non stop return flight ( +/- 10k). Flights with stop overs can usually be had for 40k or sometimes even less. This time to my utter shock, the cheapest flight it is showing is 65k which involves a low grade airline like Air Astana and that too takes 20+ hours. The cheapest non stop flight is Air India which is costing 90k.

I fail to understand what is wrong? Is there a world level event in London in January 2020?

[Aditya_Bhp]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

I fail to understand what is wrong? Is there a world level event in London in January 2020?

Post exit of Jet Airways, flights to Europe have increased their ticket prices.

January is the time when Indian students return back to UK after Christmas and also is the time when Universities start their courses. So expect a large number of students filling up these flights, especially Air India, as they allow more baggage.

Air Astana has a fleet of narrowbodies. It will be a tiring journey. Try getting Sri Lankan or Kuwait airlines, they tend to be significantly cheaper on some days and they are decent for the money.

Edit: Found Sri Lankan for 18k oneway.

[govigov]

I have a sizeable interconti flight coming up (15+ hours in a single leg) and I hate airplane food. What can I carry from home (or locally sourced) so, that I can have it at different times, like at 4th 8th and 12th hour of the flight?

Also, what is the best way to carry these items in the carry-on?

Are comfort foods like curd rice an issue with security checkpoints?

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Me and wifey need to travel to the UK in January. I was checking the ticket prices today and was shocked to see them. Usual norm is approx. 50k for a Delhi - London non stop return flight ( +/- 10k). Flights with stop overs can usually be had for 40k or sometimes even less. This time to my utter shock, the cheapest flight it is showing is 65k which involves a low grade airline like Air Astana and that too takes 20+ hours. The cheapest non stop flight is Air India which is costing 90k.

I fail to understand what is wrong? Is there a world level event in London in January 2020?

I was in UK a few weeks ago. The non-stop BA return flight, premium economy (I like to take my knees with me when I travel) was 80-something thousand.

My friend there was looking to book a trip to Chennai and back. On hearing that he had been quoted over 900GBP on, I think, Emirates economy. I checked the BA premium-economy fare in December: it was over two thousand GBP. God help the international Indian tourist trade!

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by Aditya_Bhp

Edit: Found Sri Lankan for 18k oneway.

It is taking 30 hours!

That is 4 times the actual journey time.

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

I was in UK a few weeks ago. The non-stop BA return flight, premium economy (I like to take my knees with me when I travel) was 80-something thousand.
I checked the BA premium-economy fare in December: it was over two thousand GBP. God help the international Indian tourist trade!

It is scary. I have had my fare share of international travel and these prices are just blasphemy. The business class fare is coming to 1.6L per pax and one would rather choose that over paying 1L for economy. Atleast that is technically more VFM in this case and you can cherish the experience of travelling in luxury.

If I travel to Paris and then take a connecting flight to Lodnon ( I am yet to see if this comes out cheaper), would I need an additional Schengen Visa?

[carboy]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Departing from Chennai was not fun at all. There was a huge queue for emigration control, with a tiny number of officers and lots of empty desks. They must be badly overworked: the officer that checked me out was actually dozing off as he did so!
Security was worse. I'm used to the British kind of paranoid security theatre, (but actually, on my return, Heathrow was easy) but Chennai was awful. Everything electric had to be unpacked and placed on trays. Everything had to go through the scanner. And be repacked on the other side. They stopped me for one small allen key --- well, I suppose that proves that the whole procedure is worthwhile!
Are other Indian international departures this bad?

Emigration control is rarely more than 5-10 minutes in Bombay. But the return back to India is almost always bad. It takes anywhere between 20 to 30 minutes to get your passport stamped.


About security, are you talking about Laptops in the cabin baggage. That's pretty standard now, I think.

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

I fail to understand what is wrong? Is there a world level event in London in January 2020?

Originally Posted by drmohitg

It is taking 30 hours!
If I travel to Paris and then take a connecting flight to Lodnon ( I am yet to see if this comes out cheaper), would I need an additional Schengen Visa?

most of NRI's get vacation around Christmas and will be returning back in January. London and other major cities like Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt will be equally rushy. These European airports cater to the USA and Canada as well.

Depending on your mode of travel, you might need a Transit/ Schengen visa from Paris/ Oher European airport to the UK. If it's by Air and your luggage is booked through to London than most probably not. Best will be to check directly with the Airline or agent before booking.

https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/new...isa-in-france/

[Aditya_Bhp]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

It is taking 30 hours!

That is 4 times the actual journey time.

Yes, 3 times more the time. There are slightly shorter flights also available for a bit more money but still it costs half as much as the competition even during peak season. . Try Kuwait as well. I would say they are the cheapest full service carrier in the Gulf. But the transit airport is horrible.

Living in the south of India, Sri Lankan offers me better and faster connections around the world than Air India. Infact I would say they are stealing customers from Air India. Air India better start a hub in Bangalore for European flights and US flights.

Originally Posted by drmohitg

If I travel to Paris and then take a connecting flight to Lodnon ( I am yet to see if this comes out cheaper), would I need an additional Schengen Visa?

Yes, you would need a Schengen visa if the tickets are not on the same PNR, as you will have to exit the safe zone. Regarding the Transit visa requirements, you should check with the airline or their website.