Thursday, February 24, 2011

The rules & tips for Airline Baggage Allowances that will make you next trip hassle free

Ever been left fuming when the cheeky check-in assistant at the airport slaps you with an excess baggage charge? I recently faced the exact situation during my visit to my home town a week back. It is very important to be aware of the aircraft luggage allowances when it comes to flying. Every passenger is allowed to take a certain amount of baggage with them during flying and if the passenger is having an extra weight, he/ she need to pay for that.

Airlines always provide its patrons with assessment on how much baggage one can carry. Every airline is different and so are their baggage allowances. It is always important to keep this thing in mind else you will face the same problem as I did, where I really had to pay a huge amount for my extra baggage of books. It takes nothing more than a little more preparation while packing and planning a trip or vacation.

The Indian revenue department has also specified a list of items along with the size. People planning a trip can go through the list while packing their bags for a hassle free flight to your destination. There are some airlines that use these two concepts in their baggage allowance; the Piece concept and the Weight concept. Certain airline companies operating under the Piece Concept may add additional checked baggage allowance for their elite level fliers.

Unlike the Piece Concept, in which weight limitations are per bag, the Weight Concept permits passengers to merge their bag weight into lesser bags which would otherwise be too weighty to voyage under the Piece Concept. To avoid fees, the passenger has to two choices; either he will toggle his items to the other suitcases to even out the weight of his luggage or the passenger could have his other baggage carry it on.

I have put all the information that one may need in order to plan their trip hassle free. Travel is easier when you know what to expect and plan ahead. So plan well and enjoy your entire trip without disturbance at airport.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Things to remember when you are flying overseas

Air travel is always an exciting experience, more so if it’s the first time that you are boarding a plane. Air travel requires a little planning to ensure a smooth and comfortable flight. Longer the flight more is the planning required for a smooth journey. One should ensure that one’s name spelled on the ticket is same spelled on the passport. Double check the flight timings to avoid any awkward glitches. It is always a smart thing to do to reach the airport a minimum of two hours before the time of departure of your flight keeping in mind that air traffic can vary.

A little thought should go into the luggage you intend to carry and is often advisable to check with the airline about baggage allowance. While packing, keep it basic, don’t overdo it and never ever dismiss the weather of the destination city. Always retrospect on the transportation options from the airport of your destination city and remember to get local currency especially in smaller denominations. Most airports provide the facility of money exchange. In certain cities, finding people to speak English may be a little tricky so it will be extremely street smart to carry along a map of the place. Try not planning anything urgent or taking care of any pressing issues the day you reach your destination for there could be many unexpected twists in terms of flight delays, the distance between the airport and the city could be more than you expected. Smile a lot during your stay and connect with the locals and have a memorable trip.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

The Right Way to Lodge a Complaint with an Airline

Soaring through the sky is not always a sky high experience; you could be expecting a cheerful and friendly cabin crew but it should not come as a surprise if you are disappointed. When flights at unearthly hours trouble frequent air travelers, it definitely takes a toll on the cabin crew members. It is not very common that they are impudent and terse, but they do have the skills.

Tardy responses, terse replies and unacceptable services provided by cabin crew members often leave passengers baffled and disappointed. If you ever have such an experience wherein you need to deal with a rude cabin crew member or inadequate flight amenities, and the disappointment is such that you would like to articulate your grievances, then the right way to do so is to register a written complaint against the cabin crew member, you can also get in touch with the ground office of the airlines at the airport, make a call to the helpline number of the airlines or drop in an electronic mail or a snail mail to the airlines.

When you are lodging a complaint just ensure that you mention your flight details, your seat number and be specific about your complaint. You can also send in a photo copy or scanned copy of your itinerary with your written complaint. Ensure that you follow up with the airlines if they do not respond, and may be free tickets, monetary compensation or a mere apology will bring a smile to your place.