Monday, July 26, 2010
The Crorepathi
It's funny when you read articles which says that if you had invested Rs.10000 in Company X in 1980, you money would have grown to xx-crores (recent one was if I had invested Rs.10000 in Wipro in 1980, I would have had 335 crores now!!). The target most of the time are IT companies (read Infosys, Wipro etc.). The key question is "IF" and whether we really had the intution / the means to part with Rs.10000 during those days. Additionally, the stomach would have churned multiple times during the stock market scams and even otherwise. Point ? Stop comparing the past and start living the future.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
International Air Travels (travails) - Part 2: At the airport – while departing
Bags
Your ticket is economy – pack economically! It doesn’t make sense to pay extra for baggage. An airline ticket allows you a limit – stick to it. If you happen to be a frequent flier member, some airlines allow an additional weightage. Stop pleading with the counter staff to allow an additional kilo, that’s what makes us Indians look like beggars. I have been stopped the last time around as my baggage was 3 pounds over the limit – 3 pounds which is approximately 1.3 kgs !! You can call it extreme perverts but those are the rules – stop arguing. What did I do for those extra 3 pounds, you ask? I removed the bag of chocolates (about 5 pounds – 2.25kgs), placed it over the counter and invited the staff to take how much ever they wanted! Being polite helped – I was asked to pack it back and was checked-in right away! All the pleading, cajoling works in India, not abroad. Don’t blame the airline staff for refusing to allow additional baggage, it’s your fault not theirs. And yes, be polite – this is not the time to throw your weight around. I happened to see a person with 2 tickets and 15 bags (he checked-in before me at the counter!) in New Delhi airport to Chennai, all over-weight first pleading, and then trying to drop in names and finally went to pay for excess baggage. He paid for 8 of them and was let in with all the 15 bags! Bah…
Next : Part 3 - On board
Your ticket is economy – pack economically! It doesn’t make sense to pay extra for baggage. An airline ticket allows you a limit – stick to it. If you happen to be a frequent flier member, some airlines allow an additional weightage. Stop pleading with the counter staff to allow an additional kilo, that’s what makes us Indians look like beggars. I have been stopped the last time around as my baggage was 3 pounds over the limit – 3 pounds which is approximately 1.3 kgs !! You can call it extreme perverts but those are the rules – stop arguing. What did I do for those extra 3 pounds, you ask? I removed the bag of chocolates (about 5 pounds – 2.25kgs), placed it over the counter and invited the staff to take how much ever they wanted! Being polite helped – I was asked to pack it back and was checked-in right away! All the pleading, cajoling works in India, not abroad. Don’t blame the airline staff for refusing to allow additional baggage, it’s your fault not theirs. And yes, be polite – this is not the time to throw your weight around. I happened to see a person with 2 tickets and 15 bags (he checked-in before me at the counter!) in New Delhi airport to Chennai, all over-weight first pleading, and then trying to drop in names and finally went to pay for excess baggage. He paid for 8 of them and was let in with all the 15 bags! Bah…
Next : Part 3 - On board
Thursday, June 17, 2010
International Air Travels (travails) - Pre Travel Part II
Seats
Block your seats. Most airlines allow you to web check-in 23 hrs. in advance (why 23 hrs. and not 24 hrs. – I have no clue). You do not need to register yourself anywhere. Your ticket would have a PNR or a locator number which you can use at the airline website to block. Please block yourselves an aisle seat. I will repeat, please block yourselves an aisle seat. This is probably the most important tip that you can ever have on an intercontinental travel or a travel > 3hrs. In case you are travelling in groups, ensure that you atleast block 1 aisle seat. There is no need to rush for that window seat – you are going to be cruising at 30,000+ feet and the clouds are all the same! You can always stretch to look at landing and take-off from your aisle seat. And you can stretch your legs on a long journey from an aisle seat. You don’t want to be sandwiched between hefty guys who drink beer and farts all day long do you?! With the amount of seat width that you get, a middle / a window seat sucks.
And how do you identify good seats? Here is my trump card, go to SeatGuru. Key in your flight number and voila find out your best seat. This is one of the most utilitarian sites I have ever come across. Note down the best choice of seat and go back to the airline website and block it. Remember – you will not get one of those first row seats, they are all blocked for folks travelling with infants who can attach a bassinet in front of them. It is most likely that the airline would not allow you to block several other seats as well, but atleast you would have an indicator of where you are seated prior to flying. If all else fails for an aisle seat, block a window seat – it is much better than sitting in the middle seat with two folks elbowing you all around! The airline is at liberty to change the seats without any prior intimation to you, but I have always been lucky to get the seats that I blocked. And while you are at it, choose your meal preference as well. Asian Vegetarian for all you TamBrams :-)
Part 2: At the airport – while departing
Block your seats. Most airlines allow you to web check-in 23 hrs. in advance (why 23 hrs. and not 24 hrs. – I have no clue). You do not need to register yourself anywhere. Your ticket would have a PNR or a locator number which you can use at the airline website to block. Please block yourselves an aisle seat. I will repeat, please block yourselves an aisle seat. This is probably the most important tip that you can ever have on an intercontinental travel or a travel > 3hrs. In case you are travelling in groups, ensure that you atleast block 1 aisle seat. There is no need to rush for that window seat – you are going to be cruising at 30,000+ feet and the clouds are all the same! You can always stretch to look at landing and take-off from your aisle seat. And you can stretch your legs on a long journey from an aisle seat. You don’t want to be sandwiched between hefty guys who drink beer and farts all day long do you?! With the amount of seat width that you get, a middle / a window seat sucks.
And how do you identify good seats? Here is my trump card, go to SeatGuru. Key in your flight number and voila find out your best seat. This is one of the most utilitarian sites I have ever come across. Note down the best choice of seat and go back to the airline website and block it. Remember – you will not get one of those first row seats, they are all blocked for folks travelling with infants who can attach a bassinet in front of them. It is most likely that the airline would not allow you to block several other seats as well, but atleast you would have an indicator of where you are seated prior to flying. If all else fails for an aisle seat, block a window seat – it is much better than sitting in the middle seat with two folks elbowing you all around! The airline is at liberty to change the seats without any prior intimation to you, but I have always been lucky to get the seats that I blocked. And while you are at it, choose your meal preference as well. Asian Vegetarian for all you TamBrams :-)
Part 2: At the airport – while departing
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
International Air Travels (travails) - Pre Travel
Tickets
First of all, check and double-check your tickets’ date and time. Most international flights leave early hours of the morning, which mean you reach the airport the previous night.
It doesn’t hurt to call up the local airline office to reconfirm your tickets. At most the airline agent would tell you that the tickets do not require confirming after checking your status – so it doesn’t hurt! The reason for reconfirming is that airlines overbook on international routes expecting a cancellation / change of journey and would rather bump off excess passengers rather than fly with a few empty seats. And who are the prime categories for offloading? You and me – with those cheapest tickets that we bought!
Next : Seating
First of all, check and double-check your tickets’ date and time. Most international flights leave early hours of the morning, which mean you reach the airport the previous night.
It doesn’t hurt to call up the local airline office to reconfirm your tickets. At most the airline agent would tell you that the tickets do not require confirming after checking your status – so it doesn’t hurt! The reason for reconfirming is that airlines overbook on international routes expecting a cancellation / change of journey and would rather bump off excess passengers rather than fly with a few empty seats. And who are the prime categories for offloading? You and me – with those cheapest tickets that we bought!
Next : Seating
International Air Travels (travails)
I have always wondered how mindlessly and almost absent-mindedly we travel by air. Most of us travel in cattle (economy) class. If you are one of those who travel non-cattle class, then you do not need any of these tips – lucky you. On the other hand, this blog is aimed at the masses not classes :-)
An idea came into my (hollow) mind to put up a sort of a tip-list that would help international air travelers get through to their destination without much ado. And hence the objective of this article (articleS - wait till you hear more!).
First, a background – what do I possess that you don’t, to comment about air travel? Not much – except inter-continental travel thrice in a span of about a year and a half. And a few more on the last 5 yrs.! And, several within the country. Over these travels (travails?!), I did pick up some tips which every traveler ought to know and I plan to blog them into the following parts
Part 1: Pre-travel
Part 2: At the airport – while departing
Part 3: On board
Part 4: In transit
Part 5: At the airport – while arriving
Part 6: Return
Most of these tips are either from my own experience or sourced from the web – and I’ll cite them wherever appropriate. So watch out for the tips from hereon...
First --> Tickets
An idea came into my (hollow) mind to put up a sort of a tip-list that would help international air travelers get through to their destination without much ado. And hence the objective of this article (articleS - wait till you hear more!).
First, a background – what do I possess that you don’t, to comment about air travel? Not much – except inter-continental travel thrice in a span of about a year and a half. And a few more on the last 5 yrs.! And, several within the country. Over these travels (travails?!), I did pick up some tips which every traveler ought to know and I plan to blog them into the following parts
Part 1: Pre-travel
Part 2: At the airport – while departing
Part 3: On board
Part 4: In transit
Part 5: At the airport – while arriving
Part 6: Return
Most of these tips are either from my own experience or sourced from the web – and I’ll cite them wherever appropriate. So watch out for the tips from hereon...
First --> Tickets
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