Airline

Iceland’s WOW Air Will Start The ‘Cheapest Flights’ From India To North America!

AirWhizzMay 17, 2018 No Comments

Iceland’s WOW Air Will Start The ‘Cheapest Flights’ From India To North America!

Aviation Insider

There is some good news for air travellers in India. Iceland’s low-cost airline, WOW Air, announced that it will start flying from Delhi to various cities in North America and Europe via Iceland’s capital Reykjavik.

Here are the details about the services being offered by WOW Air –

  • The airline will start its services from December 2018
  • The passenger will just have to pay Rs 13,499 to fly from Delhi International Airport to Keflavik airport located in Reykjavik.
  • From there the flights will take passengers to other North American and European destinations.
  • This fare is inclusive of all taxes. However, the passenger will have to pay for in-flight meals and check-in baggage.
  • The airline will be charging Rs 49,599 for its seats in the premium segment which is inclusive of all taxes.
  • The airline will be flying to 15 North American destinations which include Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Boston, Toronto and San Francisco.
  • Passengers will also be able to fly to destinations such as Paris, Iceland and London with the airline.
  • The airline will use wide-bodied Airbus A330 Neo’s to fly in India.
  • There will be 5 direct flights a week from India to Iceland and may offer daily services in the future.

The services by WOW Air will reduce the travel time from India to USA to just 20 hours which includes a 2-hour layover in Iceland.

Founder of WOW Air, Mr. Skuli Mogensen, is very excited about this opportunity to operate his airlines in India. According to him, this would be the shortest one-stop layover airline from India to North America.

On a daily basis, more than 20000 passengers travel from India to North America. This move will surely make the airline take advantage of the ever-increasing air passenger traffic in the country and will allow Indian travellers to fly to fly at a lesser cost to new international destinations in a shorter time.

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IndiGo Plans To Expand Its Operations To 24 New International Destinations!

AirWhizzMay 16, 2018 No Comments

IndiGo Plans To Expand Its Operations To 24 New International Destinations!

Aviation Insider

IndiGo Airlines is all set to increase its market-leading share of 39.5% by expanding its flight operations to 24 international destinations in the next 18 months.

Here are all the details of the expansion process –

  • The Airline will order wide-bodied aircraft at the Farnborough air show which will happen in July 2018.
  • The airline will start flying to 18 new destinations in the Middle East, China and Southeast Asia.
  • They will also start 6 long haul flights which will fly to airports in Germany, United Kingdom, France, Belgium and Switzerland.
  • Between October 2018 and March 2019, the airline will start flying to countries like Germany, Iran, Maldives, Afghanistan, France, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and United Kingdom
  • Between March 2019 and October 2019, IndiGo plans to start flight operations to Italy, Myanmar, Switzerland, Belgium and China.

This move is part of IndiGo’s second phase of expansion.

According to an interview conducted by Economic Times with IndiGo’s founder, Rahul Bhatia, expansion of flight operations and fleet size is the airline’s main priority. He also said that the airline is planning to further introduce medium and Long haul flights in the coming few years and increase its fleet size to 200 by the end of 2018.

Currently, the airline boasts of a fleet size of 163 aircraft which fly to 42 domestic and 8 international destinations which include Qatar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, Oman, Dubai and Sharjah.

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10 Ways In Which Airports Make You Shop At Duty-Free!

AirWhizzMay 14, 2018 No Comments

10 Ways In Which Airports Make You Shop At Duty-Free!

Aviation Insider

Whether you are flying for the first time or are a frequent flyer, waiting for your flight at the airport can be an exhausting and boring task.

It is during this time, that people tend to explore the airport and go shopping at duty-free shops.

To cash in on such travellers, airports are carefully designed to influence you to go and spend your money at these shops.

Yes! It’s true.

Here are the different ways in which airports influence you to shop when you fly.

1.SHOPPING ZONES AFTER AIRPORT SECURITY

Many people don’t observe this, but you are allowed into airport shopping areas only when you clear the security check.

Travellers are generally relaxed after clearing security. Airports use this to their advantage by locating duty-free shopping zones right after security booths.

You are more likely to indulge yourself into some care-free shopping after the stressful process of waiting in the security line, removing your belt or jacket and being physically searched by a serious looking security personnel.

2.SHOPPING ZONES BEFORE THE BOARDING GATES

Ever noticed the number of duty-free shops you pass by before boarding a flight?

To encourage people to explore what the airport has to offer, terminal buildings are designed in such a way that you have to walk through the shopping area before boarding the airplane.

3.LEFT CURVING WALKWAYS

The next time you travel to the airport, notice how walkways are curved towards the left in duty-free shopping zones.

According to a research conducted by analytics firm Intervistas, most of the passengers at the airport are right handed and tend to look towards the right side while pulling their suitcases with that hand.

That is why walkways curve towards left and most duty-free shops are located on the right side of the walkway.

4.THE “GOLDEN HOUR” CONCEPT

‘Golden Hour’ is a common term used by airport officials and duty-free retailers.

It is the time passengers spend idling around after clearing security and before boarding the flight.

Airports want to increase the time you spend in the golden hour because the more time you spend waiting for your flight, the chances of you spending will increase.

Airports have streamlined security checks for this reason as well. They want you to spend less time at security checks and more time shopping at duty-free.

5.RELAXATION AREAS AT THE AIRPORT

The more you are relaxed the more you tend to spend!

Airports around the world offer facilities like sleeping pods, showers and massage chairs to make the passenger feel relaxed.

They want to create a stress-free environment for you to spend money buying gifts for your family and friends.

According to a DKMA research, relaxed travellers at the airport spend 7% more on retail and 10% more on duty-free items as compared to travellers who are not relaxed.

6.PROVIDING INFORMATION WHEREVER POSSIBLE

If you go to an airport, you will see enough signs and screens which make the boarding process simple for you.

By providing information to you, the airport makes sure that you have a stress-free journey through it. By doing this they usually succeed in keeping you relaxed when you reach the shopping area.

At many airports, there are signs at shopping areas which show the amount of time the passenger will take to reach the boarding gate rather than the distance in meters. They do this so that passengers know how much they can spend shopping before boarding the flight.

7.SHOP DESIGN

At most airports, duty-free shops are located near big windows to allow natural light inside the store.

This is because people are inclined to shop at stores which have natural light rather than artificial lights.

Also, airports shops are designed to be user-friendly and inviting. They have wide aisles to accommodate people with suitcases and have pyramid shaped shelves which give you a sense of space and a better view of the products displayed.

8.SHOPPING ZONE LAYOUT

According to a study conducted by IKEA, the priorities of a passenger shopping at the airport is topped by duty-free goods, followed by food and drink, newspapers/magazines and gifts and specialty items.

Many airports around the world have designed their shopping zones in the form of a ‘Serpent’, strategically locating shops and restaurants to cater to these priorities.

Also, this kind of layout allows passengers better visibility of the services available for them in the area. The more twists and turns, the better.

9.FEELING OF A MARKETPLACE

Airports try to recreate the feel of a vibrant marketplace near duty-free shopping zones to make it more appealing to passengers.

Shops are often clustered and display local products, live music and art performances are regularly held and other fun activities are conducted to engage the passenger and give them a feel of a local market at the airport.

10. KIND OF SERVICES OFFERED

To quicken the buying process, airports choose the kind of service and products they have to offer depending on how busy the airport is and what kind of travellers it receives.

At an airport which is busy, services and products which can be sold quickly are generally offered to the passengers.

Also if the airports receive more passengers from countries which are developed or have a culture of gifting, the level of product and services offered goes up.

If you want to know more about ‘Duty-Free’ shops at your airport, simply download the AirWhizz App. Get information about places to shop and other services available to you at the airport on the move.

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Over 60 Flights Affected At The Delhi Airport Due To Dust Storm!

AirWhizzMay 14, 2018 No Comments

Over 60 Flights Affected At The Delhi Airport Due To Dust Storm!

Aviation Insider

Flight operations were suspended at the Indira Gandhi International Airport after a massive dust storm hit Delhi and its surrounding areas, yesterday evening. 40 airplanes were diverted, and more than 20 flights were delayed.

Here are the details –

  • All domestic and international airlines were affected by the dust storm
  • The Runway was closed down and flight operations were suspended between 4:30 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.
  • More than a dozen flights were diverted to Jaipur International Airport and Amritsar International Airport.
  • 9 Delhi bound flights were diverted to Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow.
  • Vistara flights from Mumbai, Goa, Srinagar and Bhubaneswar which were told to divert as well.
  • International flights from Tokyo, Newark and Colombo were diverted to different places.
  • Flights from Riyadh, Colombo, Kathmandu, Kabul and Jeddah were delayed due to bad weather.

The Indian Meteorological Department said that the wind speeds were as high as 109 Kmph during the dust storm. There was a sudden change in weather at around 4:30 p.m. which was accompanied by powerful winds and heavy rain.

The department has also warned that 26 districts of Utter Pradesh might see harsh weather changes today.

In the past few days powerful dust and thunderstorms have affected people in Delhi, U.P., Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Punjab and surrounding areas. Almost 152 people have lost their lives and over 430 people have been injured during this stormy season.

If you want to know whether your flight has been delayed or diverted, Simply download the AirWhizz App. Get real-time flight updates and Information on your phone itself and plan your journey accordingly.

Stay safe and Fly Stress-Free!

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Government Will Look Into Air Ticket Pricing Practices!

AirWhizzMay 12, 2018 No Comments

The Competition Commission Of India(CCI) has announced that it will asses the algorithms used by domestic airlines on the ticket pricing. This is being done to check as to why there is a sharp rise in airfares during peak demand.

CCI is the governing body which keeps a check on unfair business practices across different sectors.

They started investigating when the issue of sharp rise in air ticket pricing came to light during the Jat agitation in early 2016. Rail and road connectivity were severely affected by this incident because of which, ticket prices on Chandigarh to Delhi flights shot up sharply.

At a conference organized by The Associated Chambers Of Commerce of India(ASSOCHAM), CCI chairperson D K Sikri addressed this matter. Here’s what he had to say –

  • Secret/collusion cooperation between digital players with the help of self-learning algorithms is one of the biggest challenges the CCI faces.
  • This issue caught the CCI’s attention when there was a sudden rise in airfares for flights between Chandigarh and Delhi during the Jat agitation.
  • When they asked the airlines about this issue, the airline officials said that the algorithms were driving up the prices and they had no clue as to why this was happening.

At the conference, Mr. Sikri also highlighted the fact that algorithms are not systems that are developed on their own and that somebody has put logic into its design.

CCI is in talks with technical experts to understand the indicators & variables used and the weightage given by the algorithm used by airlines. The governing body is looking to develop its own algorithm to look into this issue but that will require a huge investment.

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In-Flight Wi-Fi & Calls May Cost More Than Your Flight Ticket!

AirWhizzMay 05, 2018 No Comments

In-Flight Wi-Fi & Calls May Cost More Than Your Flight Ticket!

Aviation Insider

The Telecom Commission on Wednesday approved the decision to allow in-flight wi-fi And Calling services on international and domestic flights.

Passengers will now be able to better utilize their time spent travelling. They will be able to stream videos online, answer E-mails, catch up on pending work and make calls at 30000 feet in the air.

But at what cost?

According to the proposal approved by the Telecom Commission, the prices of these services will be decided by the airlines and the service provider.

Countries that have allowed airlines to use these services charge around $4.5 for using 10 MB internet data. Domestic airlines expect that passengers using internet services on flights will most likely have to pay between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 on a 60-minute flight.

Below are some of the reasons why In-Flight internet and Calling services will be expensive –

  • Unique antennas will be installed on the airplane which will increase the drag of the aircraft. This will mean that the aircraft will consume more fuel and add to the fuel costs.
  • Installing this equipment on every plane will be a costly affair for airlines and they will have to spend between $400,000 to $600,000.
  • Engineering and Maintenance of equipment will also add to the cost

The airlines will pass on all this cost to the passengers. This means that travellers will have to pay much more for in-flight wifi services as compared to what they have to pay for data on their mobiles and public Wi-Fi networks on the ground.

In fact, in some cases, the use of in-flight Wi-Fi and calling services may cost more than your flight ticket.

Airlines like Air France, British Airways, American Airlines, Aeroflot, Air Asia and Emirates provide in-flight Wi-Fi services, but they charge handsomely.

According to eDreams, an online travel agency, the charges for In-Flight Wi-Fi usage may cost Rs 3350 for 150 MB on Aeroflot, Rs 302 for 10 MB on Air Asia, Rs 2412 for 200 MB on Air France, Rs 2144 for whole journey on British Airways, and Rs 1071 for 500 MB on Emirates.

Will it burn a hole in your pocket? Probably!

Is it worth it? You decide!

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10 Pro Tips To Fly With Your Guitar!

AirWhizzMay 04, 2018 No Comments

10 Pro Tips To Fly With Your Guitar!

Travel Like a Pro

For a guitarist, their guitar is the most precious thing in the world.

They use it to woo thousands of people at a gig and for jamming along with their band mates and friends.

No wonder, when you ask a guitarist how they are going to carry their guitar on the flight for their next big concert, they become nervous.

Most people tend to cross their fingers and just hope for the best when it comes to safely storing their guitar on the airplane

However, with a bit of planning it is possible to make sure that you can get your guitar safely through the flight.

We have compiled a list of travel hacks that will help you fly stress-free the next time you bring a guitar along with you on your flight!

1.CHECK THE AIRLINE INSTRUMENT POLICY

You can save yourself a lot of anxiety if you check with the airline before booking your ticket.

Most of the airlines in India are generally friendly to musicians and allow guitars as ‘Carry-On’ baggage which can be kept in the overhead bin.

In case you are flying on a small commuter aircraft, be prepared that your airline will check-in your guitar as there is less cabin room as compared to larger aircrafts.

2.INVEST IN A GUITAR CASE

Based on your airline’s policy, decide whether you are going to carry your guitar with you or get it checked-in on the flight.

If you are bringing the guitar on your flight, carry a soft well-cushioned case so that it is portable and well protected in the overhead bin.

If you are getting your guitar checked-in, invest in a hard case. Sturdy cases will last you a long time and your guitar will make it out alive from the wilderness of the airport luggage bay.

3.LOOSEN THE STRINGS

Prepare your guitar for travel!

Temperature and pressure changes in-flight can put enough strain on your instrument. This can cause the guitar’s neck to break, unless your strings are loose.

Also, while putting the guitar in the case, make sure it rests tightly so that there’s no room for bumps and damages.

4.STUFF YOUR GUITAR CASE

Guitars are fragile. But a lot of people don’t know this.

It’s a good idea to give your guitar some extra padding and support by stuffing t-shirts, socks, towels or bubble wrap in your guitar case.

This will minimise the movement of your guitar within the case and provide a cushion to your guitar during take-off and landing.

5.CONSIDER BUYING A TRAVEL GUITAR

If you are going on a vacation and are looking for a convenient travelling option, buy a travel guitar.
They are much smaller and some guitars even fold in half which can fit into specially designed backpacks.

However, if you are a professional musician you will need to carry a proper guitar to perform since these guitars are not gig friendly.

6.PUT ‘FRAGILE’ STICKERS ON THE CASE

Ensure that there are plenty of ‘Fragile’ stickers on the case

There are high chances your guitar will get pushed around by the baggage handling crew. So make sure you cover it with bright red fragile stickers so that they take it easy.

Also, attach a label with your personal contact details to your guitar case.

7.PHOTOGRAPH EVERYTHING

There have been incidents in the past where airlines have returned broken or damaged guitars to their customers.

In the (very) unfortunate circumstance that your instrument does get damaged, make sure you have lots of photos of it in its pre-flight state.

It will help prove your case if airlines deny damaging your instrument.

8. BOARD THE AIRPLANE FIRST

The nicest flight attendants in the world can’t help, if there isn’t any room on the airplane for your guitar.

There’s one fool-proof way to fix this though. BOARD FIRST!

If you are the first one to board the airplane you will get an empty overhead bin to store it and won’t have to worry about space later.

9.CHOOSE YOUR SEAT WISELY

Book your seat in the front or rear of the airplane.

You won’t have to walk through the whole cabin with your guitar and you can directly go and grab your seat.

Also, there are closets in the front and rear of the airplane, so you can ask the flight crew to place it in the closet. This will make it easier for you to keep a check on it.

10.CONSIDER SHIPPING YOUR GUITAR

Shipping is not always ideal because it’s expensive.

But it’s safe and convenient when flying with a guitar is not an option.

You won’t have to carry it around on the airplane and worry about it getting damaged. In addition, you get the added security of insurance.

If you want to know whether you can carry your guitar on the flight, look no further. Simply download the AirWhizz app and get information about airline policies on your phone.

Have a great gig and Fly Stress-Free!

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IndiGo Flight Delayed by 5 Hours, Passengers Protest At Delhi Airport!

AirWhizzMay 04, 2018 No Comments

IndiGo Flight Delayed by 5 Hours, Passengers Protest At Delhi Airport!

Aviation Insider

Passengers took matters into their own hands at the Delhi Airport, after a Guwahati bound IndiGo flight was delayed by 5 hours on Wednesday.

A group of passengers left the IndiGo flight and started protesting against the delay and mismanagement on part of the airline. They were standing meters away from the active runway while protesting.

The Delhi to Guwahati flight, which was carrying 177 passengers, was delayed due to a sudden change in weather on Wednesday night.

Here are the details of the incident –

  • Flight operations were partially affected last evening as a thunderstorm hit Delhi and its surrounding areas, causing 21 flights to divert from the IGI Airport.
  • The IndiGo aircraft (6E-694) which was scheduled for Guwahati arrived late because of the weather conditions.
  • The airline started the boarding process at 8.15 p.m. But with the weather intensifying, the aircraft could not depart and had to wait for a “respective departure slot”.
  • The departure was further delayed as the pilot’s flight duty time was over and a new crew was arranged.
  • Passengers on the flight were agitated over the delay. There was no communication from the airlines about the cause.
  • A group of angry passengers de-boarded the flight at around 10 p.m. and tried to block the taxiway.
  • CISF had to be called in to contain the ruckus and force passengers back into the plane.
  • The flight, which was to depart at 6:30 p.m. finally took off at 11:45 p.m.

The passengers were provided accommodation and ground transportation by the airline at Guwahati after landing.

IndiGo stated they were not aware of passengers getting down from the aircraft. In a statement released by the airline, they said that they regretted the “inconvenience caused to the passengers” and stated the reasons for the delay.

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