airport

Why You Should Visit An Airport Lounge The Next Time You Fly!

AirWhizzJul 27, 2018 No Comments

Why You Should Visit An Airport Lounge The Next Time You Fly!

Travel Like a Pro

For many travellers, ‘Airport Lounge’ is a mystery!

But, if you’ve been to one before, you’ll know that it’s actually a place of tranquillity amongst the hustle and bustle of airport rush.

It’s a common belief that airport lounges are only accessible to business or first class flyers, but that’s not entirely true.

If you travel only a few times a year, you might have a tough time justifying the cost of an annual lounge membership. However, some programs let you in on one-day or short-term passes and the benefits of it are significant!

So if you reach the airport early and are wondering what to do, here are a few reasons to go and visit an airport lounge!

Quiet & Peaceful

One of the most attractive benefits of a lounge is that it offers you a secluded getaway from the large crowds.

Airport lounges offer large, comfortable chairs, with plenty of space to stretch out your travel tiredness away.

You can pass your time by reading magazines or catching up on the news and other entertainment on TV.

It’s a comfortable space with great facilities that are exclusive only to you and other guests in the lounge.

Great Place To Work

Lounges are great when you want to get some work done!

Apart from the peaceful surrounding, lounges offer you wi-fi & desks with power sources where you can use your own laptop or notebook.

In fact, these days lounges have business centers where you can make copies & send a fax or book a conference room for a meeting.

Exclusive Customer Service

Airline-affiliated lounges are typically staffed with employees who have full access to the airline’s reservation systems and flight details.

They can help you with just about anything like checking on upgrades, changing reservations, verifying flight connections, you name it!

Also, airport lounge agents are much more readily available as compared to those at the customer service counter with long lines in front of them.

Food & Beverage

All lounges offer some amount of complimentary food and snacks along with tasty beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic).

However, the quantity and choices are dependent upon the affiliated airline and the lounge.

In some lounges, you’ll find full buffet meals, while others offer snacks and heavy appetizers.

Some lounges also offer deluxe meals and premium branded drinks , which are available for purchase.

So, skip on that fast food and indulge yourself to culinarily delights, along with your favourite drink.

Worldwide Network

Airline-sponsored lounges are typically located in the airline’s most important airports, generally near the boarding gates.

Apart from airline lounges, there are other independent airport lounges you can become a member of, such as the “Plaza Premium Lounge” which has 160 lounges all over the world.

So, if you’re travelling abroad and have a connecting flight to catch, you can relax before your flight and take advantage of lounge facilities anywhere in the world.

Now that we’ve told you why you should visit an airport lounge, let us tell you how you can enter one.

Try Pay-Per-Use Lounges

These are independent lounges that can be accessed by any traveller, regardless of the airline or flight class.

Pay-Per-Use lounges are the perfect solution to unexpected delays and extended layovers, by offering exclusive facilities at a small fee depending on the hours of your stay.

These are typically a bit expensive but it’s definitely worth a few hours of stay.

Price: Approx. Rs 5000 for a Day Pass*

Join Independent Lounge Networks

These memberships offer access not just to a specific airline lounge, but also to a large network of independent lounges across the world.

Try “Priority Pass” for economical yearly memberships to more than 1000 lounges or The “Plaza Premium Lounge” membership for a First-Class experience.

Price:

Priority Pass: Approx. Rs 7000 per year*

Plaza Premium Lounge: Approx. Rs 2000 per visit*

Sign Up For Frequent Flyer Programs

If you travel by a specific airline (or airlines in the same alliance) frequently, it is best to join their frequent flyer program.

You can earn miles on every flight you take to attain elite status and get complimentary access to partnered airline lounges.

Choose a program that suits you best, depending on the locations and frequency of your travels.

Frequent flyer programs can be signed up for free. However, Just remember to put in your membership number while booking a flight.

Read More about “How To Save & Spend Frequent Flyer Miles Like A Pro”

Use Credit Card Privileges

Besides exclusive travel benefits and rewards, several credit card companies offer access to airport lounges.

For instance, American Express or HDFC come with credit cards which offer complimentary access to many domestic/international lounges, and reduced rates for the rest.

To choose the right one, check the credit card perks before applying!

Request For A Free Upgrade

Asking for a free upgrade is never a bad idea!

The airline staff at the check-in counter has the power to give free business-class upgrades and access to their lounges as long as there is availability.

So dress well, be polite and it might just be your lucky day!

If you want to know more about different lounges available at your airport, look no further. Simply download the AirWhizz App to get information about prices and locations of different airport lounges along with real-time flight updates and Airline Information.

* Please note that all prices mentioned here are only indicative. They are meant to give you a general idea. For the actual price and other details please refer to your airport lounge’s official website.

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Cochin International Airport Awarded UN’s Highest Environmental Honour!

AirWhizzJul 27, 2018 No Comments

Cochin International Airport Awarded UN’s Highest Environmental Honour!

Aviation Insider

Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) will soon be awarded the 2018 ‘Champion Of Earth’ award, which is the highest environmental honour given by the United Nations(UN).

The award is being given to honour the successful implementation of the solar energy project at the airport.

A special team led by Mr Erik Solheim, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP),had visited the Cochin Airport to study about its solar initiatives. They held a discussion with the chief minister of Kerala, Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan, who is also the chairman of CIAL.

Managing director of CIAL, Mr. V J Kurian, has said that Cochin International Airport has set an ambitious example by becoming the world’s first fully solar-powered airport and he hopes that others will follow their example.

He also said that CIAL has shown the world that big infrastructure projects like airport can be operated using alternative sources of energy.

United Nations established the “Champions Of Earth” award in 2005 to recognise outstanding environmental leaders from public/private and the civil society.

CIAL has been chosen in the “Action & Inspiration” Category, which recognises individuals or organizations that have taken bold environmental action, and in doing so, inspired others to follow in their footsteps.

By September 2018, CIAL will increase the airport’s solar plant capacity, from 30 Milliwatt power to 40 Milliwatt power, which will produce 60 million units of power every year. This will help the airport cut energy costs by Rs 40 Crore per annum and reduce carbon emissions by more than 9 lakh metric tons over the next 25 years.

The prestigious award will be presented at a gala ceremony which will be held near the UN General Assembly, in New York, on 26th September 2018.

Cochin Airport, which was the first Indian airport to be developed under a public-private partnership, had handled 10 million passengers last year. It also witnessed a 22% increase in the domestic passenger volume and 4% increase in international passenger arrivals in the Financial Year 2017-2018.

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Service Standards At Major Indian Airports To Be Closely Monitored!

AirWhizzJul 26, 2018 No Comments

The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority Of India(AERA) has announced that they will soon start monitoring the quality of passenger service at major Indian airports.

The authority will check if big Indian airports are meeting the service standards they have promised, in terms of time taken for various processes like check-in, security check and immigration.

AERA is responsible for fixing tariffs for Indian Airports which handle more than 15 million air travellers in a year. They are responsible for deciding the taxes, such as User development Fee, that a passenger has to pay.

They have said that AERA will start linking passenger service quality at an airport to determine the tariffs. They will start penalizing airports with sluggish services and reward those where passengers can breeze through the airport.

This decision has been taken to stop the congestion at airports during peak travel hours. Their concern is that airports have started to resemble overcrowded railway stations, where serpentine-like queues are a common site at check-in desks, security checks and immigration counters.

This has mainly happened because private airport operators and Airports Authority of India (AAI) have failed to meet the infrastructural demands after air travel exploded over the last few years.

According to AERA’s Chairman, Mr. S. Machendranathan, they will be appointing consultants to measure the quality of services provided at big airports. If the service standards are not met, AERA will start penalising them.

Hopefully, with this, airports will now make an extra effort to make sure that an air passengers journey through the airport is hassle-free.

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Indian Airports May Soon Get 3D Scanners To Check Hand Baggage!

AirWhizzJul 25, 2018 No Comments

Indian Airports May Soon Get 3D Scanners To Check Hand Baggage!

Aviation Insider

Removing laptops, tablets and liquid items during airport security checks may soon become a thing of the past.

Some of the busiest airports in the world are conducting trial runs for screening bags using 3D technology.

The Central Industrial Security Force(CISF), who is in charge of security at Indian airports, is closely keeping a watch on these trials and might decide to test it here.

3D scanning machines have so far been tested at the New York’s JFK Airport and Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport. London Heathrow airport is currently conducting trials of this technology.

CISF released a statement saying that to implement this system they will have to change the rules regarding physical checking of handbags. They also said that senior officials at the Civil Aviation Ministry are very positive about this new technology and might consider bringing it to India.

According to a Bangalore Airport spokesperson, preliminary discussion to install 3D scanning machines at the city’s airport are underway. They are looking forward to deploying this technology with a view to enhance customer experience and make airport security more efficient.

Most Indian airports, over the past few years, have not been able to improve their airport security infrastructure, leading to long serpentine-like queues during peak hours.

In fact, CISF had raised a red flag last year, over increasing rush at security checkpoints at busy airports. According to a report released by them, the total passenger traffic at all airports has increased by 65% over the past 5 years. However, this increase is skewed and abnormally high during peak hours at certain airports.

The CISF report also says that despite this huge increase, the security infrastructure and manpower have remained the same. This has resulted in congestion at security checkpoints and undue pressure on security personnel for speedy clearance.

Since expanding airport infrastructure takes time, technology like this will surely help manage the growing air passenger traffic at Indian airports.

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5 More Indian Airports To Allow Tag-Free Hand Baggage!

AirWhizzJul 24, 2018 No Comments

5 More Indian Airports To Allow Tag-Free Hand Baggage!

Aviation Insider

To make a passenger’s airport experience hassle-free, Central Industrial Security Force( CISF) has been continuously bringing changes to its airport security procedures.

On Monday, CISF announced that they will stop the practice of hand baggage stamping at the Khajuraho Airport, Swami Vivekanand Airport in Raipur, Jorhat Airport, Dimapur Airport and Shillong Airport.

A total of 42 Indian airports, including the 5 airports mentioned above, have done away with hand baggage stamping.

This new airport security regime was launched in April 2017 by CISF in consultation with the Civil Aviation Ministry and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).

In order to implement this system, airports have had to upgrade their security arrangements by installing smart cameras and other high-tech security equipment.

According to a CISF Official, the operators of these 5 airports were asked to increase the length of the conveyor belt of the x-ray machine, so that handbags could be checked easily.

CISF Director, General Rajesh Ranjan, had recently released a statement saying that this practice will be implemented on all airports under CISF, by the end of 2018. Currently, CISF handles the security at 60 airports across India.

The old process of stamping hand baggage had become a major irritant for air travellers and airport authorities around India received many complaints about it.

Passengers complained that this process is a hassle for them because its very time consuming and in case they forgot to get it tagged, security personnel at the boarding gate would send them back.

CISF has acted upon these complaints and with technology advancing at a fast pace, all these procedures have now been replaced by smart gadgets to better equip security personnel at the airport.

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Interesting Facts About Airports That You Probably Didn’t Know!

AirWhizzJul 23, 2018 No Comments

Interesting Facts About Airports That You Probably Didn’t Know!

Aviation Insider

Airports are fascinating places!

For some, they are simply a pickup point from where you travel from one place to another, but for many they serve as a second home.

The size and scope of airports can often be overwhelming, which is why it can peak the curiosity of many.

To shed light on some of the mysteries revolving around airports, here are a few surprising facts that you probably didn’t know about them.

1.Airports Often Sell Lost Luggage

Whether you leave or lose anything at the airport, it will go into a storage area where you have up to 90 days to collect it.

This includes luggage misplaced by airlines. However, airports won’t auction it until the airline has made all the efforts to try and track down the owner of the bag.

Airports take these items from storage rooms and either donate them to charities or sell them off for cash at auction houses.

In fact, last year Bangalore Airport held an auction for unclaimed baggage to get rid of the increasing pile of “lost” things.

2. Landing Slots Are A Huge Business

Airports charge airlines an exorbitant fee for the privilege of landing on their runways on certain days or times.

In fact, these landing slots are sold or traded between airlines.

For Instance, in 2016 Oman Air paid Air France $75 Million for an early morning arrival slot at the London Heathrow Airport.

High landing slot prices have been one of the major reasons why airfare has increased over the past 10 years.

3.Celebs Don’t Board Like You Do

You might have a famous person on your airplane, but you probably won’t know it.

Larger airports have separate check-ins and security protocols for celebrities. They often board their airplane directly through a secret door beside the jet bridge.

In the US, airlines such as United & Delta use a Porche or Cadillac to secretly transfer VIP’s from the terminal building to the airplane.

However, this kind of treatment doesn’t come cheap!

4.Airports Can Make Airlines Look Punctual

According to a travel survey conducted in 2017 on 8,50,000 flights globally, only 74 % of the flights arrived on time.

Airports change arrival timings to allow for delays and make airlines look more punctual than they actually are.

Read more about ‘The Complex Process Behind Your Airline’s Flight Schedule’

5.Celebrity Chefs Don’t Run Their Airport Restaurants

If you come across a celebrity chef’s restaurant at your next layover, chances are it isn’t actually run by the chef themselves.

Due to tricky logistics and security checks, special airport restaurant companies are in charge of running these outlets at an airport.

That means while you might have a nice meal, it’s probably not as good as it would be if you went to their actual restaurant.

6.Air Traffic Controller Towers Are A Peaceful Place

Contrary to popular belief, people in the Air Traffic Control(ATC) tower work in a stress-free environment.

In an interview with ‘The Telegraph’, an ATC tower operator said that people imagine ATC towers to be a hectic place where people are constantly screaming and throwing things at each other but it’s the opposite.

He also went on to say that outsiders are always surprised to see the serene environment inside an ATC tower.

7.Airport Operators Deliberately Keep Queues Longer

Airports are enormous, especially the boarding gate area!

But why is it that despite peak hour traffic, only one queue leads to a particular flight?

This is not because it’s convenient, but a single queue gives the person standing in it a sense of fairness that everyone would have to go through the same grind as they’re going through.

8.The Letter ‘X’ In Airport Codes Doesn’t Mean Anything

In movies, you must have seen people flying to or from LAX(Los Angeles International Airport).

Well! That ‘X’ doesn’t really stand for anything.

In 1938, International Air Transport Association(IATA) decided to change the airport coding format from 2 letters to 3 letter codes.

Thus, places like Los Angeles which had 2 letter codes had to add an ‘X’ in the middle or end of their previous airport codes.

9.Cash Exchange Rates At Airport Are Terrible

Passengers never get a great exchange rate at an airport terminal because exchange bureaus take advantage of disorganized travellers who have left things to the last minute.

If you’ve forgotten to buy your currency in advance, you’ll get far better rates by ordering it online, than getting it exchanged at the airport.

So remember to take cash in the currency of the country you’re going to before leaving for your trip.

10.Airports Are Designed To Stop You From Getting Lost

A lot of thought goes into airport layouts to ensure the smooth flow of travellers.

The key to a successful airport design is easy navigation, which is achieved through subtle but effective design cues that help people find their way from security to the gate.

For instance, airports are designed to have duty-free shops between security checks points and the boarding gate, to help you relax after clearing security & get you in the mood for shopping before boarding your flight.

If you want to go shopping before you catch your flight, look no further. Simply download the AirWhizz App to get information about different eateries and shops at the airport along with airline information and real-time flight updates to Fly Stress-Free.

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Surat Airport Gets Permission To Operate 24/7!

AirWhizzJul 23, 2018 No Comments

Surat Airport Gets Permission To Operate 24/7!

Aviation Insider

Surat Airport, which has recently been given an international status, is all set to operate 24/7.

Airports Authority Of India(AAI) has given the airport permission to operate round the clock. Airport operators have already started the process to recruit staff and set up immigration & customs counters at the terminal.

Last month, as per the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs notification, Surat Airport was given the status of a ‘Customs Airport’, making it eligible to operate international flights.

Confirming this news, Mr. Guruprasad Mohapatra, Chairman of AAI  said that despite knowing the fact that Surat Airport is making losses, AAI has decided to make it operational for 24 hours a day. This is because they see a huge potential to expand air connectivity to South East Asia through Surat.

From October 1st, 2018, the airport will be operational 24/7 and will commence its first international flight. At present, the airport operates in 2 shifts between 6.00 a.m & 11.00 p.m. It remains shut for nearly eight hours every day.

Air India Express has shown interest in starting flights from Surat to Dubai. In fact, Mr. K Shyam Sundar, CEO of Air India Express, had visited the airport last year to inspect the terminal building, runway and other facilities available at the airport.

Recently, the Deputy Chief Minister of Gujrat, Mr. Nitin Patel, in his budget speech said that he has set aside Rs 1 Crore for setting up immigration facilities at the airport. The home department of the Gujrat Government has already asked the Director General of Police(DGP) to allot 68 immigration staff members at the airport for the financial year 2018-19.

Air passenger traffic at the airport has been on the rise and is continuously increasing by 20-25 percent every year. With Surat airport getting the nod to operate round the clock, International airlines can look at this city as an opportunity to boost their operations in India.

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Delhi & Mumbai Airport Will Soon Introduce “TaxiBots”!

AirWhizzJul 21, 2018 No Comments

Delhi & Mumbai Airport Will Soon Introduce “TaxiBots”!

Aviation Insider

In a bid to control air pollution and to help airlines save fuel, Delhi And Mumbai Airport are all set to introduce ‘TaxiBots’.

TaxiBots are aircraft taxiing vehicles that can reduce air pollution by reducing emissions from aircraft engines, as well as help airplanes save on fuel consumption by 85%.

Here’s how TaxiBots work–

  • TaxiBot is a semi-robotic vehicle which connects to the aircraft and is controlled by the pilot.
  • The vehicle is then used to taxi the aircraft from the parking bay to the runway, without using the airplane’s main engine.
  • It lifts and holds the aircrafts nose wheel, while the pilot backs the airplane from the terminal building.

These vehicles will also help reduce aircraft engine noise levels by 60% and foreign object damage by 50%.

TaxiBots have been designed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), who announced last week that they will partner with KSU Aviation from India to operate these vehicles at Delhi and Mumbai Airport.

According to IAI, the contract will be implemented in two phases. The first phase will see these vehicles being implemented on a trial basis until December 2018.

The second phase will involve delivering 38 additional vehicles within a span of four years to the two international airports. Delhi Airport is likely to be the first to deploy these vehicles.

Delhi International Airport Limited(DIAL) has said that Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) will be the first airport in the world to use this technology. They also said that the trials will start by September 2018 for a period of three months.

It is estimated that the air passenger traffic in India will increase from 308.7 million in 2018 to 1.6 billion by 2033. More than 1500 aircrafts have been ordered by different international & domestic airlines to operate in India.

TaxiBots may be the answer to the pollution at airports that may be caused by this exponential growth. If the trial is successful, other airports in India should consider adopting this technology to become more environmental friendly.

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