airport

7 Clothing Tips For Long-Haul-Flights!

AirWhizzDec 14, 2018 No Comments

7 Clothing Tips For Long-Haul-Flights!

Travel Like a Pro

Frequent flyers know that it takes a combination of factors to have a positive trip, and that comfortable clothes play a huge part in it.

This is why to have the best travel clothes, your outfit should not be left as a last-minute thought.

To help you with that, we have narrowed down a few pieces of clothes that won’t slow down your airport stride or make you twitch uncomfortably in your cabin seat.

Travel Clothing For Women

Putting together your airport outfit is no easy feat. One has to take in factors like alternating air cabin temperatures and destination climate. And all the while, there’s pressure to preserve some sense of style.

Hopefully these items will help you do just that:

1.Jacket

This outerwear piece is the quickest way to look stylish and increase the chances of an airplane seat upgrade.

We advise you to wear a classic long jacket at the airport. This will make it easy to conceal your casual wear underneath.

Depending on the weather, opt for a lightweight fabric like a cotton/polyester trench coat or wool fabric.

2.Long Cardigan or Pullover

Six-hour flights and above involve long hours of sitting in an airplane cabin. A long cardigan or pullover will give you warmth when the temperature drops in your cabin.

3.Scraf Or Pashmina

When it comes to air travel, a maxi scarf/pashmina has a dual function!

With the right size, texture and design, it will make you look smart and fend off the chilly cabin temperature.

4.T-shirt Or Top

Your tolerance to cold will determine how many tops you layer with.

T-shirts, blouses and vests are some of the pieces you can wear underneath your bulkier top.

5.Trousers That Stretch

Frequent flyers prefer wearing trousers over shorts or skirts. This helps avoid your bare legs making contact with germs on airport and airplane seats.

Personal style will dictate which comfortable trousers you wear. The options include harem trousers, leggings and palazzo pants.

You can also opt for athletic-inspired trousers since its trending and very comfortable.

6.Socks

During long-distance flights, air passengers who have to remain seated for long periods are prone to deep vein thrombosis.

To avoid your legs becoming red, swollen and heavy due to constrained movement, compression socks are a must. They help to stimulate blood circulation, thus lowering the risk of DVT.

7. Sneakers Or Comfortable Shoes

Again, this boils down to personal preference. For some, comfortable shoes are sneakers, for others, it’s soft leather flats.

It important to remember that feet swell up when you fly, especially on long haul flights, so choose your footwear wisely.

Travel Clothing For Men

When traveling a short distance, it’s more convenient for businessmen to travel in their formal work clothes. However, for the majority, wearing a suit for a long-haul flight is incredibly unappealing.

For menswear travel clothing, the key is to wear structured layered pieces to avoid looking unkempt. Here’s how you do that!

1.Jacket Or Blazer

This is the key piece that will elevate your entire look. Wear a jacket in a neutral style that will work seamlessly with your other travel ware.

Keep the texture of your jacket wrinkle-free. To enhance mobility during your trip, avoid stiff textures like leather.

2. Shirt

This could be a casual short-sleeved T-shirt or a smarter button-down shirt. Shirts are versatile as they can be worn on their own or combined with your other travel clothes.

3.Sweater Or Pullover

As tempting as it may be, leave your hoody nestled in the depths of your carry-on. A sweater or pullover will make you look more put together.

4.Comfortable Trousers

When it comes to air travel getup, it’s vital that your trousers are functional. This is because your airport journey will involve movement.

This could be standing in a line that moves at a snail’s pace or walking briskly to catch your flight.

One suggestion is you can replace your jeans with Khakis. They are also more comfortable than dress pants or jeans to sit in with for hours. Another attractive feature (when compared to jeans) is khakis offer a more casual yet professional look.

5.Scraf

A scarf will add depth to your airport ensemble. It’s also an easy way to add color or character to your outfit.

This accessory will come in handy when the air cabin temperature drops.

6.Socks

As mentioned before, wear compression socks to help you tackle DVT or swollen feet. Also for hygiene purposes, this is a must.

7.Sneakers or Slip-on Foot ware

Sneakers are really comfortable and its perfect if you’re tavelling in casuals, but it may not be a very good option if you’re wearing clothes on the formal side.

If that’s the case then go for convenience and choose footwear that are easily to slip on and off like formal Loafers.

How do you strike the balance between style and comfort?

Are there any garments or accessories we’ve missed on our list?

We’d love to hear from you & share your thoughts!

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India Officially Becomes The Fastest Growing Aviation Hub In The World!

AirWhizzDec 13, 2018 No Comments

India Officially Becomes The Fastest Growing Aviation Hub In The World!

Aviation Insider

India’s air connectivity has grown the fastest in the world for the last five years according to global airlines body International Air Transportation Association (IATA).

According to IATA’s Chief Economist Brian Pearce, India registered a double-digit growth in domestic aviation market for the 50th consecutive month in October.

An analysis by the IATA showed that air connectivity grew the fastest at 114 percent in the five-year period from 2013-2018.

In recent years, many foreign as well as Indian carriers have commenced flights to and from various Indian cities, making it the fastest growing domestic aviation market in the world as well.

However, Mr. Pearce said that even though there will be strong growth in the future, India needs to tackle the infrastructure challenge and make airports less crowded.

On steps being taken in India to address the infrastructure issues, he said that additional capacity is being put in place and some very good modern airports being built which is a “real positive”.

He also added that the lesson for the future is to provide good infrastructure because more is needed but at an affordable rate.

IATA’s director (global airport infrastructure and fuel) Mr.Hemant Mistry said that they have seen many examples of very high concession fees where a large proportion of the gross revenue of the airport is diverted to the government and not necessarily re-invested back into aviation.

With AAI implementing high end airport technology at major airports in India, they will surely be able to tackle the issue of congestion across airport and hopefully make India a global leader in commercial aviation.

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Your Cab Ride At Chennai Airport Just Got Expensive!

AirWhizzDec 12, 2018 No Comments

Your Cab Ride At Chennai Airport Just Got Expensive!

Aviation Insider

Getting an Ola cab from Chennai airport has become more expensive!

Since August the app based cab aggregator has, in addition to the usual fee, been asking for ‘Transportaion hub charges’ of about Rs 60 – Rs 80 from customers travelling to or from the Chennai airport.

Previously Ola & Uber had been charging an addition Rs10 per trip to/from the airport. However, Airports Authority Of India (AAI) floated tenders to have a dedicated space at the airport and OLA bagged it.

Dedicated Ola hubs and kiosks were set up with separate pickup and drop off points, in an attempt to reduce waiting time and avoid congestion. AAI charges a license fee from OLA to use space inside the airport for this. Parking and other fees are also levied on the operator.

OLA is passing on this extra charges onto the passengers in the form of Transportation Hub Charges and asking customers to pay over and above the usual fare.

In other cities, Ola users get a One-Time Password (OTP) they can use to board the next available cab at the hub. In Chennai, customers continue to wait for the assigned cab to reach the pickup point and hence there is not much difference in the waiting time , according to customers.

At the airport, regular Ola users say, cabs are given a 10-minute exemption to pick up or drop passengers and hence collecting Rs 40-Rs60 extra can be reduced.

Drivers had earlier gone on a protest in protest against the share rides and the high commission rates demanded from them urging the state transport department to come out with a fare table for cabs to help limit the commission rates.

But not much progress has been reported from the government‘s side according to the transportation department.

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Everything You Need To Know About The Newly Inaugurated Kannur Airport!

AirWhizzDec 11, 2018 No Comments

Everything You Need To Know About The Newly Inaugurated Kannur Airport!

Aviation Insider

Putting an end to a wait of five decades, Kannur Airport was inaugurated on Sunday.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the fourth international airport in the state with Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi being the other three.

Located within 30 kms of the main town, the airport puts Kannur on the global aviation map. The inaugural flight, Air India ExpressBoeing 737-800 to Abu Dhabi, took off on Sunday with 185 passengers.

Below are some interesting facts about Kerala’s 4th  International Airport:

Connectivity

Budget air travel To foreign destinations & connectivity to the northern part of Kerala is now possible thanks to Kannur Airport.

International flights to the UAE, Oman and Qatar will be operated from this airport. For regional connectivity, flights to Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Mumbai will be available.

Air India Express and Go Air have already started operations. Other airlines like SpiceJet will start shortly.

Public-Private Partnership

Spread across 2,330 acres, the new international airport in Kerala is built in the public-private partnership model.

While the Kerala government owns A 32.86 per stake in the airport, another 22.54 percent stake is held by state and central public sector undertakings.

It will surely set a benchmark for the Indian aviation sector for how airport should be built and function.

Cost & Capacity

With a runway length of 3,050 metres and costing close to Rs2,300 crore, the airport will have the capacity to manage around 4.6 million passengers annually.

The airport has a 95,000 square metre integrated terminal building, which is the eighth largest in India.

It is also the second greenfield airport in India after Kochi International Airport.

Traditional Architecture

The walls of Kannur International Airport depict the rich heritage and cultural tradition of Malabar and Kannur.

Murals enrich the look of the airport. Paintings of traditional dance forms like Theyyam, Kathakali and Yakshagana can be seen on the airport’s wall.

Opportunity

Kannur airport will create around 2,000 direct jobs by different airport agencies besides boosting the tourism industry in northern Kerala.

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The Worst Airports In The World In 2018!

AirWhizzDec 10, 2018 No Comments

The Worst Airports In The World In 2018!

Aviation Insider

Your flying experience doesn’t just depend on what airline you’re flying with, but also what airports you’re flying from.

AirHelp, a famous travel website which helps passengers to claim compensations, recently announced its ranking of 141 airports across the world.

The top airports on the list all earned praise for their friendly service, timeliness and clean, modern amenities. Unfortunately, not every airport came out looking so good.

The following 10 airports earned the lowest marks based on data assessing on-time performance, public reviews of quality of service and passenger sentiment on social media.

It’s fair to say that these airports have provided passengers plenty to complain about.

10. Eindhoven Airport

On Time Performance: 5.9

Service Quality:7.2

Passenger sentiment: 5.1

TOTAL: 6.39 (out of 10)

Eindhoven Airport in Netherlands is not the worst rated airport on this list, but it’s certainly not the best either.

If you go through the Facebook page of the Dutch airport you will find countless complaints about bad customer service, long security linesand general disarray.

Here’s an example of one of the thousand bad reviews on Facebook:

“After being dismissed by every staff member with the response of ‘That’s not my problem!’, it was nearly impossible for us to speak to someone in charge and when we finally got contact info they responded with a generic email just giving their condolences. Your condolences don’t give me back my money for the flight I missed because the airport security was such a train wreck.”

9. Bordeaux-Merignac Airport

On-time performance: 7.4

Quality of service: 5.6

Passenger sentiment: 5.1

TOTAL: 6.37

The Bordeaux-Merignac Airport is located seven miles outside the city center of Bordeaux in southwestern France.

While it received decent marks for on-time performance, the airport lost points for passenger sentiment and quality of service.

Complaints about this airport frequently target unclean restrooms, long security lines, rude staff members and an overall unwelcoming feeling.

8. Edinburgh Airport

On-time performance: 6.6

Quality of service: 7.0

Passenger sentiment: 1.8

TOTAL: 6.29

Even Though Edinburgh Airport tagline is “where Scotland meets the world,” some travellers were thoroughly unimpressed with this airport.

According to AirHelp’s analysis, the airport received pretty awful marks for passenger sentiment, which dragged down its overall score.

People who have flown through Edinburgh say it’s difficult to navigate, mismanaged and chaotic.

Travelers also point out that the airport is severely lacking in seats to accommodate passengers as they wait, so many people end up sitting on the ground which is definitely not ideal.

7. Boryspil International Airport

On-time performance: 4.3

Quality of service: 8.0

Passenger sentiment: 4.9

TOTAL: 6.03

If you’re planning to visit Kiev, Ukraine, chances are you’ll be flying into the No. 7 worst airport in the world, Boryspil International Airport.

Travellers have complained about the fact that it’s difficult to connect to this airport’s Wi-Fi and to find drinking fountains to fill up their water bottles.

Another common complaint is the state of the toilets at the airport which have been described as “Dirty & Smelly”.

6.Manchester Airport

On-time performance: 6.1

Quality of service: 6.6

Passenger sentiment: 2.6

TOTAL: 5.95

People really like to complain about Manchester Airport on social media and that negative passenger sentiment is one of the main reasons the airport is No. 6 on this list.

Most recently, people have been grumbling about the fact that Manchester now charges a fee for passenger drop-offs, so even those who aren’t actually stepping foot inside the airport have something bad to say about it.

Other travellers say the airport doesn’t have enough staff to keep up with the number of passengers traveling through it, which creates long lines and lots of frustration.

5. Stockholm Bromma Airport

On-time performance: 4.4

Quality of service: 7.6

Passenger sentiment: 5.1

TOTAL: 5.91

Despite Sweden regularly being named one of the happiest countries in the world, the country’s Stockholm Bromma Airport, located a few miles west of the city center, has caused quite a lot of headaches for recent travellers.

Though it’s much closer to the center of Stockholm than Sweden’s largest airport, Arlanda, travellers complain that the airport is tiny, which means there are few places to sit when things get busy.

The quality of service, however, has been rated higher because of the same reason, since a smaller airport also means quicker check-in and security procedures.

4. Paris Orly Airport

On-time performance: 5.3

Quality of service: 6.8

Passenger sentiment: 4.1

TOTAL: 5.83

If you aren’t flying into Paris’s main international airport, Charles de Gaulle, you’re likely flying into Orly Airport, south of the city center.

And chances are, this will lead to a not-so-pleasant experience!

In addition to the airport’s low marks from AirHelp, travelers don’t hold back on its Facebook page. Some of the most common complaints about Orly include that it’s crowded, not welcoming, disorganized and somewhat difficult to navigate.

3. Lyon-Saint-Exupery Airport

On-time performance: 6.1

Quality of service: 5.8

Passenger sentiment: 4.2

TOTAL: 5.78

Located on the eastern outskirts of Lyon, France, Travellers love the design and architecture of Lyon-Saint-Exupery, but that’s about where their compliments stop.

Travelers have complained about the lack of technology during the check-in process, long lines and unhelpful French staffers.

2.London Stansted Airport

On-time performance: 6.2

Quality of service: 5.8

Passenger sentiment: 1.1

TOTAL: 5.53

When you think of London Airports you typically picture Gatwick or Heathrow.

But don’t leave out London Stansted Airport, which is roughly 40 miles northeast of the city center.

The airport also happens to be the second worst in the world, according to AirHelp’s findings, due to an abysmal score for passenger sentiment (though surprisingly not as low as London Gatwick Airport) and mediocre marks elsewhere.

What do travellers have to say about Stansted?

Well, for starters, they complain that the lines for check-in and security are always incredibly long and that it takes forever to get your bags once you land.

1.Kuwait Airport

On-time performance: 4.1

Quality of service: 7.0

Passenger sentiment: 3.9

TOTAL: 5.40

Coming in at “No. 1” on the list of the worst airports in the world? Kuwait Airport.

Travelers flying through here noted that it was disorganized and not as clean as they would have liked, and that they felt the staff was not very friendly.

As one disgruntled passenger expressed: “This airport is a total disgrace.”

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Mumbai Airport Sets World Record For Handling Maximum Flights In 24 Hours!

AirWhizzDec 10, 2018 No Comments

Mumbai Airport Sets World Record For Handling Maximum Flights In 24 Hours!

Aviation Insider

By operating the maximum number of aircraft in 24 hours, Mumbai Airport broke its own record on Saturday.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) handled a record 1004 flight movements in a day, exceeding its own record of operating 1003 flights in June this year.

Part of the credits for this accolade goes to the incoming of guests for the pre-wedding bash of Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal in Udaipur.

The spike in flight operations is mainly due to the excess demand for flights and charter aircraft to Udaipur by several VVIPs attending the wedding function.

As many as 903 scheduled, 59 non-scheduled, 8 charter, 31 freight and 3 military flights were handled by the airport.

Similarly, the Maharana Pratap airport in Udaipur saw over 200 chartered flights fly into the city for the pre-wedding bash. The Ambani family has, apparently, booked 20 aircraft from commercial airlines for their guests. 

According to Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) spokesperson, they have ferried 1004 flights on a single runway within 24 hours. If they compare even internationally, then the busy Gatwick airport too, falls behind as they do not ferry these many flight movements.

The GVK consortium-led Mumbai Airport handled 48.49 million passengers in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2018, registering a 7.4 percent growth over FY17.

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8 Food Items You Should Avoid Before A Flight!

AirWhizzDec 07, 2018 No Comments

8 Food Items You Should Avoid Before A Flight!

Travel Like a Pro

With good inflight-food scarce or expensive, passengers have learned to bring their own snacks to keep away hunger during a flight.

But not everyone can pack homemade healthy snacks for their trip, and bank upon the greasy fast food burgers, oily pizza and heavy snacks like samosas or patties.

Put in a long layover or a flight delay in the mix and you’re surely tempted to go to the airport lounge and have a nice hearty meal with a tasty alcoholic beverage to go with it.

But the problem is that they are not very travel friendly and cause some serious health problems when you fly.

So, before you board your next flight, avoid these foods and beverages to fly stress-free.

1.Fast Food

As we’ve mentioned before, burgers and pizza are easy options to fill your stomach, but they’re definitely not viable when you’re travelling.

According to the medical studies, the body doesn’t do so well digesting foods filled with sodium and saturated fats in the first place and digestion at 35000 feet proves even more difficult.

So it’s common sense to avoid these worst offenders before flying.

But beyond the digestion problems, there’s also the issue of in-flight blood circulation. Eating greasy food  can cause an almost immediate restriction ofblood flow.

And because we’re inactive during a flight, the chances of getting health related problems can increase.

Alternative: Plan ahead and pack a light sandwich or a wrap.

2.Crusifirous vegetables

“Always Eat Your Vegetables” is something we’ve always heard growing up , but it isn’t the best advice before a flight.

Things like onions, cauliflower, cabbage, beans and lentils are difficult to digest, which can lead to bloating, cramps and gas in a pressurised environment.

This is because these vegetables contain high-sodium foods which retain water, contributing to that bloated feeling.

Avoid consuming them before or during your flight.

Alternative: Munch on sliced capsicum, carrot, cucumber and snow peas.

3.Salty Snacks

Chips, pretzels, instant noodles etc at the airport can curb your hunger in a jiffy but they’re very high in salt content.

Excessive salt is bad for everyone, but it is worse for frequent flyers since foods with high amount of salt increase the chances of high blood pressure and retains fluid in your body making you feel bloated when you fly.

Alternative: Opt for protein-rich snacks like dry fruits to keep you full for longer. You can also eat a freshly prepared meal at one ofthe airport restaurants and request the chef to add less salt to your food.

4.Caffine

Coffee or tea? The answer is neither.

It is said that you loose 1/3rd of water from your body when you’re flying and caffeine in itself causes dehydration.

Plus, even though you’ll be fresh for a while, but by the time your flight will land you’ll start feeling sluggish.

So, save your coffee fix for later since a fresh brew tastes far better on land.

Alternative: Herbal or Green Tea. Try peppermint to help digestion and ginger to eliminate motion sickness.

5.Carbonated Beverages

Sweetened fizzy drinks are a recipe for digestive disaster when on an airplane.

Since you’re sitting in one place it can cause gastro-intestinal problems leading to bloating up of your stomach.

Not the most comfortable feeling in the world!

Alternative: Fruits are a great source of vitamin C to boost your immune system and keep you hydrated. Oranges and watermelons can be easily found around the airport Or you can pack it yourself.

6.Chewing Gums

Gum seems like the best choice for an airplane since you’re not eating heavy, indigestible food.

While this might be true, chewing too much gum can actually wreak havoc on your system, causing bloating, gas, and Diarrhoea. 3 things you most definitely don’t want to battle while flying.

Artificial sweeteners in chewing gums can cause Diarrhoea and when you chew gum you swallow a lot of air, which causes gas and bloating.

Alternative: There aren’t many great alternatives but you can chew on mint leaves or use mint sprays to keep your mouth fresh.

7.Alcohol

You’re not going to like this but the fewer alcoholic beverages you have, the better your body copes with the flight.

Alcohol is extremely dehydrating, and the low humidity and high pressure in the aeroplane cabin causes further loss of water.

And in case you do feel like having a beverage make sure that you drink lots of water.

Alternative: Have a fruit juice or lots of water. Make sure you keep your hydration up.

8. Meaty Salads

Do not eat the tuna salad, chicken salad etc available at the airport. No, they aren’t healthy! They contain lots of mayonnaise, cheese,and other fatty dressing.

These so-called salads are quite deceiving. They make you feel bloated and uncomfortable on the flight and don’t really help with that diet you have been following to stay fit.

Alternative: A vegetable or fruit salad.

Conclusion

Even though we’ve mentioned some alternatives, many must be wondering what exactly should we have before a flight.

Well, the answer is ‘Nothing’!

According to a study published in the journal “Science”, researchers suggested that fasting for about 16 hours before a long flight may actually help to fend off jet lag.

In a nutshell, if you make your body think it’s starving,you’ll be able to remain awake and alert until it’s dinner time in your new destination, resetting your body clock.

It really tough to follow this but if you want to fly comfortably it’s definitely doable.

* The next time you fly and want to know where to eat at the airport, download the AirWhizz app. It gives you information about airport restaurants and their location at your airport terminal. You also get great deals and discounts at the airport, live flight updates and a whole bunch of services for your trip.

#FLYSTRESSFREE with AirWhizz.

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Authorities Preparing To Make Delhi Airport Emergency Ready!

AirWhizzDec 07, 2018 No Comments

Authorities Preparing To Make Delhi Airport Emergency Ready!

Aviation Insider

Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport will now have increased safety and rapid response against threats and emergency.

In a bid to do this about 50 officials from   Delhi Police, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), cargo workers, airlines staff and firefighters will be trained at the Delhi airport to handle Chemical, Biological, Radiological & Nuclear (CBRN) emergency situations.

This programme was initiated after the National DisasterManagement Authority (NDMA) carried out a survey at airports across country to find out preparedness against CBRN threats and identified gaps.

Here’s how the training will take place:

  • The training will be conducted by the NDMA officials along with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Airports Authority to India (AAI)
  • They are focusing on training these officers and enabling them to be able to manage the emergency situation until the experts reach the site to contain the situation
  • The programme will have various aspects of the CBRN emergency including safety, detection of CBRN threat, precautions against it and then how to manage such an emergency
  • The training will start on December 10 and will go on for five days

The programme will be led by Mr. S.K.Mishra, Senior consultant to NDMA & a former scientists at Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).

Experts from DAE, Institute of Nuclear Medicine Allied Sciences (INMAS), Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) will also cover the lecture sessions and field exercises.

In case you didn’t know, isotopes used for medical purposes are often stored in cargo terminals at airport, along with other hazardous chemicals. This is very hazardous and can lead to an unwanted emergency situation, making airports  vulnerable to radiological threats.

Airport authorities will be trained on what to do and what not to do in such situations.

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