Malaysian Grand Travel Deal-Upto 30% off, last 2 days

Travel to Asia just got a whole cheaper thanks to a plethora of airlines competing against each other with super low fares in all their segments. Apart from LCC airlines like AirAsia (who has a strong foothold on the budget traveler segment) , full service carriers has also started on the price war to lure travelers. Recently two airlines including Malaysian Airlines and SriLankan Airlines had announced big sales offering a steep 30-50% off their usual fares. Both the airlines had earlier maintained a subdued status when it comes to price competition, but given the surge in tourism to Asia (especially South East Asian countries), the former has stepped up on the game. Incidentally Kuala Lumpur has become the hub (for more than three airlines) , including AirAsia, Malindo Air, Malaysian Airlines and also Garuda Indonesia (for connecting flights).

Malaysian Airlines Grand Travel deals

Travel Period : 23 Apr 2018 - 31 Mar 2019 |Booking Period ( till May 1^st only)

Malaysian Airlines has announced a 30% sale on most flights till next March , esp to Malaysia, China, Japan and Indonesia. The sale is not only on economy but also on Business Class flights.

However the only rule is that , the fares are valid if you  book a return trip and not an one-way fare

One of the best fares I found in this sale was a return ticket fare from Chennai to Shanghai for just 21-22K. Given October- December was the best season to travel to China, I had booked mine for the same. As you can see, a business class flight which is usually 3-4 times of a economy ticket was just 10K extra and I could literally take a trip to China in business class (one way) for just 22K which to me is a steal, that too in a full service premium airline.

However, as mentioned earlier,  none of these fares are applicable if you are searching for a one-way ticket and the price is more than a return fare ( for the same date, same sector)

Note that promo fare on Malaysian includes 30 kg baggage allowance and meals, but these are non refundable. No refund. Seat selection and date change will cost extra.

Business Class Promo:

The business class promo by Malaysian airlines is definitely one of the best I’ve seen so far in my life. A “couple” return fare to major destinations like Bali from Chennai is just 51K (which works out to only 25K a person). This includes 14KG of hand luggage , lounge access privileges, gourmet food menu options, 40K of check in luggage and other luxury facilities given to every business class passenger. Even a “promo” economy fare in LCC’s usually cost 20K and this is something you shouldn’t miss for sure.

Other Asian sector fares in airlines including Scoot, SriLankan Airlines and Malaysian Airlines are as follows

• ·         Korea (Seoul) : 29K
• ·         Tokyo : 31K
• ·         Vietnam (Hanoi) : 16,700
• ·         Shanghai (Malaysian Airlines) : 22K
• ·         Singapore : 10,000
• ·         Jakarta (Indonesia) : 12,000
• ·         HongKong : 21K

Bio :This post was written by Karthik Murali , a travel & lifestyle blogger from Chennai for the past 11 years. His travel website is www.anasiantraveller.com. He has visited several 11+ countries so far with a huge passion towards travelling and blogging.

If you wish to contribute a guest post to airlineblog, check the guidelines here.

Malindo Air bags 2 significant awards!

Malaysia based Malindo Air has bagged 2 major awards this month. This post shares their press release on the same. The press release hasn't been edited by me. Best wishes to Malindo Air

Petaling Jaya, 26 April 2018 – Malindo Air simultaneously marks two significant victories, when conferred as one of the 12 Four Star Major Regional Airline in 2018, at the prestigious APEX Official Airline Ratings™.  The airline was also crowned Malaysia Best Employer Brand Awards 2018 for Airlines and Aviation, respectively.  

“We are deeply honored to receive these awards that signify industry recognition to the airline and the dedicated team behind it,” said Chandran Rama Muthy, CEO of Malindo Air, “The awards mean a lot to us as the team works very hard to upkeep the brand, not only strive to ensure safe journey with great experience to every passenger, but also in building quality work force with persistent progression.”

“We take pride in the career enhancement of our employees, by continuously reviewing, planning and implementing training & development programmes,  essential management engagement and innovation methods to cope with the dynamic trend of airline business. We believe in helping our employees to progress and keeping them contented as they are eventually the ones who will take care of our customers,” he continues.

“As we continue to expand our network rapidly in the region, these kind of recognition truly motivate us to stay competitive and continue to exceed expectations at every possible touch point. We would also like to extend our appreciation to our passengers, local & international industry and business partners who have been supporting us in our initiatives”

Apex Four Star Major Regional Airline is selected based on industry-neutral technology partner that would serve in collecting VERIFIED itineraries VALIDATED by geo-location and CERTIFIED by APEX’s external auditors. APEX partnered with the world’s highest-rated travel-organizing app, used by millions of air travelers worldwide, to gather anonymous passenger feedback based on verified travel itineraries. Using a five-star scale, more than 500,000 flights were rated by passengers from around the world between 24 October 2016 and 31 July 2017.

The Malaysia Best Employer Brand Awards is hosted by Employer Branding Institute (EBI), World HRD Congress & Stars of the Industry Group and endorsed by Asian Confederation of Businesses. The award features the top organizations from Malaysia who are exemplary in Human Resources (HR) and used marketing communications effectively to showcase strong internal and external communications. Key criteria including translating and combining vision with action with HR strategy, building line to mesh HR strategy with business and cultivating competencies for the future to enable building the organization to be future-ready.

 

Previously, Malindo Air also won several awards including CAPA’s 2016 Asia Pacific Regional Airline of the Year, New Comer of the Year, Australia 2016/17 by Expedia.com., TOP Recognition - Malaysia SME® Preferred Airline Partner, Airline of the Year (Passenger) at the KLIA Awards 2014 and Top Performing Airline 2015 by Travelport.

Antarctic Airways: Fly Day trip to Antarctica via Chile

Traditionally, those visiting Antarctica head to Argentina and from there board a ferry. This has been the conventional route as there're not many flights to Antarctica.

During the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai this month, I came to know about Antarctic Airways. They offer a one day and overnight trip to Antactica from Chile, for those who can't afford week long cruises and trips. If you prefer the fastest and shortest way to Antactica, you should check out Antarctic Airways.

Below is what I found:
Antarctic Airway's Trip begins from Punta Arenas, a town in the southern tip of Chile. From here Antarctic Airways will fly to King George Island, in the northern tip of Antarctica. Upon arrival guests can visit Penguin Colony, Trinity Orthodox church, few science centers and a Chilean settlement called Star Village. After this Guests can either return same day or opt to stay overnight.

King George Island is just the tip of the iceberg i.e. Antarctica- won't get you detailed experience, but yes, will give you a sense of it.

The cost:
I was told the expedition will cost 5500 USD, ex Punta Arenas. That is about 3.6 lakh rupees INR
This fee includes the following:
1. Up to 5 night stay in Punta Arenas (flight may not operate on all days and subject to weather conditions, hence guests may have to wait a few days in some cases)
2. Flight to King George Island and back
3. Meals and local site seeing in King George island

Overnight stay at King George Island will cost extra.
Flight from India (or your city) to Chile is not included- costs around 1.2 to 2 lakh rupees easily for an economy return ticket.
Most nationals including Indians will also need multi entry Chile visa for this expedition.

Check Antarctic Airways page on ATM for more details

While I am at it, you might wish to check out Darter Photography's Antarctica tour here - costs around 10000 USD + airfare- This one is a much more serious and detailed tour, not a one day short visit like the one discussed above. But then, for those who can't afford long and expensive expeditions and wish to get a feel of Antarctica, above package from Antarctic Airways might be worth considering. Also this makes sense if you're already in US or South America, have a week to spare and wish to make a quick trip to Antarctica to fulfill your bucket list.

Similar: Santiago De Chile- pictures * Public Transportation options in Valparaiso, Chile * 

Saudi based Flynas looking to fly to India

Saudi Araba based Flynas, initially started as domestic low cost airline is now flying several international routes. The news is that Flynas is looking to fly to India as well.

The Flynas website claims their international tickets start at SAR 199 onwards (USD 50 or INR 3500+) which is a good deal. If they begin India flights, Indian travelers will have a budget way to explore Middle East, Africa and a bit of Europe. The executives fro Flynas with whom I had a quick talk during Arabian Travel mart (ATM 2018) in Dubai said they wanted to fly to Mumbai and Delhi but getting an airport slot has been near impossible as these two airports are operating at their full capacity. Flynas is reportedly exploring which other Indian city they can fly to.

Once they begin, Flynas would compete with FlyDubai, Air Arabia and India's low cost carriers like Spicejet and Indigo for budget conscious outbound travelers visiting Middle East, Africa and Southern Europe. We will keep an eye for more details.

Flynas official website is https://www.flynas.com/

Update: Flynas has commenced India operations from Hyderabad

Etihad Ultra luxurious The Residence Suite Experience

At ATM 2018 (Arabian Travel Mart) held at Dubai this week, I got to experience Etihad Airway's famed Residency suit. Residency is the most expensive aircraft cabin in the world, designed in Etihad's fleet of Airbus A380. An Abu Dabhi-New York ticket costs around 82450 AED one way (22500 USD or INR 15 lakhs)

At the Arabian Travel Mart, Etihad had a mock-up of their residency suit- visitors could experience this ultra premium cabin without having to buy a ticket. I spent a few minutes experiencing the Residence and below is what I experienced.

The Residence has 3 sections- sleeping area with full size bed, a shower area and a sitting area.
The sleeping area:

 Very comfortable bed, with your own butler n customized food options

 The shower: Residence guests get their own private shower and toilet-very unique feature as in all other first class cabins restrooms are common.

The sitting area-like any first class seat, guest can sit here, watch TV or do their work etc

My thoughts- The shower area coming in between bed and seat doesn't look like a good idea to me. It eats up space and results in narrow passage. If the bed and seat is together and shower chamber is moved towards the end, may be it will be a bit more comfortable..

Unfortunately my photography of world's most expensive cabin (replica) wasn't the best- to save on weight I wasn't carrying Nikon- only had to manage with Honor mobile phone Plus the waiting crowd sort of forced me to finish asap n vacate the space.

Stopover Holiday
If you're booking the Residence, you can enjoy 2 night stay in Abu Dabhi's most luxurious suite in Emirates Palace Hotel

Watch a 30 sec video below. [or watch on YouTube]

FlyDubai new 737 Max 8 Economy Business class seats

FlyDubai, the airline with which I flew to Dubai and back, had a stall at Arabian Travel mart 2018. They were exhibiting their new 737 economy and business class seats and its unique features. This post shares my findings:

What's new in FlyDubai's Business Class seats?
At present, FlyDubai's 737s have 3 rows of business class seats, seating 12 guests. This will be cut down to 10 seats- 4 in first row, 4 in last row, only 2 seats in the middle row (one on each side of the aisle- see pictures below.


FlyDubai's current business class seating for quick reference.

The new business class seats will come with 180 degree recline- guests can lie flat and sleep.

Did you wonder why only 1 seat in second row? I had this question too- this is because the legs of the passenger will go in between (under) the two seats ahead (those in first row) Thus while in the first picture it appears extremely spacious leg room, part of the leg will be going under the next row. They had only 2 rows at the stall, so this tricky part won't be obvious to the visitors unless they think a bit.

What's new in the economy?
The economy seats in the new 737 Max 8 get adjustable headrests, which can even be folded- this is likely to give lots of extra comfort compared to today's economy seats. Other specifications (legroom, seat recline etc) seem to be same as now- I was told economy will have one row less, which would translate to few mms of extra leg room for remaining seats.

So who gets to fly in these new 737 Max 8?
I was told these aircrafts will be deployed on routes longer than 5 hours- mainly to Russian airports. Thus Indian passengers are unlikely to experience these comforts unless they connect to a long haul destination from Dubai. Anyway we can hope few of them fly to India as well, at least in future as airline gets more deliveries.

Best wishes to FlyDubai. My travel experience on FlyDubai is available in a separate post

Update: Hope the toilets in the new 737 Max 8 are spacious as earlier. Here's a news of American Airlines new 737 MAX having super tiny toilets that is testing the limits of US air travelers.

Jet Airways introduces Bid for upgrade scheme-Reviewed

India’s Jet Airways has introduced a bid feature in which passengers can bid a price of their choice to get upgraded to first class or premiere. Srilankan Airlines had this feature since years, I believe Air India also has similar feature (Get Upfront). Premiere is Jet Airways equivalent of Business Class.

Review of Jet Airways Bid for Upgrade scheme:

I had a Jet Airways ticket and promptly got a mail asking me to bid for an upgrade. I tried this new Jet Airways bid feature and below are my findings. Note that this entire post is about one way ticket- prices shown are for one way, not return.

You can bid only if you have an existing ticket-economy seat (if you have premiere ticket and aircraft has first class you can bid for first class)

When you begin to bid, you'v two options- pay full price and get instant confirmation or bid any amount.

If you’re willing to shell out the full price of premiere, you will be offered an instant confirmation. But this isn’t usually an economical option- For instant confirmation between Chennai and Delhi I was asked to pay 22205 (See right most corner in above pic). Not worth it

For example, for the same upgrade that is being sold to me at 22205, which will actually cost me 26k (22.2 upgrade fee + 3.7 paid for original economy seat), a fresh premiere ticket is available for 19766. So why would I pay 26k for upgrade? But do check for your flight- the numbers could be different.

I feel this is wrong. Jet Airways should ensure that price of Instant upgrade is lot lower than what it costs to buy a new Premiere ticket, given that guest would have paid several k for economy seat already. May be since these are the early days of this scheme concerned people didn't notice the mistake-hopefully they will rectify this in future and ensure that upgrade price is always cheaper than buying new ticket.

It wasn't clear if the upgrade is for which sub category in premiere- saver, classic or flex. I am assuming the cheapest one, saver.

Obvious option will be to bid. Bid price for Chennai-Delhi started at around INR 7315-this is the lowest amount you can bid, which if accepted will get you a premier class seat for a total price of around 11k or half of what it costs for instant confirmation. (7.3k + 3.7k I had originally paid for the economy seat)- do check price of fresh premier seat-it may be cheaper than the upgrade amount you’re paying. If you try to bid zero you website won't let you proceed.

In above example, you stand to save up to 45% on premier fare, if your lowest bid is accepted (11k vs 19.7k) But if you bid at lowest price, probability of upgrade will be too low, as there will be others who might have bid higher amount and will be given preference. If you're bidding at around 10k, you're paying a total of 14k and your effective savings will be less than 30% the price of a premiere ticket.

Premiere gets you slightly wider and more reclining seats and a bit of better food and priority check-in. There is no mention of extra baggage allowance and lounge access- I am guessing these are not included. Would you pay 10-20k for such an upgrade? I wouldn’t. I will probably spend that money on a new ticket to some other destination. But yes, there are people who might want to try their luck or are willing to pay a premium. This bid feature is useful for them.

May be if the bid started a bit lower- at say INR 2000-3000, more people would have considered. This is my opinion. But each aircraft has only 6-8 premiere seats-naturally Jet Airways wants to optimize profit by offering it to only those who are willing to shell out a premium. I think they are confident of getting people willing to pay 7-10k more and bid for an upgrade, hence don't want to dilute the proposition by offering it cheaper.

You need to provide payment details- Jet says your card will be charged only if your bid is accepted.

Disclaimer: As experienced for a ticket I had. Prices may differ based on what sector you're flying and various other factors. Numbers for reference only and may vary.

For hotel booking, there is a website offering similar bidding feature-check my review of TravelSpice

Let me know what you think of this feature- would you bid?

Garuda Indonesia Mumbai Bali direct flight from April 23

While AirAsia is discontinuing its Mumbai-Kuala Lumpur- Bali flight from end of April Garuda Indonesia will begin direct flight between Mumbai and Bali from 23rd April.

In the beginning there will be two flights per week-Monday and Thursday and the airline is promising an additional flight on Saturday from June. The non stop flight time will be seven and a half hours.

While the advertised fare is INR 23000 return, for several date combinations I tried several dates in April & May- got much higher fares- around 55-60k round trip. Just not worth paying 50k for Bali-30k should be max even on a full service airline. My guess is cheapest seats on each flight are already taken. I found low fares for future months- like September and November, when return fares for 26k are still available. This seems to be the lowest price.

Garuda Indonesia's lowest fare includes 30 kg baggage and meals, but seat selection and everything costs extra. There're slightly more expensive premium fares which come with more benefits. Refer below table.

Garuda Indonesia is using a same booking system used by Srilankan and Fiji airways- there is no modify search option- need to re-enter all input one more time.

Blogger Divyakshi Gupta has done a detailed review of her Garuda Indonesia experience. (She flew Bangkok-Jakartha on Garuda.

How about connectivity from other cities in India?
Garuda has tie up with Jet Airways, so you can fly to Mumbai on Jet and connect to this BOM-DPS flight from there, or better still, you can fly to Kuala Lumpur or other hubs in Asia on Malaysian/other code share partners and then fly to Bali from there on Garuda

Other alternatives to reach Bali:
Malindo Air flies to Bali one stop via multiple Indian cities. Malindo will be one stop via KLIA1 but they operate from multiple Indian cities, fares similar or cheaper than Garuda and service is good. So do check them out.

More Bali posts- Bali suggested itinerary * Beaches of Bali * Padma Ubud Bali * Bali Bike rental experience * 

Why can't India’s airlines make inflight announcements in regional languages?

One of the common feedback from India’s airline passengers- mostly from South India is that airlines are not making in-flight announcements in their regional languages. Almost all announcements are made only in English and Hindi, putting many passengers whose mother tongue could be Kannada/Tamil/Malayalam etc at a disadvantage. Unless their Hindi/English is good, they can’t make good understanding of what is being announced. This could be a danger during real emergency.

In this post, let us assess what it takes for airlines to make in-flight announcements in regional languages.

Arguments against the need for using regional languages in-flight

Argument	Counter Argument
There’re too many languages in India- not possible to keep explaining in every language	Demand is to use regional language prevailing in flight origin, destination. At max this will result in need for 4 languages- English, Hindi (assuming it is retained), Regional Language 1 and Regional Language 2 (For a Chennai-Kochi flight, Tamil & Malayalam, For Chennai –Coimbatore flight, only Tamil extra.
Cabin crew are from different parts of India and keep flying to dozens of cities every day all around the country- they can’t be expected to learn every regional language	Fair enough. At the minimum recorded announcements can be used. At the best, airlines can ensure at least one of the cabin crew speaks regional language
Air Passengers are fairly educated people- they can understand English/Hindi	Not true. Now lots of people are taking to the skies, not just well educated people. Local language is more effective on these passengers
No one really cares for inflight announcement- why bother with multiple languages	Of course most regular passengers are used to it and don’t pay attention. But the safety announcement and other rules are there for a reason. In case of real emergency following/not following these instructions can make a difference between life and death. Not being able to understand these instructions will make it worse for affected passengers and others.

Is it fair to drag airlines into language war and add to their already long list of complexities and headaches?

This is for each passenger to decide. If you think getting served in your own language is really useful/required then ask for it. For those who're not strong in Hindi/English I am sure regional language will help. Serving in local language also gives the airline some brownie points and will help get more loyal customers. Most countries world wide serve their customers in multiple languages (Singapore has a 3 language policy- English, Chinese and Tamil)- Many European airlines service in their home country language besides English. Just that in India it is a lot more complex with 20+ languages to cater, so airlines, regulators and passengers need to consider these complexities.

Hyderabad airport serves in 4 languages- English, Hindi, Urdu, Telugu. Almost all airports do use local language- the above concern is only for in-flight announcements by airlines, which is done in only say English and Hindi even for a Chennai-Madurai flight.

Is it impossible to use regional languages?

No. If there is a will, there is a way. Several international airlines are making attempt to use regional languages of India to get closer to country’s passengers. Lufthansa makes critical announcements in Tamil on its Chennai bound flight. [Read my Lufthansa Premium economy experience] Even menu are in Tamil. Indians flying in few other airlines have also experienced hospitality in their own language and have appreciated it.

So what is the problem with India based airlines to use regional languages?

1. Demand is not strong enough: I believe the airline bosses haven’t felt the need to service Indians in their regional languages- except some occasional facebook rants, most passengers have got used to service in Hindi and English, hence demand for regional language hasn’t been strong enough.

2. Rostering issues: An aircraft may fly through half a dozen language zones in a single day- it may start from Delhi, fly to Mumbai, then to Kochi, then onwards to Chennai, then to Vizag, then to Kolkata and to Guwahati. So which language cabin crew to assign to this aircraft? Obviously not possible to have 7+ crew with at least one knowing Marathi, Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Bengali and Assamese. This adds a new level of complexity to cabin crew hiring, training and deployment process, which means more money.

Easy way out for airlines (what airlines can do in immediate future):

• Play emergency procedures and critical announcements in regional languages, through recorded audio if trained crew is not available
• Support regional languages in airline app. Customers who want service in specific language should be able to download and get updates/info in their own language
• Try to manage crew hiring and rostering such that wherever possible someone speaking local language is onboard. May be not possible all the time on all the flight, but if a passenger wanting local language service gets it in say 2 out of 10 flights, he will still be happy and be loyal to the airline. Over time airlines can try how to improvise on this.
• I feel it is lot easier to support regional languages on the ATR fleet which keep flying short haul distances within a state or within a few states. If there's an ATR doing rounds only in South India-say Hyderabad-Chennai-Bengaluru-Kochi-Goa-Hyderabad, then it is easier to staff it such that crew can speak at least 2-3 of the 4-5 South Indian languages. If a crew knows one south Indian language, he/she can easily pickup a few critical words in one other south Indian language as well.

What you can do as a passenger?

• Use available feedback opportunities to communicate to airline that you'd prefer services in your language.
• If you find an airline serving you in your language, do leave a positive feedback and patron that airline more.

Nothing is impossible- if companies feel the pressure or realize the benefits of doing something, they will at least try.

What are your thoughts? Would you vote for airlines to serve you in your mother tongue? Would you prefer an airline that does over another airline that only uses English & Hindi, even if the other airline is cheaper and more comfortable? Do share below.

Similar: Some of the best in-flight videos * 

Guest Post Opportunity-Contribute your experience to Airlineblog

Airlineblog is open to contributions from its readers. If you have an interesting story to share- about your air travel experience or tips and tricks you’ve mastered over time, any unique photos you might have clicked, things you love and hate about air travel, any interesting encounters on board your flights and so on, you’re welcome to share it as a guest post on airlineblog. Put your thoughts togethere as an article, include relevant photos and send it across for consideration and publication.

What you will get:

1. There will be no cash payments for your contribution. I don’t have any revenue from this blog to pay you. Sorry about this. If you’re not comfortable please save your time by not reading further.
2. At the end of article, your bio (around 100 words) and a photo (if you prefer and provide) will be included, along with one link to your blog/website if any and one link each to your twitter/FB/Instagram profiles. Please provide these info at the end of article.
3. All posts will be shared on social media- I don't have any great follower base and not promising huge visibility, but whatever little it helps is a bonus.

Conditions:

1. Article should be related to airports, airline and air travel. Your experience with a particular airline/airport, how you managed to get cheap tickets/upgrades/lounge access, tips and tricks you follow related to packing, relaxing on the plane etc, anything unique related to these topics will be considered. If in doubt check with me before writing.
2. Only first-hand experience and tips will be entertained. If you’re sitting at home and cooking up articles like “10 great places to visit this summer” or “15 visa on arrival countries” etc, don’t bother sending. This opportunity is for travelers who don’t have a blog/wish to contribute on other blogs to share their experiences/observations, not for content writers to get some backlinks for their clients through guest post.
3. Negative experience/criticism is fine, but should be supported with possible evidence. Try to give both side of the story and be fair.  Articles like “this is worst airline- no one should ever fly it” won’t be published unless supported by convincing evidence.
4. Content is subject to editing. I might add some additional information where relevant or if felt necessary.
5. At least one photo which is relevant to the story is expected but not mandatory(I can add a most relevant/generic pic from my collection)
6. Do not try to cleverly insert 3^rd party link. External links, if not deemed absolutely necessary may be removed or added with nofollow.
7. No prior assurance can be given that whatever is sent will be published. Each article will be considered based on its own merits.

Questions:

What should be the length of the article?

No limits. However I recommend between 400-2000 words- too short, it may not count like a blog post, too long, I might have to split into parts for ease of readability. But if you think just one photo and a line is all you have and it is really worth sharing, do send across.

When will the article be published?

I plan to publish them at regular intervals- depending on how many articles I receive and their quality/significance. I will keep you posted about possible date once your contribution is reviewed and accepted.

Is there a timeline/deadline?

No, I don’t have any deadline- I will start reviewing and publishing on first come first serve basis. Send at your convenience. However, if you’re serious I advise setting yourself a deadline and finishing it before that. Else you might lose focus/keep delaying it forever. If you’re taking several months I can’t assure the plan will still be on.

Can I send more than one?

You can.

Where to send?

You can send them to admin at enidhi dot net, or share with me via any other social media channels

Air New Zealand India Sale- Worth it?

Air NewZealand is currently running an India Sale, promising a return ticket from India to New Zealand for INR 45000 onwards. Is this a good deal? I am sharing my analysis in this post.

What is the cheapest way to reach New Zealand from India?

• Cheapest way is through AirAsia- you can get India- Auckland return ticket for INR 20-25k during Air Asia big sale, depending on which airport you begin from. I have a Chennai- Auckland return ticket for INR 23600+ - this is the cheapest it can get.
• But above fare doesn’t include baggage and meals.
• 20kg bag for all legs will cost close to INR 7000
• Around 6+ meals and a few drinks you’ll need during this long flight will cost around INR 2000-4000 depending on what and how many you buy. Let us assume INR 3k
• You will need Australia transit visa to connect via Gold Coast, which is free but VFS will charge about INR 1000 as processing fee, plus some running around with documents is required

Thus if you’re buying bag, meals and need to spend on Australia transit visa, actual cost of Air Asia trip will come to 24+7+3+1= 35k which is about half of Air New Zealand fare advertised above. You will save significantly if you can manage without check in bag and already have an Australia visa (or need it anyway to visit Australia)

Note that AirAsia’s cheapest ticket is not available all the time- only during their Big Sales which happens 2-3 times an year and only a few seats per flight are sold at this low fare. Air Asia’s normal fare (like 3 months before) will cost close to 40k return without bags and meals, which is about 50K+ or almost as much as Air NZ fare.

What are the advantages of Air New Zealand flights?

• Since they fly direct to New Zealand, no Australia transit visa needed and saves a few hours compared to Air Asia (Note: Some  SQ operated NZ bound flights may have a technical stop in MEL)
• Air New Zealand is a full service airline- fare includes baggage, meals and entertainment onboard
• Air New Zealand doesn’t fly direct to India. India-Singapore leg will be served by Singapore Airline/Silkair and from there you will fly on Air New Zealand
• Air New Zealand seats are likely to have little more tilting and little more leg room
• While AirAsia and many other airlines fly only to Auckland, Air New Zealand flies to various other cities in NZ- Wellington, Queenstown etc- you can explore better
• You will get SGD 20 coupons for use in Singapore’s Changi airport (Worth about INR 1000). If you have 5 hour + transit time, you can avail free Singapore city tour organized by Changi Airport. More value for your money. Changi on any day is a better airport to transit through, compared to other airports in the region.
• Air NewZealand has some of the finest inflight safety videos- it tops my earlier list of most finest/funniest in-flight videos

Is this Air NewZealand India sale good?

1. As I showed earlier, if you need baggage and meals, then even Air Asia’s cheapest ticket (which isn’t available all the time) will cost close to 35k which is about 20-25 savings over next best option. If you prefer some luxury and don't mind spending a bit extra, Air New Zealand deal will appeal to you.
2. The sale sales, promised fare is applicable if booked for min 2 pax. If you’re planning solo, you may not get the lowest rates.
3. I tried multiple date combinations- couldn’t find the lowest fare as shown above, but found rates within 10-15% of the lowest fare advertised. You can try for your origin city and preferred dates- may be you will get lucky. Note that fare shown is in SGD (1 SDG =50 INR) and your bank may charge an additional fee for payment made in foreign currency.
4. The cheapest flights seem to be from Delhi. Check here for prices from your city.
5. Sale is ON till 20^th April- you’ve another week to decide.
6. 50-60k is not super cheap, but reasonable. If NZ is on your cards and the price seems reasonable and affordable to you, go ahead and book. If you try hard, you might get some destinations in NZ for a lower price- like 40-45k on SQ or MH. Do check.
7. Please cross check the fare once on Singapore airline. For the example below, I found SQ around 7k cheaper than Air NewZealand- timings are exactly same, so I guess flights are also same. In a code share arrangement, usually booking with airline that operates the flight will save you a few bucks compared to airline that only has codeshare agreement. So do cross check once before buying.

 

NZ visa

New Zealand visa will cost approx. INR 8000-1000 per person. NZ is an expensive country, so do plan your budget accordingly.

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Ultimate guide to cheap flight ticket bookings

There’s lot of posts on the net that claim to explain how to book cheapest flight tickets. Most of them simply advise you to book early while others subtly try to promote their own booking sites/services. Others propose booking on particular day of the week and time of the day. Lot of people approach me stating they need to go somewhere and if I have a way to get them cheap tickets. I don’t have any secret sauce for getting cheap tickets particularly when someone has a date and destination fixed and doesn’t have any flexibility. On the other hand if you’re flexible with date and destination, there’s a lot that can be done to fly at much cheaper price.

In this post I am sharing an ultimate guide to booking cheap flight tickets. Booking cheap tickets is NOT a function of time. Booking earlier doesn’t always guarantee you cheapest rate. Booking cheap ticket is a direct function of how flexible you’re w.r.t travel date as well as destination and the science of what price is cheap, normal vs expensive, coupled with how much of a gamble you’re willing to take.

When you set out to book a cheap flight ticket, first figure out which of the following categories you fall under:

Category 1: Fixed date and destination, traveling in short notice (next few weeks)- In this case, there isn’t much one can do to get great deals

Category 2: Fixed destination, very flexible with dates or planned travel date several months away

Category 3: Will travel to wherever it is cheap whenever it is cheap

Once you decide which of the above category you fall under, check below table for right approach. If you’re in category 1 then there’re not much options- book whatever is cheaper. If it is category 2 and 3 then you have more chances of saving than simply booking earlier or booking at prevailing rates.

Category 1: Fixed Date & Destination, Must travel.
Situation: Date & Destination fixed, have to travel, date is very close
Situation Description: Least flexible way but most of us face this situation due to compulsions- some family events/ business meetings/event etc which need to be attended- so dates are almost fixed and there're no other viable alternatives- like train etc
Ticket Booking Approach:Not much flexibility so no secret sauce, book cheapest available/most convenient flight

Additional Steps:

1. Scan popular OTAs like Cleartrip, MMT etc- they keep running offers from time to time, which if available and genuine, might save a few hundred rupees. Be aware that most offers are tricky- they give in one hand, take back in other, or often need you to spend more to utilize the cashback. But at times there will be genuine offers- like this one on cleartrip.
2. Try previous evening/next morning or nearby airport if viable Airports with lots of flights are usually cheaper than airports with very few flights per day (Chennai Delhi is lot cheaper than Chennai-Jaipur or Chennai Lucknow)- you can check flight+ bus/train option.
3. Don't compare prices just at first page on various portals. Compare at the final payment page. Some travel sites show low price in first page and then increase it in between or add lots of fees in final stage. [Check this makemytrip trick]
4. Note that some airlines are not listed on portals like MMT, Cleartrip (Example: Air Deccan, TruJet etc)- if your destination is served by these airlines, check directly on airline website.
5. If prevailing rates feel very high, you can risk n wait- fares may drop closer to travel date or in some cases they can go up as well (if demand is good)- this will be a risk you've to take

Summary: Since you have to travel anyway and travel date is very close, this doesn't leave you with lots of options. You've to book on whatever best available deal- can try to save a few hundred rupees by exploring 4-5 options given above, but otherwise, not much room for

Category 2: Fixed Destination, Flexible dates/travel date several months away
Situation: You've decided to visit a destination but have liberty to select any date or there's lots of time to travel date. This means you're not under a pressure to book asap and wait for right opportunity/reasonable price before booking.

Situation Description: From my own example, I wanted to visit Orissa (Odisha) but earlier there were no direct flights between Chennai and Bubhaneshwar. Later Indigo and AirAsia have started direct flights, but initially price was high. So I waited for a sale when price was lowest and booked.

Ticket Booking Approach:
Step 1: Identify normal and cheapest possible fare for the destination
You need to find out what fare between your city and planned destination is cheap, normal and high.
For example, Chennai to Delhi one way- anything around Rs 2500-3500 is usually cheap, around 5000 is normal and anything about 7000 is high
Between Chennai and Port Blair- a return ticket of around 7500 or less is usually cheap, 10000-12000 is normal and about 15000 is on the higher side.
Between Chennai and Coimbatore- Lowest I've seen is around INR 1000-1200, Rs 2000-2500 is normal and anything above Rs 3500-4000 is usually high. Below is a table containing my observation. Do a similar chart for destinations you've in mind.

#	Origin	Destination	Lowest fare I’ve seen (Return)*	Normal Fares	Last minute high fares	Remarks
1	Chennai	Delhi	5000	7000-8000	10-15k
2	Chennai	Coimbatore	2200	3500-4500	8-10k
3	Chennai	Port Blair	7000	10000	15000+
4	Chennai	Dubai	12068	15-16k	25k+	FlyDubai
5	Chennai	Bali	10000			Air Asia
6	Chennai	Yangon	8900	15-16k	25-30k	Air Asia
7	Chennai	Osaka Japan	17000	25-30k	40k	Air Asia
8	Chennai	Australia	21000	30-35k	50k
9	Chennai	Colombo	7500-8200	10-12k	15k+
10	Chennai	Mumbai	4000	6-8k	10k+

*in past 12 months, including convenience fee, cheapest possible fare (excluding bag, meals etc where optional). I've an additional list here for lowest fares on AirAsia Destinations.

You can arrive at above number by checking prevailing fares for multiple dates (near term, long term etc) and during sale and during normal days, peak season, off-peak season etc. Keep checking fares regularly over a month or two and you will get a sense of what is lowest and what is normal and what fare is very high for your destination.

This is similar to 52 week high and low numbers available for a stock price while buying shares. If the share price is closer to 52 week low, then it is a good chance to buy more of it- if it is closer to 52 week high, then you should sell your stock or wait to buy

This takes some effort, but is critical to decide right price. Getting a sense of this price range for your intended destination from your origin city is very important to decide if the price you're seeing is reasonable or can get eve cheaper.

Step 2: Check if lowest rate is available for any of the future dates
Now you know what fare is lowest and what fare is normal for the destination you've in mind. Try the following:
Step 2A: Check prevailing fares for various dates in future- different date combinations suitable for you. You can use fare calendar offered by MakeMyTrip and AirAsia to check cheapest dates. If you spot a fare very close to lowest fare you've noted down, you can skip to Step 2C, else go to Step 2B
Step 2B: You see that current fares are not cheap enough for the destination you're targeting. Do the following

• Set alerts in Skyscanner,google flights so that you will be notified when prices drop
• Identify 2-3 airlines that fly to your destination- create an account, so that you will be notified if they have a sale
• Wait for few weeks, retry step 2A and check if prices have got any better. Or wait for next sale to check the prices. Here is a 10 point guide to make the most of AirAsia sale. Since you're under no compulsion to travel immediately or mandatory, you can afford to wait till you see a fare which is closer to lowest possible fare.

Step 2C: You've spotted a fare which is reasonably close to lowest fare you're aware of. Now you can optimize a bit further and book

• Try a few adjacent onward and return dates, to check if there're still cheaper options
• Check if connection time is worth (sometimes, selecting a slightly more expensive option with less transit time might be worth it
• Check if the season and flight timing are convenient (No point going to Korea in winter, if you're arriving at say 9 PM, then you've to spend a bit on hotel accommodation for that night, if there's no public transport during your arrival, you have to spend a lot on taxi etc. Check these factors are favorable
• Check for any hidden costs- auto added baggage, insurance or high convenience fee etc
• Know the terms- non refundable fares/cancellation charges etc, so that you're aware of the risks involved
• Once you've convinced yourself that this is the best deal, go ahead and book

I am sharing my own examples below:

Odissa: When I checked on Indigo, Chennai-BBI return fare was around 5000+ which I felt is bit high and not worth it. Then when Air Asia started Chennai-Bhubaneshwar flights, in a previous sale they were selling for Rs 1998 one way, or 4000+ for return. I was tempted to book but my gut feeling suggested me to wait. In their recent sale, they were selling Chennai-Bhubaneshwar one way for 1498 (return ticket for Rs 3094 (including net banking convenience fee). I felt this price is reasonable, found it tempting and have booked a few tickets to Bhubaneshwar. There could be another sale in future where same ticket is sold for Rs 1000 one way- I don't know. I could have waited further, but I decided to book since I felt Rs 3000 return is reasonable and worth it.

Dubai: Dubai was on my radar since long, but return tickets were usually expensive at the range of 25000. This month, I suddenly spotted a return fare on FlyDubai for Rs 12000 return, which was very tempting and I booked instantly. I doubt it will get any cheaper. 

Summary: Key here is to know what price is lowest, being patient till you spot lowest possible fare, taking some risks (like no-refunds) and booking quickly when you spot a fare which is very close to lowest possible fare. Since you're very flexible with your dates, you can wait for months to book and book for dates when fares are lowest.

Category 3: Flexible with date and destination
Situation: You've a true wanderlust- willing to go anywhere and everywhere, whenever you find lowest priced tickets. Objective here is to make maximum use of your money, by traveling to any destination that is accessible for very low price.

Situation Description: Let us say you'd like to explore South East Asia- Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and so on. You're not locked on to any particular country or city, but want to explore for lowest possible fares

Ticket Booking Approach:
Step 1: Identify budget airlines operating to regions you've in mind- Let us say Air Asia and Scoot for South East Asia. This is because low cost airlines can take you to a destination for as much as half to one third of what it costs in Full Service airlines.

Step 2: Once you've zeroed in on an airline, identify 4-5 destinations they fly to that excite you- Let us say you're targeting Osaka in Japan, Hanoi in Vietnam, Bali in Indonesia and Melbourne in Australia. I am saying 4-5 because it is hard to focus on all destinations at a time. Target 4-5 at a time, book and travel, repeat for other destinations later.

Step 3: For these destinations, start tracking the prices- what's normal ticket fare, what is the lowest you've seen. The steps are similar to what's explained above (in Category 2). You need to know the price range.

Step 4: Once you know the lowest fares to your destination, check prevailing fares- if they are not close enough to lowest fare, wait for few months or wait for a sale by airline. (Step 2 under Category 2 Above). Book when you're satisfied you've spotted lowest fare.

Summary: Since you're not locked to any one destination and have an idea of what price is lowest, your strategy should be to wait for a sale/promotion during which you are very likely to see a price close enough to the lowest price you've noted. If the price is not tempting enough, don't book. Wait for better price in next sale. There is always a next promotion- airlines will not have any plan to shut operations after current sale, though their ads often promote every sale as now or never opportunity. Once you know what's lowest possible fare, wait for it patiently, so that your savings are maximum.

Some points to keep in mind:

1. Book Early, Save more is NOT true. If you're trying to Book for Feb 2019, you may see a much higher fare compared to May 2018. This is because Airlines set a standard price for long term and tweak the prices regularly depending on promotions, load factor (demand for seats), competition fares and several other factors. Your objective should be to wait for the right moment (lowest possible fare) and grab them
2. Risk involved with lowest fares: You should be comfortable with various risks involved in booking promo fairs months in advance. You can refer this post for various tips to avoid paying high cancellation charges.
3. There is always a bit of uncertainty- accept it and live with it- even the best rates airline may cancel some flights, there could be delays and other issues in service industry, despite best planning you may not be able to go, 2 days after you've booked, you may realize that prices have dropped another 30%, you might do a mistake of booking on wrong dates or something like that and may have to pay heavily- these are part of the experience- don't get upset.
4. Typically best place to book is Airline's website. There could be few exceptions as OTAs often run promo codes- you should double check that offer is genuine (no hidden tricks) and savings are real.
5. Check the value proposition- A full service airline might be more expensive than low cost airline- but if you're spending extra on bag, meals etc what is the ultimate savings? Would full service airline is worth the premium to you? Similarly paying bit extra for more convenient flight timings etc. An early morning flight might be 500 Rs expensive than previous day late night flight- but if it can save you 1000 Rs on hotel stay, overall early morning flight may be better. Objective should be to save on overall travel as a whole, not merely on flight.

Do share your thoughts and comments. Let me know if you find this post useful and practical or too complicated.