India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (23 page)

* Consolidators, also known as bucket shops, are wholesale brokers in the airline-ticket game. Consolidators buy deeply discounted tickets (“distressed” inventories of unsold seats) from airlines and sell them to online ticket agencies, travel agents, tour operators, corporations, and, to a lesser degree, the general public. Consolidators advertise in Sunday newspaper travel sections (often in small ads with tiny type), both in the U.S. and the U.K. They can be great sources for cheap international tickets. On the down side, bucket shop tickets are often rigged with restrictions, such as stiff cancellation penalties (as high as 50%–75% of the ticket price). And keep in mind that most of what you see advertised is of limited availability. Several reliable consolidators are worldwide and available online.
Flights.com
has excellent fares worldwide, particularly to Europe. They also have “local” websites in 12 countries.
Air Tickets Direct
(
888/858-8884;
www.airticketsdirect.com
) is based in Montreal and leverages the currently weak Canadian dollar for low fares; they also book trips to places that U.S. travel agents won’t touch, such as Cuba.

GETTING AROUND

You can research prices and deals on travel and hotels at reliable online travel companies based in India. Try
www.makemytrip.com
,
www.yatra.com
,
www.cleartrip.com
,
www.tcindia.com
, or
www.travelmartindia.com
. Note that Indian travel sites are not able to accept foreign credit cards, due to intensive antifraud card verification systems.

By Plane

Because train travel is time-consuming, and roads generally appalling, the best way to cover huge distances is by air. A handful of very active low-cost airlines means that you have a wide choice at bargain prices; no need to scour all the websites, though, if you’re looking for the lowest price—simply log on to
www.travelocity.co.in
or
www.yatra.com
, two excellent sites.
Jet Airways
(
www.jetairways.com
), with its fleet of new planes, First-World service, and good connections, is still a very good airline, but
Kingfisher Airlines
(
1800/180-0101;
www.flykingfisher.com
) is definitely our favorite: Aircrafts are brand-new, cabin crew are efficient and superfriendly, and service is exemplary—in the last 2 years Kingfisher has expanded its network to include even niche market destinations such at Agatti in the Lakshadweep islands. They frequently offer a better deal than their competitors, and online booking is painless. National carrier
Air India
(which has completely merged with and absorbed Indian) may be having financial troubles, but services have improved dramatically—in fact, when we’ve most recently flown with them, they compared favorably against Jet. Another contender for the domestic crown is
Paramount Airways
(
800/180-1234;
www.paramountairways.com
); predominantly based in South India but steadily expanding, it offers full business-class cabins and service at less than economy-class fares. Basically, opt for Kingfisher or Paramount if the price is comparable, but don’t hesitate to fly Jet or Air India if the price is right.

Best of the low-budget airlines (and clean, reliable, relatively cheap) is
SpiceJet
(
800/180-3333;
www.spicejet.com
). Also worth comparing prices with are
Go Air
(
800/222-111
or 09223/222-111;
www.goair.in
) and
IndiGo
(
099-1038-3838
or 800/180-3838;
www.goindigo.in
). If price is important, you can usually save money with one of these airlines—but don’t expect top-notch service (often no meals or beverages served), and worst of all, you may have lengthy delays. Note that erstwhile Airline Deccan has been completely absorbed by Kingfisher, which has launched a semibudget brand,
Kingfisher Red,
although it’s not yet fully understood how this service differs from its full-fare flights. Similarly,
Jet Lite
is Jet’s lower-priced wing, accessed via a separate website,
www.jetlite.com
.

India’s
domestic and international check-in and preboarding procedure
may be one of the most rigorous in the world. Technically, check-in will start 180 minutes prior to international departure, and you need to produce a ticket before being allowed access to the airport building (airlines generally have ticketing windows for collection of e-tickets purchased online, or if you need to buy a ticket at the airport; alternatively, speak to a security officer, who will escort you to the appropriate ticket counter). Arriving less than 60 minutes prior to domestic departure is
definitely
not recommended. Your checked baggage must be scanned and sealed before you report to the check-in counter. The list of dangerous items not permitted in your carry-on bags is fairly extensive, but these days no more so than at airports around the world (and because the security is so tight, they tend to be less paranoid about what you can or cannot carry). In any case, India’s screening procedures genuinely enhance your sense of security—there are no half-hearted measures, and personnel are generally very pleasant in their attitude, even as you’re being frisked by a uniformed army officer. Check-in closes 30 minutes prior to departure. After check-in, you should immediately head for the first security check, which will involve a body pat-down and a scan of your carry-on luggage. Boarding gates close 15 minutes prior to scheduled departure (although delays are fairly frequent), and there may be second body and carry-on checks before you are permitted to board the plane. In some instances, you will be asked to identify your checked luggage on the tarmac. While frequent travelers may be irritated by these ungainly, time-consuming methods, others find the process provides peace of mind.

Tip:
Always have your concierge (or yourself to be sure) reconfirm your flight at least 72 hours before departure to save yourself the frustration of arriving at the airport only to find that your name has been deleted from the computer.

By Car

India’s roads are statistically the most dangerous in the world—according to
The Times of India,
August 2009, India reported the highest road fatalities in the world with 13 people dying every hour. Self-driven rental cars are simply not available (with the exception of unauthorized operators in Goa) and if they were, renting your own car and attempting to traverse the chaos that passes for traffic is simply suicidal. That said, having your own vehicle—and a driver who knows the roads, can read road signs when they’re present, and can communicate with locals—is in many ways the best way to get around. You can set your own pace, without having to worry about making public-transport connections (a major headache taken care of), and you can see the sights and experience many of the attractions without feeling anxious (your driver will be a huge help in providing advice on customs and pricing—not to mention helping with mundane everyday needs such as topping up your local airtime), as well as experience off-the-beaten-track towns and rural scenes that give you the only sense of real India. And by American and European standards, the luxury of being chauffeured around the country—not necessarily in a high-end luxury vehicle, keep in mind—is ridiculously cheap. Certainly this is the way to go to concentrate on certain parts of India, such as Rajasthan, but it’s not advisable as a way to cover long-distance journeys—aim to spend no more than 3 to 4 hours a day in the car (there will be, of course, exceptions).
Note:
Whatever you do, make sure your plan does not include traveling at night.