gertie3751

I'm a complete beginner at travelling in India and I'm just starting to look at Kingfisher for a flight from Kochi to Goa and another from Goa to Delhi. Any experts out there who have used Kingfisher? Any comments? If I book online do I have to confirm flights a few days beforehand or are those days long gone? Any experience with Indian airlines is appreciated. Or other recommendations
Thanks

dogster

Kingfisher is great gertie, relax. So is Jet. No confirmation required.

gertie3751

Tell me about Jet dogster. What is so good about these airlines? Anything bad?

dogster

www.jetairways.com

Why just listen to my opinion? - go here:

http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/kingfisher.htm

http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/jet.htm

Airlines in India are much like airlines anywhere else. These go up, they come down, they tend not to crash and are cheap.

travelaw

Speaking of Kingfisher (which is an excellent airline gertie -- great service, very professional), I have been working on booking a R/T ticket from Delhi to Mumbai in November and have come across a range of prices for the same flights depending on how I try to book it. A few days ago, the Kingfisher site for the US showed the fare for US $252.50, while the Indian side of the site showed 5958 INR (about US $125) and the travelocity.co.in site showed the fare at 5538 INR (about US $116). Obviously I will book it for the lowest I can get it, but I am wondering if I am missing something and if there is a reason I shouldn't book it on the travelocity site -- other than that if there is a problem I will have to deal with travelocity rather than directly with Kingfisher. I've booked tickets with traveocity before without problem, but am I asking for trouble by booking with them on their Indian site? If I decide against travelocity, is there any reason I can't book the ticket using the Indian side of the Kingfisher site rather than the US side?

dogster

trav: there may be some deal about different prices for foreigners and nationals, I think...? I've fallen into this before and got into the booking, to be met with a 'are you an Indian national?' checkbox on one site.

Try this variation on a theme:
http://www.flykingfisher.com/international/index.html

dogster

But, on reflection trav, unless you come up against that 'are you a National' button, why not book it cheap thru the Indian side of the Kingfisher site? That way, if it goes pear-shaped at the airport, you're still with the parent company.

dogster

To return to gertie: I realise that India seems strange and scary: it certainly was to me when I first went. Like you, maybe I was a bit yesterday in my thinking about India - things have really moved really fast. So all those horror stories about transport are fading. Airlines are just not an issue - you'll be very pleasantly surprised. All those crappy old airports are being phased out and new megalopolis airports built.

There is security, just like everywhere. Indian airports have their own quirks - that's why, if you fly Kingfisher, a whole lot of stress can be avoided for you. There is a very nice man in a red Kingfisher T-shirt who will be waiting kerbside. He will guide you from car, thru check-in to the plane, if required.

That's a good enough reason for choosing Kingfisher.

Just for me, gertie, as you're a bit of a new girl - get a hotel car to pick you up and drop you off at each airport. That eliminates the only stressful bit of flying.

And, if you have the budget, fly Premium/Business Class. You'll be surprised how little extra it can be on some flights.

Cicerone

I like Kingfisher a lot and would absolutely take them first over any airline with Jet Airways a close second, and generally agree with Dogster’s posters. But I feel I have to point out that the “guy at the kerb” is <i>only waiting for you if you are in business class</i>, and even that service ahs been substantially reduced in my recent experienced with flying with Kingfisher. They have lost a lot of money in the last year, and there have been service cutbacks, notably in the area of the guy at the kerb, which used to be my favourite feature as well (beyond their huge seats in business class and terrific service). Also, if you fly “Kingfisher Red”, that is the all-economy aircraft and the guy at the kerb does not exist for those flights. But service in any class is good and the on-time record of Kingfisher (and Jet Airways) is very good too.

There are virtually no airlines left in SE Asia which require re-confirmation. I can't think of any which do, certainly not the airlines in India. Even Vietnam Air doesn't any more.

Nywoman

A friend of mine and I traveled through India two years ago and WE LOVED Kingfisher. The service was great, good food, and those little travelbags so cute. All on a 1-2 hour flight.

The only transportation that wasn't top notch was our overnight bus from Jaisalmer to Udaipur. India is a very easy country to travel in with great airlines.

For more answers to you questions about traveling in India go to Indiamike.com a website that specializes in answering question about travelin in India.

dogster

Oh dear Cicerone - I didn't know that. All my flights last trip were on Jet, obviously I'm out of the loop. Those guys in red were my favorite, too. Still a great airline tho' and perfect for a nervous first-timer.

I'll bet, though, that a call to Kingfisher's customer service would get you enough young men in red to carry you bodily to the plane. Just tell 'em someone stole your false leg.

I'm just trying to predicate advice for gertie that covers all her stress points while getting from A-B. For a newbie in India I reckon this is the difficult part to start with.

gertie3751

Thank you so much for all your advice everyone. I'm just about to plunge into Indiamike. This is a great forum to have discovered and dogster's concern is making me feel more than ever like a little old lady. I guess I have to throw out my 60s visions of India and move on.

dogster

lol gertie - I'd give you the same advice if you were twenty-two. India, first time, as a solo traveler, can be daunting. Indiamike is a great site - you'll find it more directed at a younger, kinda backpackery traveler. Which is good, too.