My Brief Experience of Domestic Air Travel in India

Almost 25 years in life, I never flew, and one day as I got married, the time came for this moment. Thanks to low-cost Airlines now in India that there wasn’t enough concern over budget, and a childhood aspiration of one day flying in an airplane was going to be true.

Also, thanks to the introduction of various online portals in the Indian market in the Travel genre, which also really helped a lazy person like me plan the trip and book my Air Tickets while availing further offers on those fares.

I will like to share my brief domestic Travel experience so far, maybe as a form of short and concise review and then in the next part of the article I will share some learning/tip I have acquired over while this
experience.

Experience with Domestic Airlines on India

Let me share my experiences with several flights I have used in my air travel in India.

Spicejet

Spicejet was the first airline I experienced during my trip to Goa with my wife. Well, I had booked a return ticket for Goa for Spicejet only and telling you frankly there wasn’t much comparison I could make is just the first time experience with an airplane.

For my wife and me, it was like some anxious hours flying so high in the air with our lives in the hand of a machine and some person. I hope it happens to everyone for the first time, if not for hours, then for some moments. I could compare it to be more of a luxury bus with AC but seating almost precisely like that, but yeah with seat belts.

Overall the whole experience right from onboarding and getting off the plane and all was pretty good with Spicejet, but I never got an opportunity to fly back with them.

Indian Airlines

Indian Airlines was the second experience I had when I got stuck in Leh – Ladakh flash floods in August 2010. Up to then, it was a horrible experience to get the tickets firstly from their counter and then being told that those tickets were Open Tickets without any boarding dates.

It was first to come first serve basis tickets where if we reach early to the boarding gate and we get the boarding passes we fly else, we have to try the next day again. I know the situation was pretty messy due to catastrophic conditions, BUT there was a smooth operation of Jet Airways on the other hand. Utter chaos was around them, and none of the personnel present there had any take on it, plus some of them were rude too.

But, anyhow, when we flew, I will say it is the most comfortable seats I had experience in my brief Air Travel so far. Their fare does have meals included in them and tasted well enough as well. I had a lovely time overall when Airborne. Leg space was also enough for average height people like me. I would surely look forward to Travel with them again.

Go Air

Then I got a chance to get Air Borne with Go Air and incidentally to Leh – Ladakh again. The flight from Delhi to Leh was quite comfortable, and the overall experience in it went well. But, as I got off the flight they one of the staff members came running with a piece of broken Tripod that they broke in the transit.

It was a bad omen for the trip as I wanted to do so much this time with the Tripod. Anyhow, they did not allow me to get it as hand baggage, and then they broke it, not sure whose fault it was. Unluckily, when the time came for the return flight, the weather upturned on its head, and I was stuck again in Ladakh due to heavy snowfall and all flights getting canceled.

There was no support from Airlines, just the cancellation of that ticket and calling people at their wish and influence for the next flight. We almost pleaded to our knees to go home as one of the friends had an urgent thing at home, but plead was denied owing to some jugaads and other influences.

That is why it is always best to drive or ride, which does not make you pissed off at least. Airlines rescheduled the flight for us next to the next day without paying anything or arranging anything for the accommodation or food. At the same time, other airlines did provide compensation that time to their passengers.

Indigo

I flew with Indigo for a Chennai to Delhi flight, and the whole experience was terrific, including the comfort of the seats through a bit tidy with a laptop open. However, Indian Airlines still bags my heart for seating comfort. Then, again I flew with them from Srinagar to Delhi, but this time unluckily, we got the last seat row.

I must tell you it was the most pathetic experience I had, the most uncomfortable journeys I had ever been. The stomach was so much pressurized due to wrong posture and extreme lack of leg space in there that I had sprains in the stomach within 10 minutes and had to remain bent over for the duration of the whole flight.

Seriously, some experience to forget, and I will do take care or use Web Checkin to make sure I do not get on the last seating row ever again. Thank god it was about 2 hours else it would have been a nightmare and struggle to combat with it.

Conclusion

Well, nothing much here but to learn some do’s and don’ts while we Travel based on my past experiences with domestic airlines, which made me learn quite a few things. 

Have a travel question?? You can subscribe to my YouTube channel and leave a comment to ask your travel questions about traveling to the Himalayas.

Anyhow, it is because of such Low-Cost Airlines and Travel Portals that flying has come in a range of mediocre budget families and people as well to help them Travel faster and comfortably with affordable prices.

I will try to share a few tips for Domestic Air Travel in India in the next part of the article.