1. Dress smart

2. Don’t check bags

3. Know the flight schedules for your trip

4. Have backup plans

5. Don’t use a buddy pass for a life event, buy a ticket

6. Don’t whine or complain

7. Use the electronic services of the airline to check loads and list for your flight

8. If you know in advance you’ll be flying, buy a ticket

9. Be courteous to the agents

10.Don’t crowd the podium, have a seat as close as possible

11.Be attentive and listen for your name to be called

12.Consider sharing a hotel room if you have to stay overnight as you got bumped

13.Consider renting a car with others if you get bumped and have to drive the rest of the way

14.Don’t swap seats with other passengers

15.Behave yourself on the flight.

Note: It’s not the agent’s fault you did not make the flight, so don’t argue.

Can you think of anything additional? Please leave a comment below.

“What is the best and least expensive way to get from FCO to Sicily, Palermo or Catania?”

Click here to view the embedded video.

The next question in the Passrider Q&A series is from Albert Via e-mail, he asks:

“Not familiar with ZED fares. Where can I get info and prices?”

Click here to view the embedded video.

“Looking for a cheap flight from Sydney Australia to Hobart, Tasmania. Any suggestions? We actually bought tickets on one of the puddle jumpers, but never made it out of LAX, so kinda hesitant to purchase a seat in advance. Work for Southwest Airlines, so we are always at the bottom of the standby list . Help please, we are leaving April 27th.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

1. Be Patient
• It will all get taken care of, just not at the speed and efficiency to which you are accustomed.  The bus won’t show up and others will be fine with it, except you.  Just go with the flow as much as possible.
2. Get a visa before you depart if that’s the relationship your country has with India
• There are only a handful of countries that can get a visa on arrival. They are:
• Cambodia, Finland, Japan, Laos, Luxembourg, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam.
•  All other citizens have to apply for a visa before departing their countries.
3. Have a printed copy of your itinerary or your onward boarding pass if possible
• You will need this to connect to any flight in another terminal or to gain access to the departure terminal for your return flight. You can only access the terminal within 3 hours of your departure flight.
4. Have your hotel accommodation information sorted out
• I’m the quintessential travel who usually do not have a hotel booked.  However, this is something they may ask you for when traveling to India.  There are some places in the airports depending on which airport you use.
• Hotels.com can help you find last minute deals. Ensure that you print the reservations confirmation page to show to the Immigration authorities or the hotel when you arrive.
  
5. Get Travel Insurance
• This is really not just for India, but for all your other travels.  You never know what may happen on your trips, so being prepared for the unexpected with travel insurance is a good thing.  There are many different packages available from our partner World Nomads . You can buy, extend and claim onlineeven after you’ve left home.Recommended by Lonely Planet, World Nomads travel insurance is designed for adventurous travelers (and traveling to India is quite the adventure ) with cover for overseas medical, evacuation, baggage and a range of adventure sports and activities.
6. Get some Indian Rupees
• Use an ATM at the airport or the currency exchange counters on your arrival
7. Drink bottled water
8. Be cognizant of weight restrictions especially from Mumbai (BOM)
• Weight restrictions reduces the amount of seats available for space available travel. So while a flight will appear open, once you get to the airport, the agents will advise that there is a weight restriction and subsequently you can’t board.  This is why you have your backup tickets and/or alternate accommodation plans.
9. Get an Airport Lounge Pass
• You can use an airline Lounge card or invest in Priority Pass which will give you access to Lounges worldwide.
• Nothing like a shower in the airport before you depart especially if you are connecting and have a long layover.  Also, these lounges will give you free WiFi and food.  This is a worthwhile investment for all passriders.
  
10. A list of local airlines
• Air India (AI)
• Air India Express (IX)
• Indigo (6E)
• Go Air (G8)
• Jet Airways (9W)
• Kingfisher (IT)
• SpiceJet (SG)
11. Nonstop flights/destinations from India
• There are plenty of these and you should be familiar with them and have the appropriate tickets ready.  Typically, you have to be checked in at least one hour before the scheduled departure.  Also, your backup ticket must have the name of the airline on which you intend to fly, despite the fact that the agreement may say otherwise (i.e. “valid on all ZED carriers). Its no time to argue with the agent, although if you can reason with them it helps.
• Brussels, Belgium (BRU) – JetAirways (9W)
• London-Heathrow, England (LHR) – Air India (AI), British Airways (BA), Jet Airways (9W), Kingfisher (IT), Virgin Atlantic Airways (VS)
• New York-JFK (JFK) -
• New York-Newark, NJ (EWR) – Air India (AI),
• Tokyo-Narita, Japan (NRT)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Over on our facebook page at facebook.com/passrider, Donna asks:

“is there one day better than another to travel to/from without getting bumped? Or even a time? Thanks.”

Well Donna, here’s your answer.

O.K. Donna, so here goes.

Now the best time to travel of course as you know as a passrider is when other revenue travelers are not traveling or traveling in small numbers.

Usually, these are Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Now that’s the middle of the week right? And we all work, so, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are usually not the time when we can get off, unless you like can swap shifts or something like that.

But Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the days that you’re looking for.

Now, of course, since that’s not possible for most people, you really want to look at the times that you travel. You want to travel the first flight of the day; that’s really the flight you want to get on. It’s kind of usually difficult to wait for the last flight of the day ‘cause most of the times that last flight is full.

Except that usually Saturday afternoons you can get on a last flight that’s not too bad. But the thing with Saturday afternoons you don’t have the very last flight of the day usually as the schedule is reduced on Saturdays as less people are flying.

But if you have to go on a weekend, well usually people leave on a Friday night and return on a Sunday. So on Sundays take that first flight. Also have your backup itineraries possible.

So you know, let’s say for example you are flying out of New York. Know that you can fly out of LaGuardia, JFK, you can also get out of Newark and push comes to shove, you may have to go out of Islip or up to White Plains. You may have to take the trains or something. Islip is kind of… the train station is not that close to the airport, but it just depends on what you want to do.

So basically, Its Tuesdays and Wednesdays those are the days and early mornings the times.

Also, if you can get on a red eye flight, but sometimes, those red eyes are really, really full.

So Donna, I hope that answers your question, if you have any additional questions, or you can send us an e-mail.

Thank you all for watching and keep those questions coming

This is Kerwin for passrider.com, have a great trip

I’ve created an Amazon Kindle version of the popular PDF Guide at an introductory price of $0.99.  Click below to check it out.

This is Kerwin with Passrider.com and I wanted to do a video thank you.

This is a video to say Thank you for your support in 2011 and hope to have more fun in 2012.

And if you’re traveling this Holiday season I hope you have your backup plans get your tickets.

Use the web site to find your different schedules and hopefully you won’t get stranded anywhere out there.

And if you guys see me in the airport please come up and say hello.  I appreciate that.  I like to press the flesh with the folks that use the website.  I’m really happy that you guys have used the web site and you’re enjoying it.

So this is Kerwin with passrider.com wishing you Happy Holidays, Happy Kwanza, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah.

And again, thank you very much for your support in 2011 and all the previous years and I;m hoping to have moor fun and a lot more functionality for the web site in 2012.

Have a great Holiday.

Here is a mapping of the route.
Have you ever taken this flight? Please leave a comment below.