Air India goes all non-stop from the U.S. and Canada to India

Starting October 31, 2010, all of Air India’s flights to India from its four North American gateways will be non-stop. The service will include daily flights from New York’s JFK, Chicago’s O’Hare, and Toronto airports to Delhi; and daily flights from Newark to Mumbai. Flights from JFK to Delhi will continue to Mumbai, Chicago-Delhi flights continue to Hyderabad, and Toronto-Delhi flights continue to Amritsar. The non-stops from Newark to Mumbai will have continuing service to Ahmedabad. Passengers will be able to clear customs and immigration at their final destination.With the introduction of 777-300ER service from Newark’s Liberty International Airport last year, all of Air India’s flights between the North America and India are now via new Boeing 777 aircraft. With an average age of less than two-and-a-half years, Air India has one of the youngest fleets of Boeing 777s in the airline industry.All Air India flights feature Economy, Executive and First Class service. Economy Class seats tilt back 34” for comfort, and feature a built-in 10.6” LCD monitor and therapeutic footrest. Executive Class passengers enjoy flat beds that tilt back 76”, with privacy partitions and 15.4” LCD screens. First Class cabin boasts compartments with flat beds that pitch back 80” for the ultimate comfort, a built-in massage system, buddy seat, and a large 23” LCD screen.“Our changeover to all non-stop service is a vital part of Air India’s ongoing response to the sharp increase in both leisure and business travel to India from U.S. and Canada,” commented Mrs. Chitra Sarkar, Air India’s Executive Director for the Americas. “Now, along with our world class in-flight service, we can offer our passengers the fastest flights to India, as well as the most convenient service to their final destinations in India.”With the recent opening of the state-of-the-art Terminal 3 at Delhi’s Indira Ghandi International Airport, Air India passengers now enjoy more convenient connections and shorter connecting times between the airline’s international flights, as well as cities throughout India and other destinations in Air India’s global network. Opened in July, Terminal 3 is the sixth largest in the world, and features over 70 aero-bridges, 168 check-in counters, and more than 90 immigration desks. The terminal can also handle nearly 13,000 bags per hour.Air India is India's national carrier and largest airline. It has been in operation since 1932, and is celebrating its 50th year of service from New York City.

Air India goes all non-stop from the U.S. and Canada to India

Starting October 31, 2010, all of Air India’s flights to India from its four North American gateways will be non-stop. The service will include daily flights from New York’s JFK, Chicago’s O’Hare, and Toronto airports to Delhi; and daily flights from Newark to Mumbai. Flights from JFK to Delhi will continue to Mumbai, Chicago-Delhi flights continue to Hyderabad, and Toronto-Delhi flights continue to Amritsar. The non-stops from Newark to Mumbai will have continuing service to Ahmedabad. Passengers will be able to clear customs and immigration at their final destination.With the introduction of 777-300ER service from Newark’s Liberty International Airport last year, all of Air India’s flights between the North America and India are now via new Boeing 777 aircraft. With an average age of less than two-and-a-half years, Air India has one of the youngest fleets of Boeing 777s in the airline industry.All Air India flights feature Economy, Executive and First Class service. Economy Class seats tilt back 34” for comfort, and feature a built-in 10.6” LCD monitor and therapeutic footrest. Executive Class passengers enjoy flat beds that tilt back 76”, with privacy partitions and 15.4” LCD screens. First Class cabin boasts compartments with flat beds that pitch back 80” for the ultimate comfort, a built-in massage system, buddy seat, and a large 23” LCD screen.“Our changeover to all non-stop service is a vital part of Air India’s ongoing response to the sharp increase in both leisure and business travel to India from U.S. and Canada,” commented Mrs. Chitra Sarkar, Air India’s Executive Director for the Americas. “Now, along with our world class in-flight service, we can offer our passengers the fastest flights to India, as well as the most convenient service to their final destinations in India.”With the recent opening of the state-of-the-art Terminal 3 at Delhi’s Indira Ghandi International Airport, Air India passengers now enjoy more convenient connections and shorter connecting times between the airline’s international flights, as well as cities throughout India and other destinations in Air India’s global network. Opened in July, Terminal 3 is the sixth largest in the world, and features over 70 aero-bridges, 168 check-in counters, and more than 90 immigration desks. The terminal can also handle nearly 13,000 bags per hour.Air India is India's national carrier and largest airline. It has been in operation since 1932, and is celebrating its 50th year of service from New York City.

Patel wants airlines to club fare, surcharge

Airlines and travel portals may soon have to publish one fare that includes the basic fare and the fuel surcharge. At present, airlines and portals first give the basic fare and add the fuel surcharge and the airport and user development fees levied by the government when the ticket is purchased. The fuel surcharge levied by the airlines often exceeds the basic fare.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel has asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which regulates the sector, to ensure that airlines and travel portals incorporate the fuel surcharge in the basic fare. The airport and user development fees will be kept out of it. “The minister has asked DGCA to ensure that the airlines and portals charge only one fare,” said a source in the ministry.

Patel has taken this step after he received complaints from fliers about the huge difference between the basic fare advertised by airlines and the actual cost of the ticket. In the past too, DGCA has asked the airlines to publish one fare. But it had no effect. With the minister getting into the act, it would seem that the practice could finally change. Airlines have said that they disaggregate the components for the convenience of the customers, and portals said they simply show whatever they receive from the airline.

"We started giving one fare but we got a lot of queries on the break up. So, we got back to the disaggregated structure. But DGCA is supreme, and if it asks us we will get back to the earlier plan," said Mohit Srivastava, head of online sales, makemytrip.com, an online travel portal.

"We are showing whatever we receive from the airlines. Also, the recommendation was that the fuel surcharge should be shown in a way so that the people know it is being charged by the airline and not the government, and that is what is happening," said Bhawna Agarwal, founding general manager (airlines business group), Yatra.com, another travel portal. Around 60 per cent of the air tickets sold in the country are booked online.
Source:
Patel wants airlines to club fare, surcharge
Rediff.com
Date-18 January 2010
Edition- National
http://business.rediff.com/report/2010/jan/18/air-patel-wants-airlines-to-club-fare-surcharge.htm

Patel wants airlines to club fare, surcharge

Airlines and travel portals may soon have to publish one fare that includes the basic fare and the fuel surcharge. At present, airlines and portals first give the basic fare and add the fuel surcharge and the airport and user development fees levied by the government when the ticket is purchased. The fuel surcharge levied by the airlines often exceeds the basic fare.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel has asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which regulates the sector, to ensure that airlines and travel portals incorporate the fuel surcharge in the basic fare. The airport and user development fees will be kept out of it. “The minister has asked DGCA to ensure that the airlines and portals charge only one fare,” said a source in the ministry.

Patel has taken this step after he received complaints from fliers about the huge difference between the basic fare advertised by airlines and the actual cost of the ticket. In the past too, DGCA has asked the airlines to publish one fare. But it had no effect. With the minister getting into the act, it would seem that the practice could finally change. Airlines have said that they disaggregate the components for the convenience of the customers, and portals said they simply show whatever they receive from the airline.

"We started giving one fare but we got a lot of queries on the break up. So, we got back to the disaggregated structure. But DGCA is supreme, and if it asks us we will get back to the earlier plan," said Mohit Srivastava, head of online sales, makemytrip.com, an online travel portal.

"We are showing whatever we receive from the airlines. Also, the recommendation was that the fuel surcharge should be shown in a way so that the people know it is being charged by the airline and not the government, and that is what is happening," said Bhawna Agarwal, founding general manager (airlines business group), Yatra.com, another travel portal. Around 60 per cent of the air tickets sold in the country are booked online.
Source:
Patel wants airlines to club fare, surcharge
Business Standard
Date-17 January 2010
Edition- New Delhi
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/patel-wants-airlines-to-club-fare-surcharge/382887

Now, IRCTC to sell airline tickets

With over 800,000 railway tickets booked on its website every day, IRCTC, a Railways PSU, has now decided to expand its services and sell airline tickets too. The corporation is planning to introduce the new service on its website soon with the aim to help “travellers get all travel-related solutions at a single source”.

“A traveller planning to go to the hills up North needs to go to separate places to buy rail and airline tickets. He can make the bookings for both rail and airlines at our website,” said IRCTC Managing Director Rakesh Tandon.

On other goals of the corporation which at present is in the midst of sprucing up its catering services, Tandon said they plan to introduce service-linked incentive to contractors offering catering services on board trains.

“We will set scores for each train and then link them to the incentive scheme to improve quality of catering services,” Tandon said. IRCTC handles catering services in as many as 400 trains.

Asked about the poor condition of pantry cars in several trains, he said IRCTC is trying to improve the conditions of such pantry cars.

“We have identified that 18 per cent of the pantry cars are in bad shape and initiated steps to improve their conditions,” Tandon said, adding that the problem in most of the pantry cars was with water boilers and hot cases.

The corporation of late had come under lot of flak for the quality of catering services. It is already working on a catering policy that will be unveiled in the coming months. Tandon said Railways are also planning to have AC pantry cars to improve services and maintain a hygienic environment.
Source:
Now, IRCTC to sell airline tickets
Business Standard
Date-11 January 2010Edition- New Delhi
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/now-irctc-to-sell-airline-tickets/382320/

Air India flights to operate as usual from tomorrow

Air India flights will operate as normal from Tuesday. This follows the airline management and pilots reaching an agreement in Mumbai on Sunday.

“The agreement involves some financial payout by the airline. The pilots have withdrawn the strike call issued earlier,” a senior airline official told Business Line without divulging details of the agreement reached. Sections of the airline pilots had threatened to go on strike from midnight Monday.

The pilots and management were to meet again on Monday (November 30) at the office of Chief Labour Commissioner here to resolve their differences.

Demands
The agitating pilots were seeking wage revision and parity in wages with other pilots and an inquiry into the mismanagement of the company. A major bone of contention between the agitating pilots and the management has been the proposal to stop paying Productivity- Linked Incentives (PLI) to its employees including pilots. PLI forms a large portion of the monthly salaries of employees.

The airline's annual PLI payout is about Rs 1,500 crore, almost half of which is paid to pilots and cabin crew, while the remaining is shared by about 26,000 employees of the airline. Air India has a total staff strength of 31,500 employees.

The pilots had gone on a four-day strike in September this year. At that time about 200 pilots had reported sick protesting against the decision to cut their PLI by 50 per cent and non-payment of flying allowances for three months. The agitation disrupted the carrier's operations with 240 flights being cancelled during the impasse. The financial loss to the airline was estimated at over Rs 100 crore.

Source:
Air India flights to operate as usual from tomorrow
The Hindu Business Line
Date- 30 November 2009
Edition- New Delhi http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/11/30/stories/2009113050990300.htm

AI’s US flight may be scrapped

Air India's (AI) flights to United States could well turn out to be the next big casualty as the state-run carrier gropes for options to stay afloat in precarious financial health.A senior AI executive confirmed that the management was considering a drastic route rationalisation exercise. This could include removing a direct flight to New York, either from Delhi or from Mumbai.

"The idea (of reducing flight to the US) is still in formulation stage, and is unlikely to be taken up in the airline's board meeting slated for later this week," said the executive, who did not wish to be identified, as he was not authorised to speak to the media.

The airline has four daily flights to the US, two each from Mumbai and Delhi, connecting New York, Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Air India chairman and managing director Arvind Jadhav was not available for comments.
"An internal assessment is being made to find out which are the most loss making routes and only then a decision would be taken," the executive said.

The airline, has incurred a loss of Rs 5,548 crore in 200809. It has taken a series of measures to cut costs including rationalisation of wage structure of its 33,000 employees.

Air India's (AI) flights to United States could well turn out to be the next big casualty as the state-run carrier gropes for options to stay afloat in precarious financial health.A senior AI executive confirmed that the management was considering a drastic route rationalisation exercise. This could include removing a direct flight to New York, either from Delhi or from Mumbai.

"The idea (of reducing flight to the US) is still in formulation stage, and is unlikely to be taken up in the airline's board meeting slated for later this week," said the executive, who did not wish to be identified, as he was not authorised to speak to the media.

The airline has four daily flights to the US, two each from Mumbai and Delhi, connecting New York, Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Air India chairman and managing director Arvind Jadhav was not available for comments.
"An internal assessment is being made to find out which are the most loss making routes and only then a decision would be taken," the executive said.

The airline, has incurred a loss of Rs 5,548 crore in 200809. It has taken a series of measures to cut costs including rationalisation of wage structure of its 33,000 employees.

Source:
AI’s US flight may be scrapped
The Hindustan Times
Date- 24 November 2009
Edition- New Delhi