Category: Air Travel

A foray of Wadia Group, GoAir is one of the most popular low-cost carriers (LCC) in India. It commenced operations in the year 2005 with its primary hub at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, located in Mumbai. Its fleet of 19 Airbus A320s caters to 22 Indian cities. Among the destinations, covered by its flights, Port Blair, Guwahati, Chandigarh, Goa and Leh are included. The number of daily flights, operated by the airline, is 144. Its prestigious accolades include recognition as the Best Performing Airline by Airbus in the year 2011. In the year 2008, Pacific Area Travel Writers Association named it the Best Domestic Airline for Excellence in Quality and Efficient Service.

Its dedicated customer service and array of offers has earned it an around 8-per cent share in the Indian aviation market. In order to make travelling with the airline a pleasant experience and keep up with the technologically advancing times, the feature of GoAir web check-in was introduced. To know how to avail the facility, and its advantages, read below.

Introduction

This internet-based feature of the LCC enables passengers to check themselves in without having to stand in lengthy queues at the airport counters. You can use the computer or laptop from your office, home or on the go and finish the process in just a few clicks. To avail the facility, you must have confirmed flight tickets, booked through the carrier website or a travel agency.

The Procedure of Web Check-in

Passengers can complete this procedure online by logging on to the web check-in page on the official website of the LCC. Here, a few details like the PNR number on the ticket, the full name of the passenger(s), and origin and destination of the flight will be asked. After filling in these details, you can proceed to choose your preferred seat on the aircraft and get the electronic copy of the boarding pass.

Terms, Conditions and Limitations

The window for GoAir web check-in remains open from 72 hours to two hours prior to the scheduled departure of the flight. This facility cannot be availed for groups, containing more than nine travellers. In the case of flying with check-in baggage after having completed the procedure online, people are advised to report at the airport counter at least 60 minutes before take-off. The facility of confirming the travel plans to the airline over the internet cannot be availed by those in possession of a waitlisted ticket. Along with a printed copy of the electronic boarding pass, you will need an official photo ID, issued by the government, for boarding and security formalities. Unaccompanied minors, patients, those, about to fly with infants, and passengers with special needs like wheelchair cannot use this online service. People, who have confirmed their presence on the flight over the internet and have no checked baggage, must reach the boarding gate at least 45 minutes before scheduled departure.

Advantages of Using Web Check-in Facility

Checking-in online is especially useful in cases, wherein people may be travelling in urgent situations. It lets you escape the trouble of leaving for the airport hours before the flight in order to undergo the process at the counter. Also, the time spent in waiting for your turn to arrive is saved when you make use of this feature. One extra benefit, granted by this feature, is that you can choose your favourite seat. If you have special requirements, regarding your seat on the jetliner, it is possible to pick the one you prefer, online. For frequent flyers like businessmen, this facility is especially useful as the need for spending long hours at airports is negated.

The working of cargo flights is not known to the general public, unlike passenger flights, which are familiar to everyone. That is because most people must have travelled in a passenger flight once in their lifetime or would have at least visited an air terminal. Those who have not travelled in a passenger flight will be still familiar with it, thanks to movies and television channels.

Compared to domestic flights cargo flights are a bit different. They are often stationed away from passenger terminals so the general public is oblivious of its day-to-day operations.

Pilots who fly domestic flights can also fly cargo flights. The difference is that the reward offered by the big cargo airlines is competitive and sometimes even higher than that of these flights. This is because cargo companies enjoy high revenue margins, even in tough economic times. That is why many pilots consider the job of flying cargo flights an attractive career choice.

Cargo airlines fly the same common models of heavy jets but in a cargo configuration. Some of the leading aircraft manufactures have cargo versions of their popular passenger flights. Older passenger jets are also used as cargo flights by converting them into freighters in a broad renovation process. After the renovation they will be as good as new for cargo service.

The flight deck of a freighter is almost similar to the flight deck of the passenger model. Piloting a freighter is similar to flying a passenger flight. Both pilots need to have special license and similar experience.

However, the similarity ends with the cockpit. The most observable external facet on a freighter is the large cargo door on the side. The large door is fixed for easy loading and unloading of cargo from the main deck. There are also large belly doors under the main deck for the same purpose. Every inch of available space is used for freight.

Just like this, time and schedules are fixed and followed to the T by cargo flight operators. A cargo flight normally makes at least one stop before arriving at its target in the early morning. At each stop, a ground crew comprising mechanics, loaders, tug drivers and fuel trucks take charge and do their work as quickly as possible. The flight crew makes use of this time to complete checklists, review the weather, and load new data into the navigation system. All the work is completed 10 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time. When there is only 5 minutes for departure, all the vehicles will exit and a tug is hooked to the jet’s front wheel, ready to push the aircraft back to the taxiway.

For short distance cargo flights there will be only two crew members – a captain and first officer. Long distance cargo flights will have three or four crew members just like a passenger flight.

Looking forward to your next trip? Do you have your airplane seat assignment? What about the passenger that doesn’t want to follow airplane seat etiquette? Back in the day, you could usually count on the middle seat being empty. Red eye flights would allow you to have an entire row to yourself. Not so, anymore. As most planes tend to go out full, airplane seat etiquette is disappearing.

Give me space

About a year ago, I took a flight, where I had an aisle seat. The row was full and the person in the middle seat had one foot under the seat in front of me and the other foot under the seat in front of the person in the window seat. I understand the middle seat is not as comfortable as the other two seats, so I think they should get both armrests. But also taking part of my space where I can stretch my legs is encroaching on my space. So, what do you do? Luckily, when he moved to get something out of his bag, his feet moved and didn’t come back under the seat in front of me. But, what if they had come back, then what? A cramped seat for the entire flight?

Should you recline your seat?

Nowadays, whether to recline your seat or not has been up for some debate. I admit sitting up straight for the entire flight is not very comfortable. Reclining your seat also has its issues for the person sitting behind you. If they’re trying to use their tray with their laptop or eating a meal, the reclined seat tends to make it very difficult for them. Maybe a compromise, reclining the seat just half-way. They have more space to eat and work. You have a slight recline to take a nap while flying to your destination.

Have you ever been slowly falling asleep just to be woken up by the person behind you, grabbing your seat to help them stand up? When this has happened to me, it’s not enough to grab my seatback, normally they get a handful of hair as well. A better approach may be to push down on your own armrests to lift yourself up and out of your seat instead of pulling down on the seat in front of you.

Let’s not forget children kicking seats and dropping tray tables

Have you ever been on a flight where the child sitting behind you constantly kicks your seatback? Then if that’s not enough, they start unlatching the tray table, allowing it to drop over and over. What do you do? Turn around and ask the parent to have their child stop kicking your seat? You would think you shouldn’t have to ask!

I was on one flight where the person sitting next to me told me the following story. A lady was sitting in her seat where a child was constantly kicking the back of her seat throughout the flight. She turned around and asked the mother to please tell her child to stop. The mother told her the child was just playing and would soon stop. After an hour of this, she turned around again repeating her request to stop the child from kicking her seat. The mother’s response was “children will be children”. Finally, she got up, when to a child sitting behind the mother and told her she’d give her $20.00 to kick the mother’s seat the rest of the flight. $10.00 now and $10.00 at the end of the flight! As she walked back to her seat, she turned to the mother and said, “You’re right! Children will be children. Enjoy the rest of your flight”! Fact or Fiction? You decide!

I’m not recommending kicking someone’s seat to get your point across, but you can see how quickly tempers can flare making for a long flight. Have you experienced any of these problems on your flights.? How did you handle the situation? If everyone practiced airplane seat etiquette, it would be much more enjoyable for everyone.