Advice on online air travel booking websites - Cochin flight

chitra0828 · Jul 23rd, 2009, 09:44

So the latest in our kerala travel saga is that we're oh so close to getting everything finalized for our august trip, but in the best tradition of missing critical bottlenecks we didn't book the overnight train journey from Blore to Pallakkad and now nothing's available. Boo hoo, so much of letting the kids "enjoy" train travel in India - i did for sure...

Anyway, so now we are probably reduced to flying into Cochin. There are clearly lots of online options to making these bookings, but I don't know which are reliable. So does anyone have suggestions for safe,reliable online service we can use to make domestic travel reservations in india? Expedia and the other US ones seem to be very expensive, well above the Rupee rates charged by folks like yatra.com etc.

Thanks Chitra

alouise · Jul 23rd, 2009, 10:12

Chitra, you're right about expedia etc., they offer expensive tickets and not the best routes (ie. cheap routes with stops for which they then make their profit). Bypass these general agents completely, they're a total waste of time.

You can usually buy tickets directly from the airlines at their websites. For example, Kingfisher is really good for this... just type in Kingfisher airlines in search window and then click on the website to bookings. Although, you probably won't get the cheaper prices so close to departure. Good luck and have a great trip.

chitra0828 · Jul 23rd, 2009, 10:23

Thanks for that quick response. I found Go Air seemed to have about the best prices. Kingfisher seemed a bit higher. Is Go Air a reliable service? Also I'm curious (For future reference sakes), if I'm being quoted about $50 (Rs 2,382) one way to Cochi about 3 weeks before departure, how much lower would it have been if say I had made the bookings maybe 5-6 weeks in advance? I guess I'm so used to just driving from place to place (besides the initial in-out via plane) that I didn't realize how tight things could get. Given I grew up in india, it's probably clueless of me not to realize that trains would get booked up really quickly!!!

Thanks Chitra

Hal · Jul 23rd, 2009, 10:25

I usually search for the cheapest prices on Ixigo.com. When you find a flight you like it directs you to the airline website.

alouise · Jul 23rd, 2009, 11:10

Chitra, if you want info on airline performance/delays etc. for Kochi go to this site, click the flight and view data:
http://www.flightstats.com/go/Flight...usByAirport.do

I'm sorry I can't answer your second question re. discounts because I haven't looked at Go Air before.

Manzey · Jul 23rd, 2009, 11:57

The price of the airtickets changes several times a day every few hours. For getting the best price, you need to keep checking the price every couple of hours for a day or two. Then you get an idea of there lowest and highest price.
What I do is keep checking the price at cleartrip.com and when I feel that price x is the lowest, then I go to the particular airline website to book the ticket immediateley. The price at the airline website will be little lesser than the third party websites like yatra.com or makemytrip.com or cleartrip.com

You can still book your railway tickets using the thatkal service. Tickets for thatkal services (little expensive than the normal tickets)opens 2 or 3 days before the day of departure of the train and you could book it online.

Hope this helps.

Cheers!

gaurav1441 · Jul 23rd, 2009, 12:28

Not very difficult just advance the date of travel in the calendar by three weeks and you would know what the fares would be if you were to book them 5-6 weeks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chitra0828

Thanks for that quick response. I found Go Air seemed to have about the best prices. Kingfisher seemed a bit higher. Is Go Air a reliable service? Also I'm curious (For future reference sakes), if I'm being quoted about $50 (Rs 2,382) one way to Cochi about 3 weeks before departure, how much lower would it have been if say I had made the bookings maybe 5-6 weeks in advance? I guess I'm so used to just driving from place to place (besides the initial in-out via plane) that I didn't realize how tight things could get. Given I grew up in india, it's probably clueless of me not to realize that trains would get booked up really quickly!!!

Thanks Chitra

Aishah · Jul 23rd, 2009, 12:41

Mod Note: Chitra, you will have noticed I have moved your thread into a more appropriate forum, and also added a bit to your title to make it clearer. Take a look at some of the threads within this sub-forum - they could also be helpful.

arunganpath · Jul 23rd, 2009, 12:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by chitra0828

Is Go Air a reliable service?

Go Air is reliable - on your question of how much you would have saved had you booked 2-3 months in advance, I think Rs. 2300/- is a decent price. May be you would have saved about Rs. 500/- had you booked during those monsoon offer window which was open for 3/4 days.

chitra0828 · Jul 23rd, 2009, 19:31

This is wonderful thanks so much for all your advice. I feel so much better. I'm trying to find out whether we can get a train seat on tourist quota but that seems to only apply to package tours. Thanks Mod on moving my thread, that's very thoughtful and I'll check the sub-notes. Glad to hear that Go Air is reliable sicne that certainly seems the cheaper. I will do as all of you say. Thanks again. If anyone thinks differently about Go Air please add to this discussion...

Best CHitra

gaurav1441 · Jul 23rd, 2009, 19:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by chitra0828

. I'm trying to find out whether we can get a train seat on tourist quota but that seems to only apply to package tours.

This is not true..Foreign Tourist Quota Tickets can be bought even if you are not any package tour.

arunganpath · Jul 23rd, 2009, 19:38

Chitra,

It is not right that Foreign Tourist Quota is applicable only for package tours. It is applicable for all foreign tourists. However, it cannot be booked through the net. Also, all trains do not have foreign tourist quota. I understand from your earlier posts that you need to travel by train from Bangalore to Palghat. If you can help me with the dates and your preferred class of travel, I shall check on the foreign tourist quota.

Also, would send you the contact details to book tickets through foreign tourist quota. I'm not quite familiar with the procedure but am sure that you can't book through the net.

chitra0828 · Jul 24th, 2009, 03:11

Hi Arungapnath - that is very kind of you to offer to help. We are looking to leave evening of August 14 on the Kanyakumari Express arriving Aug 15 morning at Palakkad at 6.40a. We are 2 adults and 2 children (ages 9 and 6). Feel free to PM any details (or can post them here).

arunganpath · Jul 24th, 2009, 12:43

Chitra, unfortuntely, train no. 6526 Kanyakumari exps has only two seats in Sleeper class reserved under Foreign Quota. So, it wont help (as you are four).

Also, 14th Aug being friday, there would be lot of movement out of Bangalore... I think better you settle for flight to Cochin.

chitra0828 · Jul 26th, 2009, 18:51

Thank you for checking Arunganpath.

Flying is still an option, but we are now looking at bus services to see if that might work for us. Either for daytime travel or night-time travel. Could I ask a few things:
- How comfortable are the sleeper buses compared to going on a train?
- Are the bus services normally more punctual or less punctual than trains?
- Do the buses have toilets (since the journey will be ~7-8 hours!)
- Are there any particular bus companies that any of you would recommend?

many thanks again.

Jul 23rd, 2009, 09:44	#1
chitra0828 Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: CT USA Posts: 62	Advice on online air travel booking websites - Cochin flight So the latest in our kerala travel saga is that we're oh so close to getting everything finalized for our august trip, but in the best tradition of missing critical bottlenecks we didn't book the overnight train journey from Blore to Pallakkad and now nothing's available. Boo hoo, so much of letting the kids "enjoy" train travel in India - i did for sure... Anyway, so now we are probably reduced to flying into Cochin. There are clearly lots of online options to making these bookings, but I don't know which are reliable. So does anyone have suggestions for safe,reliable online service we can use to make domestic travel reservations in india? Expedia and the other US ones seem to be very expensive, well above the Rupee rates charged by folks like yatra.com etc. Thanks Chitra

Jul 23rd, 2009, 12:41	#8
Aishah She-who-must-be-obeyed! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jaisalmer Posts: 7,626	Mod Note: Chitra, you will have noticed I have moved your thread into a more appropriate forum, and also added a bit to your title to make it clearer. Take a look at some of the threads within this sub-forum - they could also be helpful. __________________ "Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards."

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
New online booking websites. and updates in erail.in	bissa	Indian Railways	5	Apr 4th, 2009 20:17
Chennai to Cochin with stopover/train ticket online booking	daniel_z	India Travel Itinerary Advice	6	Oct 25th, 2008 19:53
Online booking with Sahara air	puppydogben	International India Flights	3	Mar 3rd, 2008 15:51
Mumbai to Udaipur - online air booking	Butthead	Domestic India Flights	1	Oct 21st, 2004 14:56

Jul 23rd, 2009, 10:12	#2
alouise Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: sydney Posts: 822	Chitra, you're right about expedia etc., they offer expensive tickets and not the best routes (ie. cheap routes with stops for which they then make their profit). Bypass these general agents completely, they're a total waste of time. You can usually buy tickets directly from the airlines at their websites. For example, Kingfisher is really good for this... just type in Kingfisher airlines in search window and then click on the website to bookings. Although, you probably won't get the cheaper prices so close to departure. Good luck and have a great trip.

Jul 23rd, 2009, 10:23	#3
chitra0828 Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: CT USA Posts: 62	Thanks for that quick response. I found Go Air seemed to have about the best prices. Kingfisher seemed a bit higher. Is Go Air a reliable service? Also I'm curious (For future reference sakes), if I'm being quoted about $50 (Rs 2,382) one way to Cochi about 3 weeks before departure, how much lower would it have been if say I had made the bookings maybe 5-6 weeks in advance? I guess I'm so used to just driving from place to place (besides the initial in-out via plane) that I didn't realize how tight things could get. Given I grew up in india, it's probably clueless of me not to realize that trains would get booked up really quickly!!! Thanks Chitra

Jul 23rd, 2009, 10:25	#4
Hal . . . _ _ _ . . . Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Toronto Posts: 2,303	I usually search for the cheapest prices on Ixigo.com. When you find a flight you like it directs you to the airline website.

Jul 23rd, 2009, 11:10	#5
alouise Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: sydney Posts: 822	Chitra, if you want info on airline performance/delays etc. for Kochi go to this site, click the flight and view data: http://www.flightstats.com/go/Flight...usByAirport.do I'm sorry I can't answer your second question re. discounts because I haven't looked at Go Air before.

Jul 23rd, 2009, 11:57	#6
Manzey Manzey Join Date: May 2008 Location: Bangalore / Gurgaon Posts: 414	The price of the airtickets changes several times a day every few hours. For getting the best price, you need to keep checking the price every couple of hours for a day or two. Then you get an idea of there lowest and highest price. What I do is keep checking the price at cleartrip.com and when I feel that price x is the lowest, then I go to the particular airline website to book the ticket immediateley. The price at the airline website will be little lesser than the third party websites like yatra.com or makemytrip.com or cleartrip.com You can still book your railway tickets using the thatkal service. Tickets for thatkal services (little expensive than the normal tickets)opens 2 or 3 days before the day of departure of the train and you could book it online. Hope this helps. Cheers!

Jul 23rd, 2009, 19:31	#10
chitra0828 Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: CT USA Posts: 62	This is wonderful thanks so much for all your advice. I feel so much better. I'm trying to find out whether we can get a train seat on tourist quota but that seems to only apply to package tours. Thanks Mod on moving my thread, that's very thoughtful and I'll check the sub-notes. Glad to hear that Go Air is reliable sicne that certainly seems the cheaper. I will do as all of you say. Thanks again. If anyone thinks differently about Go Air please add to this discussion... Best CHitra

Jul 23rd, 2009, 19:38	#12
arunganpath Junior most member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 752	Chitra, It is not right that Foreign Tourist Quota is applicable only for package tours. It is applicable for all foreign tourists. However, it cannot be booked through the net. Also, all trains do not have foreign tourist quota. I understand from your earlier posts that you need to travel by train from Bangalore to Palghat. If you can help me with the dates and your preferred class of travel, I shall check on the foreign tourist quota. Also, would send you the contact details to book tickets through foreign tourist quota. I'm not quite familiar with the procedure but am sure that you can't book through the net.

Jul 24th, 2009, 03:11	#13
chitra0828 Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: CT USA Posts: 62	Hi Arungapnath - that is very kind of you to offer to help. We are looking to leave evening of August 14 on the Kanyakumari Express arriving Aug 15 morning at Palakkad at 6.40a. We are 2 adults and 2 children (ages 9 and 6). Feel free to PM any details (or can post them here).

Jul 24th, 2009, 12:43	#14
arunganpath Junior most member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 752	Chitra, unfortuntely, train no. 6526 Kanyakumari exps has only two seats in Sleeper class reserved under Foreign Quota. So, it wont help (as you are four). Also, 14th Aug being friday, there would be lot of movement out of Bangalore... I think better you settle for flight to Cochin.

Jul 26th, 2009, 18:51	#15
chitra0828 Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: CT USA Posts: 62	Thank you for checking Arunganpath. Flying is still an option, but we are now looking at bus services to see if that might work for us. Either for daytime travel or night-time travel. Could I ask a few things: - How comfortable are the sleeper buses compared to going on a train? - Are the bus services normally more punctual or less punctual than trains? - Do the buses have toilets (since the journey will be ~7-8 hours!) - Are there any particular bus companies that any of you would recommend? many thanks again.