Travelling is great fun. Forgetting to carry a few essentials is not.
Airports and Emigrations – 12 steps to remember.
Before you head to the airport you must do a rerun of a checklist to carry as below –
Your check-in baggage is your big bag which will have all your clothes, toiletries, shoes, and everything you require for your trip. The maximum limit for a baggage is between 20 and 30 kilos for international flights depending on the airline and the route. In this case you must curtail your baggage and not pack a lot of things which may not be necessary. So, you must carry only the bare essentials as you are going to be enjoying your holiday and not going for an elaborate Indian Wedding ! This bag gets checked-in and goes in the cargo section of the aircraft. Which means that you will get this bag only after arrival at your final destination.
Your hand bag is the smaller carry-on shoulder bag, for which airlines usually limit to around 7 kilos only. You must remember not to pack any liquids in this bag. In this handbag go the absolute essential documents, like your passports, copies etc.
Airports and Emigrations – 12 steps to remember
Make a check list of the things you HAVE TO carry like Passports, copies of air tickets copies of your visas, copies of your passports, copies of your hotel reservation abroad OR tour vouchers. Your currencies/credi cards/foreign exchange cards etc. KEEP 2 COPIES OF ALL DOCMETS LIKE PASSPORTS, VISAS, CREDIT CARDS etc. Keep one with your relatives. and with yourself.
IF you are going to change flights, then you will need to know how much time you have between flights and accordingly buy food at the transit airports.
1. On reaching the airport.
when you reach the airport, count the number of bags in your family, look for a trolley first and after loading them in the trolley, proceed to the entrance. At teh entrance you have to keep in your hand – your passport, your air ticket copy. Now you enter the airport.
2. Check In –
Make sure you are standing in the right queue, i.e. weather you are in the normal class line, or business class line, or the line which felicitates online booking. If you have done online booking then you have already chosen your seats and you spend lesser time for checking in. If not then you have to choose the available seat/s and meal preferences.
You have to show your original passports, visas, and air tickets. Here you have to put a tag on your main checked in baggage and allow it to be taken by the officials. DO REMEMBER TO SEE THAT THEY PUT THE STICKER OF THE FINAL DESTINATION ( as they can make a mistake and you will not get your bag when you arrive at your destination. ) You may have to put a tag on your handbag for security identifications. Ok so now you have your Boarding passes. Next is to proceed for the emigration check.
3. Emigration check. on departure.
You will find a long queue here, and when your turn comes you have to formally exit the airport. the emigration officer will want your passport, Boarding pass, air ticket copies, your visa, and hotel confirmation, he may asks you a few questions about the purpose of your journey. Finally he will ask you to look into the scanner to get the details of your biometrics, and then stamp Departure with date on your passport. MAKE SURE HE DOES THIS OR IT WILL BE A PROBLEM LATER ON.
4. AIRPORT CUSTOMS –
In certain cases people carry very very expensive laptops, watches, jewelry etc. In this case you have to notify this to the customs officer by showing him your purchase receipt in India and get a certificate for reimport. if you are not careful about this you will be charged duty on your return.
5. DUTY FREEE SHOPPING
you can buy books stationery etc. for your journey, be careful about buying liquor as some airlines do not permit liquor in the transit airports. Plus you will have big unnecessary issues of taking liquids through the security of transiting airports. suggestion is to avoid buying liquids till you reach your destination.
6. Boarding –
You now locate your gate number from your boarding pass and proceed to your gate for your final departure. Careful that you reach your gate at least 30 minutes before departure as most airports are silent airports where there are no announcements allowed. You then board your flight and sit at your designated seat number as per your boarding pass. You have to place your handbags above your seats and not on your laps. you will be informed to switch off all electronics like mobile phones tablets before take off.
7. Transit airports if any –
After you arrive at the transit airport you must NOT GO TOWARDS BAGGAGE CLAIM OR EMIGRATION. You must locate the gate number of your next connecting flight and proceed towards it. You will be checked by security again here and you will feel happy at not buying any liquids at the earlier airport. You now proceed again towards your next gate number and board your flight again.
8. Arrival at your destination –
On arrival you have to remember to siwtch on your phone number and other electorics to call anyone once you land. You now take your handbag and valuables ad proceed out of the aircraft and go straight to the Emigration, Here you have to p ready your passport, return air ticket, hotel voucher and visa which is usually stamped in your passport. In certain cases it is a printout)
9. Baggage claim –
You proceed to the belt number which corresponds with your flight number as in the picture above. you pick up your correct baggage, check if they are not damaged nor open nor have been opened. and proceed out. if your baggage has not arrived, you have to make a complain at the lost baggage counter within the airport itself and inform them of your hotels for the next two to three days. The airline will locate your baggage and they will have to send it to your hotel, even if your hotel is in another country. You next go past the foreign Customs and proceed out.
Once out, if you are travelling by yourself you have to make your way to the railway station or the taxi counter or the Bus station to reach your hotel. OR if you have booked through an organised tour oerator you follow the tour leader or tour manager.
10. RETURN JOURNEY.
The return is similar to the onward journey, where everything works exactly in the same manner
11. CHECK IN, EMIGRATION, BOARDING AND TAKE OFF.
You can refer to proceedings as above for the formaities for Check in , Boarding and Taking off.
12. Customs –
On the return you will be subject to our Indian Customs and duty where there is a GREEN CHANNEL – NOTHING TO DECLARE, and a RED CHANNEL if you have imported very expensive merchandise.
Customs duty rules keep changing and you have to update yourself before you travel.
So this concludes your airport and Emigration process. We really hope it will be of use to you. please do write back a line for any questions.