Often the best way to travel to any destination within India, especially for foreigners is by flights. I prefer the trains as there is no other way to see India then by trains and coaches. But if you’re short on time, it not only reduces the travel time but can be a safer and viable option. With the advent of many private players in the Indian Airline Industry, flying has become cheaper and hassle free in India. You can choose from government owned airline services and many privately owned carriers. However, the suggestion would be to avoid the government owned carrier for the quality of service is not up to the mark of those that are provided by the private carriers.
Some of the popular domestic airlines in India to choose from:
Indian Airlines
This is the Government owned carrier plagued by inefficiencies, last minute cancellations and leaves a lot to be desired in terms of services; hence always better to be avoided. However, on certain routes it is the only carrier operational and hence might be the only option at hand.
Jet Airways
It is India’s premier private carrier with quality service, food, timekeeping and baggage handling. The staffs too are courteous and easy to deal with, however it can be slightly expensive as compared to other low cost carriers.
Kingfisher Airlines
It is owned by India’s Beer Baron Vijay Mallya (owner of Kingfisher Beer) and as the name suggests it is known for its lavish services. Slightly on the higher side in terms of fares, it has recently been in news for high scale cancellations hence not the best option to opt for off late as a carrier.
SpiceJet
Again a front runner as one of India’s best low cost carriers, Spicejet connects numerous destinations within India. It has emerged over the years as the customers’ foremost choice for travelling via air in India.
Indigo Airlines
It is considered as one of India’s best low cost carrier; always on time offering a very good value for money. It connects many cities within India and gives services keeping the customer satisfaction in mind.
Jet Konnect
It used to be called Air Airlines and then JetLite and now it’s called Jet Konnect part of Jet Airways. This airline does not offer food onboard its flights but food can be bought, a service called JetCafe.
GoAir
Go Air is an Mumbai based airline company that specialises in low fares that uses mainly Airbus A320 aircrafts. It is owned by the same person who owns the famous Bombay Dyeing that deals with textiles. Remember it’s a no-frills based airlines hence it does not provide complementary meals.
There are others that you might wish to check out such as Ventura AirConnect, MDLR Airlines and Deccan Shuttles. You do not necessarily have to buy air line tickets from individual airlines. You can buy them from online agents. For instance, you can buy air tickets by shopping around on online agents but mind you they can be more expensive as they will take their commission.
Further reading on Indian transport
How to book train tickets in India
Overcrowding in Indian trains
Auto Rickshaw in India
