Flying to international destinations from Tier 2 cities in India is a pain in the neck. You need to fly to the nearest metro with an international airport which eats into your travel time both ways. Flying directly from your city has its advantages that ensures your journey is comfortable and you also save time.
Air Arabia a low cost airline flies from numerous destinations in India – Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Kochi, Coimbatore,Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Nagpur, Jaipur, Goa and Ahmedabad apart from the metros – Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi.
So international trips are now easily accessible for travelers and also efficient. Air Arabia operates from three international hubs – Sharjah International Airport in UAE, Mohamed V International Airport in Casablanca, Morocco and Borg Al Arab International Airport in Alexandria, Egypt.
AIR ARABIA CHECK-IN
I recently flew to Sharjah courtesy Air Arabia from Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai. I had already completed my web check-in so the baggage drop was quick. It sure did help as I noticed the passengers who hadn’t completed their check-in online had to wait for long hours in the queue.
AIR ARABIA SEATS
Air Arabia Seats – courtesy Air Arabia
My ticket included meals, baggage allowance and hot seat selection. The first 5 rows of the aircraft fall under the hot seat category offering more space than the standard category with additional cost. The seats in Air Arabia have a cabin seat pitch of 32 inches ensuring comfort during your travel.
AIR ARABIA BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE
The airline also gives you the flexibility of selecting your checked-in baggage limitation in three categories – 20kg, 30 kg or 40 kg with no cap on number of bags. If you pre-book your baggage allowance you can save upto 90% of baggage charges paid at the airport which is highly recommended.
AIR ARABIA MEALS
Air Arabia Meal – Dosa
Air Arabia Meal – Vegetarian Biryani
I was ushered to my seat by the smiling cabin crew. Meals can be pre-booked or bought in the flight. In my forward journey I was offered dosa and biryani in my return journey. The dosa was a deterrent considering my South Indian origin. Water is available at a cost in the flight. It would be better if you buy a bottle in the airport.
SHARJAH AIRPORT
The flight landed at the Sharjah International Airport 10 minutes before time. Because of the long queue at the immigration centre it took me sometime to collect my checked-in bags which had arrived well on time.
If you are looking for a budget travel then Air Asia sure would be the best choice in the low cost carriers segment.
Note – I was hosted by Air Arabia and Sharjah Tourism Board in this trip but the views are my own
