Precautions and Guidelines to Follow while Travelling in Domestic Flights

Ah! Those simple times when one could book a ticket for a flight and off you go towards your destination. Alas, everything has changed ever since the corona outbreak. Covid19 has hampered our lives in a way no one ever imagined and disrupted all sectors including aviation industry. The domestic flights were first put on hold to contain the virus outbreak and it wrecked havoc on livelihood of all those connected to the industry. After getting nod from the government to resume the services of flights, the domestic flight system has never been the same. So lets check out all the guidelines and procedures being put forward by airport authorities to check passengers.

Guidelines: The first thing to remember for everyone is that all states have different procedures for incoming passengers and they keep on changing from time to time. Some states have mandatory quarantine clause too, so make sure to check destination state guidelines before boarding the flight.

*Aarogya Setu is mandatory so passengers should install Aarogya Setu app in their mobiles and fill in all the required fields mentioned in the app.

*After booking ticket for domestic airline make sure to check their website for any self declaration form required.

*The check-in is compulsory online and a print out of baggage tag must be pasted on luggage to avoid any hassle at airports. The normal weight allowed for check-in baggage is 20kgs and the cabin baggage weight is fixed at 7kg for all airlines.

*Masks and hand gloves are mandatory for all. Also if a flyer is not well, he or she shall not be allowed to board the flight under any circumstance.

*Passengers are requested to report 2–4 hours prior to departure as the domestic airlines have placed strict safety measures at airports. The passengers are thermal screened upon arrival and hand sanitizers are provided at several checkpoints.

Domestic Airfares: Although the domestic airlines have resumed their services, the air traffic is still at an all time low. The airfare is a bit on the higher side due to high operational cost and differs for all airline. So make sure to check all domestic flight booking sites in order to get the cheapest travel option. The airfares have been capped by the government of India and shall remain so until November 2020. The airfares have been categorized according to the time taken while travelling.

· For a travel time ranging unto 40 minutes the airfare has been capped between 2k-6k

· For 40–60 minutes travel time, the airfare has been kept at 2.5k-7.5k

· For 60–90 minutes travel time, the airfare is capped at 3k-9k

· For 90–120 minutes duration time the airfare is kept at 3.5k-10k

· For 120–150 minutes travel time the airfare is capped at 4.5k-13k

· For 150–180 minutes duration time the airfare is kept at 5.5k-17k

· For 180–210 minutes travel time the airfare is set at 6.5k-18.6k

These are the lowest and highest domestic airfares that airlines can charge, for economy class, so while booking flight ticket online, always check various websites in order to get the best discount possible for travelling.

In-flight experience: The airlines have taken strict steps for safety of passengers in flight cabins.

· The middle seat in all airlines have been kept empty in order to maintain social distancing protocol. Passengers can only buy window and aisle seats while booking tickets online.

· Flyers are given face shield and hand gloves separately.

· Hand sanitizers are also provided during boarding a flight and after de-boarding too.

· In-flight meals have been discontinued to minimize contact with passengers.

All these safety protocols have been put into place for our own safety and it is our responsibility to abide to them for safe travel for all. All unnecessary travelling should be avoided. Senior citizens, pregnant women and babies, less than 10 years old, should avoid travelling if possible. Stay home stay safe!