Few tips for first-time air travellers

Based on my frequent trips to Japan, I'm putting down some points for fellow travellers from India.

These points may be useful for any first time air traveller too.

After 9/11, immigration & security checks have become stricter, as many may already be aware.

#1. Don't carry the spices like chilly powder in hand baggage. It's ok to keep them in the check-in baggage.

#2 : Some folks may not be able to eat other types of food, so they carry rice, spices, etc., so that they may cook & eat their own food, which may add up to the luggage weight. But try to keep the weight +/- 2 kgs from the weight limit written on the ticket. 7 kgs for hand luggage, not even +1 kg allowed! If you had packed sweater/winter coat in the hand baggage (so that it may be easy to pull them out and wear as soon as you get out of the destination airport) try to wear them or keep them in the trolley, so that it may reduce some weight.

#3: Don't carry parfumes/body sprays/liquid bottles in hand baggage. Even if they are allowed, body sprays / shaving gel cans above 100 ml will be thrown in the dustbin.

#4: Mention your destination clearly when you get the boarding pass at the ticketing counter. This way, you may avoid the trouble of your check-in bags being offloaded in transit airport.

#5: Wear a smile, greet the officer in the immigration desk with a "Hello", "Good Evening", etc., Answer the questions clearly & slowly. Even if the questions are stupid, don't answer arrogantly but try to explain in a simple manner.

#6: Expect a 2nd round of thorough check of your hand baggage & few visa related questions in the transit airport, before boarding the next flight to your destination. Some countries may even ask you to fill in a form again. It's annoying, you may think "I had got this bag checked already and I answered the questions related to my visa before embarking the flight in India" but you don't have any choice, so be patient.

#7: Make sure your bags have got security check stickers after the scanning was done (or seal stamped on the tags)

#8: Make sure your boarding pass have immigration & security check seals stamped, before you reach the respective gate. There had been instances where travellers had missed one of the stamps, probably due to the mistake of the immigration / security folks and then had to run back to get it at the last minute.

#9 Even if you have 5 hours in transit, reach the respective airlines desk immediately after getting out of the plane, get the boarding pass, or get the gate number written clearly if you had already got the boarding pass in the source location. Take a walk towards that gate, confirm that the gate# & flight# match, your next flight is on schedule through the displays on TVs and then proceed with roaming around chocolate shops, browsing the net, sipping coffee, resting in a hotel lounge or whatever you please. Avoid roaming around and rushing at the last 30 minutes to get the boarding pass & search for the gate.

#10 Try to reach the airport 3 hours before the flight's departure time. Most people travel on Friday/ Saturday night, so don't let the traffic jam get you stuck on the way. Talk to neighbors who may have travelled to the airport recently and find out the approximate time taken to reach the airport from your residence.