Star Alliance member Air India is cooking up a tasty business class sale from Stockholm. Nonstop flights to New Delhi start at €1,240 (~SEK 14,489) . Prices to most other Indian cities with a connection at New Delhi airport come basically at the same price.
According to some news reports, Air India is close to a bankrupcty if the Indian government doesn’t come up with a solution. You should be fully aware of these risks when booking flights with Air India.
The following destinations are available with one or fewer stops:
- Ahmedabad from €1,240
- Chennai from €1,240
- Kochi from €1,241
- Delhi from €1,245 (nonstop)
- Mumbai from €1,245
- Bangalore from €1,247
- Goa from €1,261
- Hyderabad from €1,265
There are many more destinations available, just play around in our flight search or on Google Flights.
Flights from Stockholm to New Delhi are Boeing 787 Dreamliner service. These aircraft feature fully reclinable lie-flat-seats in a 2-2-2 pattern in their premium cabin. You can read a comprehensive review of the product here.
Search & Book
The fare rules for this offer don’t offer restrictions like a travel period, sales period, minimum or maximum stay. This means they can be sold out or withdrawn any time. Availability is outstanding and basically daily between today and September 2020!
We’ve been able to find availabilities with Google Flights (instructions) and the best deal when we compared prices via our flight search. Of course, it is never a bad idea to purchase Business Class tickets directly from the carrier. This will result in higher prices but better communication in case you run into any problems.
Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?
More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:
Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.
If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.
This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.
Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.
This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.
Mileage
Tickets for all flights will be issued in booking class Z. The earning rate that you will get is somewhere between 100% and 200% on most Star Alliance frequent flyer programs. The following example covers a flight from Stockholm to Mumbai via Delhi:
- 16,704 Miles on Aegean Miles+Bonus
- 16,704 Miles on Ethiopian ShebaMiles
- 16,704 Points on SAS EuroBonus
- 16,704 Miles on TAP Miles&Go
- 12,530 Miles on Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- 12,530 Award Miles + 480 Points on Miles&More
- 10,440 Miles on Asiana Club
- 10,440 Miles on Air Canada Aeroplan
- 10,440 Miles on EVA Infinity MileageLands
- 10,440 Miles on Copa ConnectMiles
- 10,440 Miles on Singapore KrisFlyer
- 10,440 Miles on Thai Royal Orchid Plus
- 10,440 Award Miles + 8,352 Tier Miles on Avianca LifeMiles
- 10,440 Miles on ANA Mileage Club
- 8,352 Award Miles + 1,394 PQP on United MileagePlus
- 8,352 Miles on Egyptair Plus
Information & Tips for India
India is billed as a “subcontinent” not only for geographical reasons. The argument can be made that there is no region on the entire planet as culturally different as India. For example, it is home to as many vegetarians as the rest of the world. But its unique cuisine is just one of reasons to go there – India has a lot to offer. You can finde paradise like beaches in Goa and Kerala. Buzzing metropoles like Delhi and Mumbai invite you as well as and extravagant buildings and palaces like the world famous Taj Mahal. In conclusion, a country as huge as India is full of possibilities.
Visa & Entry
EU citizens need a visa and a passport to enter India. The easiest way is to apply for an eVisa, that will grant you two entries and a stay up to 60 days. It costs around 30€ on the government’s official site. With it, you can enter the country at almost any international airport.
Transport infrastructure
Flag carrier Air India and a bunch of smaller LCCs connect the airports of Delhi and Mumbai to almost any noteworthy city in the country. For a country its size, India has an excellent railway network. This allows for extremely cheap ground transportation. Renting a car is possible, but incredibly dangerous due to poor road conditions and reckless driving habits.
Currency
Official currency is the Indian rupee. 100 rupees are worth around 1,30€.
→ All Dealz for India
Information & Tips for Delhi
Delhi or New Delhi is the capital of India, the world’s second most popoulos country. The city combines architectural elements from more than 1,000 years. Therefore it appears as a timeless conflux of several cultures. From Hinduism, Moghul India through British colonial influences, the poeple of Delhi inhabited and preserved what they got from whomever ruled the city.
The result is a city full of sights like pompous temples and mosques, regal colonial buildings and buzzing shopping districts. One of India’s best public transport systems and a steady flow of taxis and rickshaws help you get around. With its undeniable contemporary influences, Delhi is the best gateway to enter the culturally vastly different country of India.
Best Time to Travel
Delhi is hot – from May through August, the average daily temperature is above 30 degrees, making this an unpleasant time to visit the city. From mid-september, when monsoon season is finished, to November is a great time go. While December and January can be cold and unpleasant, from February to April is another good time frame for a trip to India’s capital.
From the Airport to the City
Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Int’l Airport serves as hub for Air India. Delhi’s excellent subway connects it to the city. A ride to the city center takes around 20 minutes and costs less than €1. Furthermore, al large number of air conditioned buses are available, charging an ever lower fare. Taking a taxi can take up to an hour, due to heavy traffic. Prices are around €5.
→ All Dealz for Delhi
Cover Picture: © Kriangkrai