I was looking for suggestions on how to best go from Delhi to Goa. Airfares are pricing out well over $400 for economy/coach on Travelocity.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thats about right for the nonstop DEL-GOI RT or even if you buy DEL-BOM-GOI RT. It works out slightly cheaper if you buy DEL-BOM and BOM-GOI separately. Apart from Air Deccan's ATR-42s, the BOM-GOI sector is ~$180 for a roundtrip, while fares on DEL-BOM can go lower, and even if you travel on Air Deccan, at least you're in an A320 on that sector.

If you're a family travelling, it might be better to get Air Sahara's promotional six-coupon fares (Super Sixer, I think they call it...$599 for coach, $799 for business). Thats worth 3 roundtrips from DEL to GOI and you can fly nonstop. No miles though.

Air Sahara also has an air/hotel/meals package from Delhi so if you are looking for hotel also in Goa, you may consider a package which will also include transport to/from airport and some sighseeing. Last I looked, I found the package to be a much better deal than doing it on my own.

Air Sahara also has an air/hotel/meals package from Delhi so if you are looking for hotel also in Goa, you may consider a package which will also include transport to/from airport and some sighseeing. Last I looked, I found the package to be a much better deal than doing it on my own.

Thanks alot to both of you. It looks like that this may be the best price/value option, although I was looking at going between the Park Hyatt and Intercontinental using free nights/points.

I presume you too had to use a local travel agent in India for the package, right?

You can go to Delhi and buy the tickets in INR lots cheaper. If someone can buy your tickets in India even better. That has been my experience.

You can go to Delhi and buy the tickets in INR lots cheaper. If someone can buy your tickets in India even better. That has been my experience.

Any travel agents that you recommend in Delhi that is anywhere close to Chanakyapuri or between Lodhi Gardens and Connaught Place?

You can go to Delhi and buy the tickets in INR lots cheaper. If someone can buy your tickets in India even better. That has been my experience.

Or for the slightly more techie option, if you can find an India-based proxy server, you can buy INR fares straight off the Jet Airways site :D

The fares for resident indians and foreigners resident in India are lower than the so called US$ fares for non-resident indians and foreigners.

If you purchase a cheaper indian ticket, you maybe asked for a proof or residency by an overzealous airline agent. If you can't show that, you will be asked to cough up the fare difference.

The same applies for hotels. Do the trick only if you are willing to take the risk.

Thanks for all your input.

Air Deccan (a LCC-style de novo firm) has BOM-GOI/GOI-BOM for appx. INRs. 2600 one-way (regardless of nationality/residency***). :) And DEL-BOM/BOM-DEL can be had quite reasonably too.

Mixing and matching Jet Airways and Air Deccan worked out quite well and getting same day (or one-day in advance) tickets should not cost more than INR 9,500 one-way (for NON-Indians) since the BOM-GOI sector can be had for $101 one-way while BOM-DEL sector can be had for approximately $110 one-way.

As a further note, Air Deccan is selling a promotional scheme of any 30 one-way segments (to be used as you please) for INR 50,000 upfront. Could be quite a deal depending on the routes being flown.

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*** Apparently foreign nationals with work permits/visas/residency for India should qualify for "Indian"-only fares in compliance with the local laws. (I was also amused to discover that there may be the possibility that some persons can be "state subjects" -- in the case of at least one state of India -- and not yet have Indian citizenship/residency.)

Thats about right for the nonstop DEL-GOI RT or even if you buy DEL-BOM-GOI RT. It works out slightly cheaper if you buy DEL-BOM and BOM-GOI separately. Apart from Air Deccan's ATR-42s, the BOM-GOI sector is ~$180 for a roundtrip, while fares on DEL-BOM can go lower, and even if you travel on Air Deccan, at least you're in an A320 on that sector.

If you're a family travelling, it might be better to get Air Sahara's promotional six-coupon fares (Super Sixer, I think they call it...$599 for coach, $799 for business). Thats worth 3 roundtrips from DEL to GOI and you can fly nonstop. No miles though.

Thanks alot for your help. I looked into the Super Sixer once in Delhi, and according to one telephone agent for Air Sahara in Delhi the Air Sahara promotional six-coupon fare for non-nationals/non-residents must be purchased overseas. Something to keep in mind, IF the agent knew what they were talking about.

Thanks alot for your help. I looked into the Super Sixer once in Delhi, and according to one telephone agent for Air Sahara in Delhi the Air Sahara promotional six-coupon fare for non-nationals/non-residents must be purchased overseas. Something to keep in mind, IF the agent knew what they were talking about.

Seems to be right. It says that on their website.

Or for the slightly more techie option, if you can find an India-based proxy server, you can buy INR fares straight off the Jet Airways site :D

And what do you know? You don't need an India-based proxy server anymore...you can book the Jet Airways INR fares at the URL below:

http://www.jetairways.com/msib21/GetThereSubmission.aspx?getThereSiteType=1&site=1

The fares for resident indians and foreigners resident in India are lower than the so called US$ fares for non-resident indians and foreigners.

If you purchase a cheaper indian ticket, you maybe asked for a proof or residency by an overzealous airline agent. If you can't show that, you will be asked to cough up the fare difference.

The same applies for hotels. Do the trick only if you are willing to take the risk.

A friend booked a couple of 9W through the link above. Looked Indian, and was not asked for any proof of residency at checkin. YMMV.

A friend booked a couple of 9W through the link above. Looked Indian, and was not asked for any proof of residency at checkin. YMMV.

A friend of mine from the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir gets harassed like crazy when using the "Indian" rate anywhere but in J&K; even at places like the Taj Mahal they asked him -- but not his then accompanying Brazilian and Arab friends -- to prove that he is Indian despite speaking fluent Hindi/Urdu and having never been a non-Indian national. He ends up using government hospital-issued ID but still this discriminatory treatment is ridiculous. Even at "hotels", he is asked to "register" as a foreigner, but after mentioning that he is Indian and not required to have a passport to travel domestically the hotel stops requesting such from him.

In any case, let's see them charge Sonia Gandhi or the former minister of state for external affairs with the "foreigner" rate and then have this third world mentality of ripping off foreigners come to an end. :D

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*** Apparently foreign nationals with work permits/visas/residency for India should qualify for "Indian"-only fares in compliance with the local laws. (I was also amused to discover that there may be the possibility that some persons can be "state subjects" -- in the case of at least one state of India -- and not yet have Indian citizenship/residency.)

Where did you read this? Would love to hear more about this!!!

Where did you read this? Would love to hear more about this!!!

If you are referring to the first part of my quote that you cited, then even Jet Airways has gotten wise with the following addendum:

Indian Rupee fare – Applicable only to Indian Residents and foreigners holding an Indian resident permit. Foreigners may be required to produce a copy of the resident permit on request at the time of check-in.

... actually the law is a little broader than what was put in language on various airline websites in India as indicated by the general example above from jetairways.com

If you are referring to the latter part of my quote, certain states in India have a special status under the Indian Constitution, amongst these Jammu & Kashmir (& Ladakh). The respective laws at the national and state level there enable persons to be "state subjects" of J&K and yet not necessarily be an Indian national; vice versa, most all Indians cannot be "state subjects" of Kashmir. This is manifested in various ways including those of "property rights" rules applicable to immovable property, etc whereby "non-state subjects" cannot acquire immovable property or otherwise become state subjects (except in certain very limited circumstances). The "gap" that is present currently in the laws there relate to the fact that "non-Indian" "state subjects" of Kashmir cannot legally access J&K unless the Indian External Affairs ministry grants a non-Indian "Kashmiri state subject" a visa and/or the Home Ministry approves certain items to enable a non-Indian "Kashmiri state subject" access to enter India.

If you are referring to the latter part of my quote, certain states in India have a special status under the Indian Constitution, amongst these Jammu & Kashmir (& Ladakh). The respective laws at the national and state level there enable persons to be "state subjects" of J&K and yet not necessarily be an Indian national; vice versa, most all Indians cannot be "state subjects" of Kashmir. This is manifested in various ways including those of "property rights" rules applicable to immovable property, etc whereby "non-state subjects" cannot acquire immovable property or otherwise become state subjects (except in certain very limited circumstances). The "gap" that is present currently in the laws there relate to the fact that "non-Indian" "state subjects" of Kashmir cannot legally access J&K unless the Indian External Affairs ministry grants a non-Indian "Kashmiri state subject" a visa and/or the Home Ministry approves certain items to enable a non-Indian "Kashmiri state subject" access to enter India.


Sorry about that - I WAS referring to the second part of your quote.

Interesting to say the least. Thanks for bringing this up.

Anyway I shall not pursue this further for fear of this becoming a political thread. :)

And what do you know? You don't need an India-based proxy server anymore...you can book the Jet Airways INR fares at the URL below:
http://www.jetairways.com/msib21/GetThereSubmission.aspx?getThereSiteType=1&site=1


Thanx a heap for the link savage. Booked a eticket today. Worked like a dream. The fare quoted was 4420 INR instead of the 270 USD.

I have now learned how to get between DEL and GOA on the cheap.

Between www.spicejet.com and www.airdeccan.net , one can get to GOA very reasonably. About 3,870 INR each way. Pretty darn cheap compared to what I paid back a few months ago.

Also -- at least for Indian residents -- Jet Airways now has "instant purchase" specials that can really drive down the prices below the printed prices. But for such tickets one should call and ask and then pay at a CTO-type facility.

With a mixing and matching of www.spicejet.com , www.airdeccan.net , flykingfisher.biz , www.airsahara.net and www.jetairways.com , one can really get around much of India for a fraction of what it cost last year or even earlier this year.

Long live the "spectre of competition". :D

[Air Deccan (definitely) and SpiceJet (apparently) do not discriminate based on residency (apparent or otherwise). :) ]

And what do you know? You don't need an India-based proxy server anymore...you can book the Jet Airways INR fares at the URL below:

http://www.jetairways.com/msib21/GetThereSubmission.aspx?getThereSiteType=1&site=1


I have been trying to access this site the past 24 hours but am unable to.

I have been trying to access this site the past 24 hours but am unable to.3

I found a better way:

Go the online booking engine.

Select 'one way'

Replace
jetairwaysusb at the end of the URL with

jetairwaysrup

From then on it will show your queries with INR prices

Also -- at least for Indian residents -- Jet Airways now has "instant purchase" specials that can really drive down the prices below the printed prices. But for such tickets one should call and ask and then pay at a CTO-type facility.

I bought a BOM-CCU one way for 4420 INR online which ticketed in the K2IP (IP=instant purchase??)fare. The adverts indicate this is a check fare. The check fare rules indicate there is a H class ticket even cheaper that this...

I bought a BOM-CCU one way for 4420 INR online which ticketed in the K2IP (IP=instant purchase??)fare. The adverts indicate this is a check fare. The check fare rules indicate there is a H class ticket even cheaper that this...

I'll try to have someone recover the printed copy of the ticket to see into which ticket class the "instant purchase" ticket we got was booked. The downside is that a traveller on such a ticket may well be limited to 20kgs instead of the international allowance.

Bought an even cheaper CCU-BOM e-ticket online for 4020 INR today. The Fare this time was H2IP.

I couldn't recover the ticket, but the IP and 21-day APEX fares have certainly resulted in lowers prices for many markets here.

The ITN minisite for 9w bookings in INR tariff is:

http://www.itn.net/jetairwaysrup