Airlines now lure students with a range of freebies

Chennai: With international passenger traffic slowing down, airlines have started offering a whole range of attractive allowances to lure students travelling to the US, UK and Europe.
With the increased price of aviation turbine fuel dissuading airlines from offering special fares, they are making up for it by providing more baggage allowance, wifi connections, international calling cards and discounts on particular brands of bags. Jet Airways, for instance, offers a student's kit that includes a Matrix calling card and a wifi connection. Air India organised a pre-departure briefing for students as part of its marketing initiative.
Students travelling on Air India and Jet Airways flights will now be able to carry additional baggage all the way into interior towns in the US and Europe, an offer that was not there last year. Air India allows students to carry an extra piece of luggage to the US and 10 kg extra to Europe. "Last year, we permitted them to carry the extra free luggage only up to important cities. Now, students can carry them in one domestic flight abroad," said an Air India official.
Emirates offers 30 kg baggage for Economy Class passengers. The airline offers an additional 20 kg of baggage for students aged 12-26 years travelling to the UK and Australia. Jet Airways allows 63 kg (three bags) to the US and 50 kg to Europe.
Prathibha Jain, an international education consultant, advises students to travel light, however.
06/07/09 V Ayyappan/Times of India

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Categories: Foreign Jul 2009, Indian Aviation- In General Jul 2009, l