An updated Air Services Agreement (ASA) between Pakistan and India will not serve its purpose until the two countries ease the process of issuing visas to each other's citizens, travel agents told The News.

Aviation authorities of India and Pakistan concluded a two-day meeting in Rawalpindi on an agreement to increase the number of flights to 28 from 12 and added two more airlines from each side on specific routes.

Currently, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) operates from Karachi and Lahore while Air India flies from Delhi and Mumbai.

NEW DELHI: Flying to Hyderabad and Bangalore could be more expensive as the airline operators are contemplating a hike in airfares to these two cities if the government gives a nod to a proposal to levy additional user charges from passengers by these airports.

A SpiceJet airline official Friday said it could increase the fare for Bangalore and Hyderabad routes if the government allows these airports to levy additional charges.

SriLankan Airlines is extremely proud to be the first foreign carrier in history to fly one hundred times a week to India. We recognised very early the important role that India plays in this part of the world, and we have been steadily increasing the number of flights, and the cities that we serve.

Coimbatore became SriLankan’s 11th destination in India. It operates two flights a day to Chennai and Mumbai, and daily or more frequent flights to New Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Trichy, Trivandrum, Kochi, and Calicut. There are four flights to Coimbatore, and three to Goa.

Air India is launching a daily non-stop New York-Delhi service from February 8 with a state-of-the-art Boeing 777-200LR aircraft to reduce the travel time between the two cities to 14 hours.

The flight will depart from New York's JFK International Airport at 4:00 pm local time and arrive in Delhi at 4:30 pm the next afternoon. Returning flights will depart Delhi at 12:30 am and arrive at JFK at 5:45 am local time the same day.

As Hyderabad and Bangalore struggle to improve access to their new airports due to start operations this year, New Delhi is investing in a metro link that will allow commuters to travel to the upcoming international airport in 21 minutes.

To start at the capital’s central business district of Connaught Place, this link will offer check-in facilities and a journey that will cost only Rs 180, almost half the current cost of a cab ride to the airport.

The pound is falling, shares are collapsing, mortgages are rising, pay increases are being capped and city bonuses deflated - while the price of fuel and food has soared. If you can afford a holiday at all this year, you'll probably be keeping a careful eye on your budget.

Good thing the Telegraph has put together a list of 50 ways to a cheaper holiday!

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The Hindu Business Line is reporting on efforts to promote Gulmarg as a winter detsination.

Projecting Gulmarg as a world-class winter tourist destination, Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation recently started a snow festival in the area, to coincide with the beginning of the winter tourism season.

Gulmarg or ‘meadow of flowers’ was recognised as a skiing spot by the British living in India during early 19th century.

Since then the hill-station has become a favourite among tourists as well as sportspersons.

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AI will deploy Boeing 777-200LR (Longer Range) for New Delhi-New York service. The 238-seater aircraft will have eight seats in first class, 35 seats in executive class and 195 seats in economy class. The passengers travelling in premium classes - first and executive - will get a free limousine pick up and drop service to/from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport and JFK airport at the time of departure/arrival. Additionally, they will receive a gift voucher of USD 75 and USD 50 respectively for each sector of travel for onboard duty free shopping.

Members of ‘Flying Returns’, Air India’s Frequent Flyer Programme, who travel on its NonStop flight AI-101/AI-102, being launched effective 8 February 2008 on the Delhi-New York- Delhi sector, can look forward to receiving double mileage points.This introductory offer, applicable for travel from either Delhi or New York, is valid till 30 April 2008.

Kerala is expected to be a big player in world adventure tourism in a few years. Events like the Volvo race coming to Kochi and the Offshore Sailing Championship, which was flagged off here on Saturday, will put Kerala firmly on the world adventure tourism map, said Minister for Tourism Kodiyeri Balakrishnan here.

The Minister was speaking after he flagged-off the ‘Ocean Blue’ Offshore Sailing Championship before a colourful sail parade, a sailing tradition in which sailboats unfurled their sails as they passed the cheering crowd on the lawns of Hotel Taj Malabar, this afternoon.

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