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Top Must-Have Android Apps for Indians

Posted on June 2, 2014

Indians around the world use many Android apps either to stay in touch with what’s happening in India, or to take care of personal matters like banking, messaging, phone calls and so on.

The Global Indian profiles some of these best Android apps for Indians living abroad.

Music

Saavn: This is by far the most popular and most entertaining music app for both Android and iOS. The music is free and includes not just latest Bollywood music, but also provides access to a collection of Indian regional, and even English music. The most popular feature is the staff-curated playlists for various genres.
From the newest songs to hard-to-find classics, Saavn’s catalog provides songs in Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi, Marathi, Bengali, Kannada, Gujarati, Malayalam, and Bhojpuri.

Download

Travel

MakeMyTrip: Planning to book tickets for domestic travel by air or train? Use MakeMy trip app to compare fares and timings of trains and flights. It even offers options to book hotels, but you would be better off contacting hotels directly for bookings.

Download

iXigo Trains: While Indian Railways‘ official IRCTC website is notorious for slow speed and downtime, this iXigo web app works much better. While this is not the official IRCTC app, it helps you find train tickets, find PNR status, and get accurate train running information. There are no ads in the app.  It even lets you find budget hotels in most Indian cities, classify them by area, get the best hotel deals and call hotels for free and book online! The makers of this app have even gone a step further – the app can scans your SMS for PNRs and provide PNR status change updates and delay notifications.

Download

AskLaila: If you are looking phone numbers and addresses of local businesses, you can download AskLaila app for Android phones.

Download

Culture

Indian festivals and holidays: Planning a visit to India and not too sure when the holidays and festivals are? Use this app for  a list of all the major Indian festivals and holidays.

Features:
1. Instantly know which holidays fall on which dates.
2. Short 4 line description of each holiday.
3. Link to Wikipedia article for the selected holiday for further reading

Download

Salah Timings: This Android app provides Islamic prayer timings (Salat), and shows you the direction to Mecca from anywhere in the world. For devout Muslims, it’s a handy tool for religious observance.

Download

Shopping

Now NRIs can send gifts to India with a click of a button, thanks to many mobile apps developed by leading online shopping sites like Flipkart, Amazon and eBay. With growing competition among these online shopping sites, the prices are highly competitive. Some of these apps also show bargains and special offers.

Flipkart: Flipkart is by far the most popular shopping website for India and offers a range of products from apparel to books, kitchen appliances and much more.
Download

Amazon: Now shop on Amazon.in via Amazon global shopping application

Download

eBay: eBay is not yet big in India but in case you like something on eBay, you can use this app which provides listings on eBay.in too.

Download

Snapdeal: Snapdeal is not as big as leading shopping portals, but offers good customer experience and a range of products. Use this official app to shop on Snapdeal.

Download

Sports

Indians’ love for cricket is legendary. It is no wonder that some of the cricket apps for Android are very popular among Indians. However, football and other games are also gaining popularity with Indian audience. Here’s our round-up of popular sport apps for Android.

Sports schedules including FIFA World Cup: The month-long 2014 FIFA World Cup action begins on 12 June. Catch every match with this football app for the 2014 Football World Cup – get game results on-the-go!

This app provides mobile guide to match schedules, standings, and venues. As the competition unfolds, the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final match-ups will be revealed.

Download

CricketNext Live: This is a very popular Android app for live cricket score and other updates.

Download

Cricbuzz: Crickbuzz offers scores of popular cricket matches.

Download

ESPNCricInfo: With comprehensive access to popular cricket matches, ESPNCricInfo has put some of the best information about cricket into this official mobile app.

Download

News

Stay in touch with the latest news about India and Indians with some of the best mobile apps developed my Indian news media.

NDTV: You can watch news videos and live news updates from NDTV on this Android mobile app.
Download

IBNLive for Android: This mobile app for CNN-IBN offers live news from one of the popular news channels from India.

Download

MSN India News: For some unbiased news about India, tune in to MSN India news which is owned by Yahoo!
Download

Times of India: Official Android application of the popular Indian daily.
Download

Banking and finance

Many NRIs have accounts in India and would find it easier to keep track of their banking transactions with an Android app. Many of these apps let you complete netbanking transactions like paying utility bills, paying a relative in India, renew fixed deposits and request account statements.

You can also download applications for monitoring your stock market investments.

iMobile: Transact with your ICICI Bank account with this mobile app for Android users.
Download

State Bank Freedom: Whether you have your PF with State Bank or your fixed deposits, you can access your details with this official mobile app for State Bank of India customers.

Download

Citibank: Many customers of Citibank have accounts in India. You can access your account with this application developed by Citibank.

Download

Standard Chartered Bank: This app lets you complete Netbanking transactions in your StanChart account with the click of a button.

Download

ICICI Stock Watch: Use this app to get updates on various equity stocks trading on leading Indain exchanges including BSE and NSE.

Download

Moneycontrol Markets: This Adroid application provides updates on not just Indian but also global equities markets in real-time. A must-have app for serious stock investors.

Download

Did we miss any app? Please suggest your favorite Android app in the comments below.

Lifestyle News Travel

Surprise taxi checks at Auckland airport following high-fare complaints

Posted on May 12, 2014
Auckland Airport to audit taxi journeys and calls for taxis to offer fixed fares.

rp_Auckland_Airport_International_Section.jpg

Following passenger complaints of high fare, Auckland Airport will now regularly undertake mystery passenger audits of taxi pick-ups from the airport, says Richard Barker, Auckland Airport’s spokesman.

“Any drivers and companies found to be charging excessive amounts or taking longer than necessary routes will be immediately reported to their employer and, if required, to the New Zealand Transport Agency.”

Richard has however denied claims that taxis in Auckland are overcharging for the airport fare.

“We reject claims that Auckland Airport is responsible for the high taxi fares across Auckland. Almost all of the costs incurred by the taxis to operate at Auckland Airport are recovered directly from passengers through the $6 to $8 ‘airport pick-up charge’.”

“Taxi companies are therefore responsible for the rest of the taxi fare.”

“Travellers who get stuck in Auckland traffic congestion should be aware that ‘waiting fees’ will be added by the taxi company to their fare when the vehicle is stationary or stuck in slow moving traffic. This will significantly increase the total amount they have to pay.”

At the same time, Richard would like to see cabbies introduce new offers for customers, which could include fixed fares to the city and other key locations. “We would expect this action to reduce the cost of the longest taxi trips from the airport.”

Taking the clue, Green Cabs has announced fixed-fare rates to the city and North Shore.

Green Cabs will charge flat fares of $65 to the city, $97 to Takapuna and $110 to Albany for airport passengers.

Health News Travel

Measles alert on Brisbane-Auckland flight

Posted on March 6, 2014

Measles symptoms cure(Photo: Dave Haygarth)

Passengers flying from Brisbane to Auckland on 23 February on an Air New Zealand flight may have been exposed to measles, the Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) advises.

ARPHS has reported two measles cases who were passengers on Flight NZ136 leaving Brisbane at 11:15am on Sunday 23 February.

These passengers would have been infectious at the time of their travel on this flight, says Medical Officer of Health Dr Richard Hoskins.

It usually takes 10 to 14 days for measles to start showing any symptoms. Anyone on this flight who may have caught measles should be starting to feel unwell, if they’re not already, by Sunday 9 March, a statement from the health service says.

“Passengers who sat nearest the two cases have the highest risk and are our priority,” says Dr Hoskins, “and will be contacted by their local public health service. However because measles is an infectious, airborne disease, we want all passengers to be vigilant.”

Measles symptoms include a high fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a rash that starts on the face and neck before spreading elsewhere.

Any passengers from this flight who feel unwell should phone their GP or call Healthline on 0800 611 116 for advice. It is vitally important to call first before seeing a doctor because measles is highly infectious, and people with measles can infect others in the waiting room.

New Zealand has experienced measles outbreaks very recently.

There have been 57 measles cases in Auckland so far this year. Nine of these caught measles overseas and brought it home with them. A similar measles outbreak in the year 2011-12 had nearly 500 people affected and 82 required hospitalisation.

Measles is a serious illness, says Dr Hoskins, and there is no treatment. “The only way to avoid catching measles is to have had two measles vaccines after your first birthday. Please check with your GP to see if you and your family are protected.”

Lifestyle News Travel

Five attractions in Liverpool

Posted on October 11, 2013
Beatles in Liverpool UK

Liverpool is probably most famous for the English premier team and the city from where the Beatles hail. Liverpool has a lot more to offer than most people realise, with its rich maritime history, imposing architecture and cathedrals it is a city definitely full of old world allure.

Today Liverpool is a combination of old and new and many people continue to flock there for various reasons.

The Docks

Liverpool has a long and rich history and during the Empire days it had an abundance of wealth and trade. Albert Dock is a reminder of Liverpool’s former glory and has been named a UNESCO world heritage site.

The docklands are a favourite among visitors and along the busy waterfront a great selection of cafes, restaurants and boutique shops can be found. Along the dock many remarkable places can be found including the Tate Liverpool, the esteemed Beatles story, the International Museum of Slavery and Merseyside Maritime museum. You can fill your day easily without even leaving the dock.

what to see in Liverpool

The Tate in Liverpool

The Liverpool Tate is the sister of London’s great modern and contemporary art gallery, the Tate Modern. The old converted warehouse houses some great works by leading 20th century artists and the ever-changing exhibits keep the art enthusiasts coming back on a regular basis.

The Beatles

Beatles in Liverpool UKAll avid Beatles fans will absolutely love the Beatles Story which showcases the curious lives of John, Paul, George and Ringo. This museum tells the story carefully of how four young humble boys from Liverpool started out and became the world’s best and most coveted boy band.
The story is lovingly narrated by Julia Lennon, the sister of the late John Lennon and tells of their rapid rise to fame. Full of memorabilia and rare photographs, this is a must for anybody with an interest in music and its history.

Slavery Museum

The International Slavery museum is one of a kind and the first in the world. This touching museum follows the history of slavery right up into modern times. It carefully tells the tale of entrapment, slavery, abuse and of course the uprising and rebellion of those enslaved. It’s a fascinating museum to visit and you’ll see how racism prevailed throughout the centuries and learn about the slow death of this brutal period of history.

Maritime Museum

Liverpool is rich in maritime history so it’s no wonder that it is home to one of the best and influential Maritime museums. Here you’ll see the in depth story of the doomed Titanic, the dark undercover world of people and drug smuggling and you’ll also be able to gain a clearer insight into how it was to work on the docks.

It makes for a wonderful family day out and the variety of exhibits and artefacts will keep you amused for hours.

When visiting Liverpool you’ll be overwhelmed with the amount of things to see and do. Plan your trip carefully and decide what needs to be done. The Docks will take you at least one day to explore and you’ll instantly fall in love with the charm of this lively city and the gracious locals.

Chris Clayton a London Tour Guide with one of the leading tour companies who organise trips across London and to Liverpool and other leading UK cities. (All images are author owned.)

Featured Lifestyle Travel

Book now for cheap Thanksgiving fares – Travelocity

Posted on October 9, 2013
Cheap air tickets for thanksgiving

The best time to buy cheapest air tickets for Thanksgiving is between 8 October and 9 November, says a travel website.

According to Travelocity’s Booking Barometer, prices for Thanksgiving begin to drop during this time, and will pick back up at a steep increase beginning the week of November 10.

With the holiday season just around the corner, the time to start looking for flights and hotels for Thanksgiving is now. The air tickets for Thanksgiving have already become more expensive by 7% compared to this time last year.

Travelocity data shows that the average round-trip domestic airfare this Thanksgiving is $415, inclusive of tax, up nearly 7 percent from last year.

Travelocity calls this the ‘price to beat’ and it should be used as a gauge while shopping for airfare. Good news for some travelers, however, a closer look at the most popular routes shows many prices are well under that average.

cheapest airfares in US

“While average airfare is up for Thanksgiving we are still seeing some of the most popular routes well under the national average,” explains Courtney Scott, senior editor at Travelocity.

“So if $415 is out of your price range, don’t assume you can’t make it home for the holidays. Check your route, be flexible on your dates and you can still find a great deal.”

Tips for holiday travel

Be flexible

Look at returning on Friday 29 November or Tuesday 3 December for lower fares. According to Travelocity’s booking data, returning over the weekend will result in higher prices.

Search alternate airports

Take New York City – always one of the most popular holiday destinations – as an example. While LaGuardia might be the closest airport to your turkey dinner, flying into JFK or Newark instead may be worth the extra effort and could translate into big savings. Use the easy “Compare Surrounding Airports” feature in the advanced search options when you book your flights on Travelocity.

Take the first flight of the day

Not only will the lines at security be shorter, but planes traveling earlier in the day have a better on-time performance in general. However, if your flight is cancelled, you will have the option of taking a flight later in the day.

Pack smart and light

Look at shipping any gifts ahead of time, and try to only pack a carry on. This can help you avoid checked baggage and overweight baggage fees. In addition, if your flight is re-routed because of bad weather or delays, it will be much easier if your luggage is with you. If you do check, don’t put anything in your luggage you can’t live without – like medication, cell phone chargers or your child’s favorite toy.

Average airfares for top 5 Thanksgiving routes

New York City to South Florida – $375

Los Angeles to Dallas/Fort Worth – $338

Chicago to New York – $365

Denver to New York – $382

San Francisco to Los Angeles – $192

Featured Lifestyle News Travel

Five Tips for Traveling with Kids

Posted on October 5, 2013
travelling safely with children

Traveling with kids can be an exciting adventure.

Taking children along with you can make you learn a lot of things, since children view things in a different manner and can ask you questions that you might have never thought of.

They can even suggest some places of sight-seeing which can really make your trip memorable. With kids, trips can be educational.

There are many things that you need to take care for resolving the situations that may come across while you are having kids with you for traveling. You should plan well when you are taking kids with you for your trips.

1. Keep the Kids Engaged

travelling safely with childrenYou should remember to pack the various things that can keep the kids engaged. Toys, comics, snacks etc that the kids like can make them get engaged while you are in flight, car or train. Take their favourite movies with you.

If you do not have any such stuff with you, they can get irritated with the traveling and can create problems. It is always better to plan for something that can make them interested and keep them engaged till you reach the destination.

2. Sleeping Arrangements

Depending on the number of family members involved in the trip, you need to plan for the number of rooms required for accommodation for your family. It is always better to spend less for your accommodation and more over the various activities that are related with the visit.

Two adults can easily share a room with two kids. Make the arrangement in such a way that is comfortable and also affordable.

While you are on the trip, you may not have the privacy you have in your home but you can make the night amazing with the kids by playing some games or by watching some movies.

3. Take First Aid

When kids are with you, and you are traveling to a distant place, there are chances that the kids may get infected with an illness like cold, or fever.

Carry medicines to handle such situations. The kids may meet with small accidents as they are very active. So your first aid kit should contain bandages, ointments, tweezers, gauze pads, cotton and similar things that can help you in tackling the situation of an accident.

You should also have an insect repellent cream with you that will suit the kids so that they do not get any insect bites and allergies.

4. Vaccinations and Medications

first aid kit for travellingIf you are planning to fly abroad, the first and foremost thing that you need to do is to find out about the various diseases that are present in the place that you are visiting.

Many websites provide you with information on the vaccinations that you and your kids should take for making yourselves safe from the diseases that are prevalent in the place of your visit. You can even choose some homeopathic kits for fighting against the diseases in natural and organic manner without vaccinations.

5. Travel Games

Travel games can help in passing the commute time easily. This can keep you and your kids fresh and energetic. Once you start getting bored, you may lose the whole excitement of visiting the destination, and therefore keeping yourself and your kids engaged is very important.

(Lisa Holland loves to write about Travel. She recommends Billeje Spanien for car rental services in Spain.)

Featured News Travel Work Abroad

4 mistakes of a business traveller

Posted on October 1, 2013
cheap business class tickets

Travelling with a work colleague? Lisa Holland warns of these common mistakes to avoid.

Business trips excite almost every young professional who has just started the job and is profoundly dedicated in making a successful career out of it.

Official tours may be for trainings or meetings, may it be a sole trip or with a partner who can be a colleague or supervisor. In either case there are certain protocols that one must bear in mind.

The simple little happy posts on Facebook and pictures of waving at the international airport of the destination can at times be at the cost of personal image, professionalism and wrong messages sent across.

When there are many other colleagues who could have been selected, being the lucky one can have many envious people behind ready to contribute to the grapevine and shoot!

Here’s how to be at one’s best behavior and be professional to make the business trip a success and climb the corporate ladder.

cheap business class tickets

1. Avoid too much personal information

Some pep talk is always good when it comes to a travel partner on a business trip. It acts as a networking tool and builds a comfort zone which aids in performing better at work. However, keep in mind that this discussion should stick to general and lightweight topics such as education, work history, interests and hobbies.

Stepping ahead and spilling too much personal information is a hazard of jeopardizing personal image in front of the colleague and most probably everyone finding it out once back at work.

2. Don’t get in the holiday mode

When leaving the workplace, be sure that all relevant documents and supporting files have been taken along. Despite of the fact that the colleague must be carrying the same information, it is one’s responsibility to be fully prepared and make the organization’s investment in  the trip worth it.

Carrying copies of the same important file is also important. Re-check, as getting there and then finding out that a page or some information is missing can be embarrassing and also show careless attitude which is a big negative.

Once at the destination, do not get the adrenaline rushing, avoid tossing around stuff in the room. Be as organized as possible.

3. It’s not a food tasting holiday

Some lucky employees have easy-going bosses or managers accompanying who do not mind fun. Even if the boss is the happy-go-lucky kind, refrain from feeling too easy. Maintain professional behavior.

When ordering food beware that the new place might be cooking stuff that can prove to be allergic and harmful. Unnecessary bowel movements and sickness may hinder the productivity of the trip.  Avoid any food tasting and stick to safe foods that one knows the tummy would be friendly with – sandwiches, rolls, salads and steaks. These don’t get messy while eating too. Spurring on a noodle or spaghetti unconsciously is also a no-no.

4. Avoid casual dressing

Although the destination can be anywhere from the far east to north, maintain professional attire and wear semi-casual while traveling. Dropping in with a spaghetti strap for flight while others have coats on may simply turn to a nightmare.

Be wise, carry less and opt for coats, shirts and formal looking attire only.

As for the trip, times when two colleagues are away can be enticing to make either one or both vulnerable. To avoid falling into weak moments and risking personal reputation at work and worse, chances of promotion, maintain a distance and stay to oneself whenever business work is not being conducted.

Lisa Holland loves to share knowledge about travel. She refers locationvoiturealicante.net for providing best services in Location de voiture Alicante. 

Lifestyle Travel

Air India launches direct flights from Australia

Posted on July 19, 2013
cheap flights to Australia, Europe

Air India has become the first airline to fly the new Boeing-787 Dreamliner to Australia – with 256 seats. The flagship carrier will run direct daily flights between India and Australia from 29 August.

India’s national carrier, which is currently making losses in the highly competitive domestic sector, hopes to turn the business around by running the fuel-efficient Dreamliner on new routes to Europe, Australia and Africa.

Air India, which is resuming direct flights to Australia after 16 years, will fly between Delhi, Sydney and Melbourne. The flights will benefit not only Indians in Australia but also those in New Zealand. Also, Indian visitors to Australia often plan a combined Australia-New Zealand tour.

cheap flights to Australia

Air India will pose competition to Singapore Airlines, which currently provide the critical link between Australia and India via Singapore.

Australia’s Acting High Commissioner to India, Bernard Philip,  expects Indian visitor numbers to Australia to nearly double by 2020. “So these direct flights will benefit many Indian business travellers, students, migrants, tourists and families,” he said.

According to the High Commission, 450,000 Indians live in Australia, and in 2012, India became the largest source of skilled migrants to Australia.

In the same year, India was the tenth largest source of visitors to Australia, with 159,000 people travelling.

Similarly, more than 180,000 Australians visit India each year.

Air India is also planning to start New Delhi-Rome-Milan flight from October and New Delhi-Moscow operations from next year on the new Dreamliner aircraft.

With the aim of giving the cheapest of all the flights to Australia, Air India is offering promotional air fares to Australia on the direct route in both directions, which are available for a limited period of time.

News Travel

NZ relaxes visitors visa norms for Chinese

Posted on April 15, 2013
visit new zealand visa

New Zealand has announced a range of initiatives to make it easier for Chinese tourists to get visitor visa to New Zealand, and explore the beautiful landscape.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) and Air New Zealand have reached an agreement to make it easier for high-value Chinese tourists to visit New Zealand.

Now, the holders of the airline’s Gold Elite, Gold and Silver cards will not have to produce evidence of employment and sufficient funds to support their visitor visa application.

Applicants will still need to meet health and good character requirements, as well as evidence of onward travel.

The head of INZ, Nigel Bickle, says that the agreement will encourage more high-value Chinese tourists to visit New Zealand and stay here for longer.

The agreement with Air New Zealand closely mirrors an arrangement with China Southern Airlines, which came into effect in November last year and has been operating smoothly without any issues, says Nigel

The Inbound tourism industry contributes $9 billion to New Zealand. China has now overtaken the UK as the second largest source of overseas visitors to New Zealand with more than 200,000 arrivals in the year to February 2013.

“Increasing the number of visitors and migrants from new markets such as China is a key priority to growing the economy.”

Air New Zealand’s CEO Christopher Luxon says that INZ has said it will endeavour to process all visitor visa applications under this scheme within five working days.

In another move, New Zealand is also by extending the length of visitor visas for the Chinese, Prime Minister and Tourism Minister John Key says.

visit new zealand visa

“The length of the multiple-entry visitor visas routinely granted to independent Chinese travellers will be extended from 12 months to 24 months from 1 May this year,” says the prime minister. Independent travellers are those not visiting on organised tours.

He made the announcement in Shanghai, which is one of New Zealand’s biggest Chinese markets for tourists.

Similarly, a new bi-lingual China section on the Immigration New Zealand website is launched to make it easier for Chinese visitors to lodge a visa application.

“Advice is provided in English and Chinese and information previously spread across three parts of the Immigration NZ website has been brought together into one location. There is also a link to useful information for travellers on the Tourism New Zealand website,” says John.

The initiatives are part of recommendations made by a review of the China tourism market by a panel of New Zealand government and industry experts.

These recommendations range from providing better market intelligence for tourism operators, to higher quality tours provided through Tourism New Zealand’s Premier Kiwi Partnership programme, and making the most of Chinese visitors’ interest in learning about Maori culture.

Over the past year, more than 200,000 Chinese visitors came to New Zealand, up about 38 per cent on the previous year, and they spent around $651 million in New Zealand.

Editor recommends News Travel

NZ airport charges to increase

Posted on March 28, 2013
Auckland international airport

Airline passenger security charges paid by airlines for departing passengers are set to increase in New Zealand.

The international charge will rise by $3.98 to $11.98 (GST inclusive) and the domestic charge rise by $0.90 to $4.60 (GST inclusive) per departing passenger from 1 June 2013.

These increases come after two years of reduced charges, introduced to eliminate a projected $27 million accumulated surplus by June 2013, says NZ Civil Aviation Authority Chairman Nigel Gould.

Auckland international airport

“When the reduction was announced in 2011, the government signalled that passenger security charges would need to increase again from 2013, once the accumulated surplus had been redistributed to air travellers,” Nigel says.

“These new charges better reflect the actual cost of providing screening and other security services at our airports,” he says.

A difficult trading environment is also a contributing factor, says general manager for the Aviation Security Service Mark Everitt. “Two airports have ceased international flights (Hamilton and Palmerston North) and we have not met our budgeted passenger numbers as a result of the global financial crisis.”

“The Aviation Security Service is committed to ensuring the security of our airports across New Zealand and the safety of the domestic and international travelling public. These increases ensure this service will continue.” Mr Everitt said.

India has seen a similar trend, with India’s busiest airport – the Indira Gandhi International Airport, run by GMR Group’s Delhi International Airport (Pvt.) Ltd,  hiked aeronautical charges by 346%, in May 2012.

Also, the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai, run by GVK Group’s Mumbai International Airport (Pvt.) Ltd, increased aeronautical charges by 164% from 1 February.

But some major international airports are ducking the trend, and in fact lowering the charges, to attract more passengers in the slow economic market.

The Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport in the US owned by the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth is the world’s fourth busiest airport with 58 million passengers passing through every year, Dallas airport has seven runways, the most in the world.

“The airport has a generous incentivization programme with discounts and rebates on landing charges for two years for new airlines”, says Luis E. Perez, vice-president, air service development, DFW International Airport, in a LiveMint report.

Dallas Airport

“We have a $60,000 marketing fund for airlines to promote the airport as a new destination for the first year. And if it’s a new airline, we have $250,000 for marketing assistance and another $150,000 to promote the destination. And we are a profitable airport,” says Perez.

Lifestyle Travel

Frequent travellers get better deals on duty free

Posted on January 29, 2013

If you travel regularly overseas you may have noticed that New Zealand offers some of the biggest duty free allowances in the world. The maximum allowance for spirits is 3 bottles up to 1125ml each and 6 bottles of wine to a maximum 4.5 litres.

To get the best savings on Duty Free you can join the Frequent Buyer saving you 20% off the regular duty free price of all alcohol, fragrance, cosmetics, skin care plus authentic New Zealand souvenirs.

To join the Club all you do is visit Duty Free Stores and sign up for free. You’ll instantly receive a Frequent Buyer Membership giving you access to some of the best deals in New Zealand.

Thousands of savvy travellers have recently joined up the Frequent Buyer Club and get big savings on their favourite brands including Chivas Regal, Johnnie Walker, Bombay Sapphire and much more.

So what are you waiting for? Visit Duty Free Stores and check out the fantastic deals and don’t forget to top up that liquor cabinet next time you travel.

(Marketing feature.)

Editor recommends News Travel

Cathay starts Auckland-Hyderabad flights

Posted on August 23, 2012
special fares to Hyderabad

Hyderabadis living in New Zealand can now fly Cathay Pacific, from Auckland to Hyderabad. The airline  has announced it will start flying four times a week to the capital of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh from 1 December. The flights will be via Hong Kong.

There is a sizeable proportion of Hyderabadis living in New Zealand, and a large number of IT professionals from Andra Pradesh visit Auckland.

New Zealand cricketer Tarun Nathula was born and raised in India, and is now making his test debut as part of the Black Caps squad currently playing against India in Hyderabad.

special fares to Hyderabad

With a population of 6.8 million, Hyderbad is India’s fourth most populated city and is home to major IT and pharmaceutical companies.

Hyderabad is India’s fourth most populous city and an important hub for the technology and pharmaceutical industries.

The new service complements the airline’s existing passenger services to Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai and will further boost both leisure and business travel between Hong Kong and India.

The new Hyderabad service will be operated by Airbus A330-300 aircraft, departing from Hong Kong every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening, says a statement issued by the airline.

“The schedule will allow convenient connections from Auckland with passengers able to depart Auckland at 2.35pm, arriving Hong Kong at 9pm and then connecting to the flight to Hyderabad at
10.35pm, arriving at 2.05am the following day.”

Cathay Pacific Chief Executive John Slosar says that the airline has been serving India since 1982. “Hyderabad is a fast-growing technology hub and we are excited by the opportunities it offers. This
latest addition to the Cathay Pacific passenger network will promote ties between India and Hong Kong and help to strengthen Hong Kong’s position as a leading aviation hub.”

Cathay Pacific has special airfares available from Auckland to all its Indian destinations including Hyderabad, starting from NZ$1675.00 plus Government taxes of NZ$96.00. The special fares must be bought by 2 October 2012.

Auto Business Editor recommends Lifestyle News Travel

India gets ready for super-expensive custom cars

Posted on July 10, 2012
HotRodsIndia

A young entrepreneur from India’s capital city of New Delhi is dreaming big. How big? In a car market where a mid-range BMW costs Rs 5000,000 (US$90,000), and a Jaguar Rs 30 million (US$540,000), he is planning to make a car that’s going to cost Rs 150 million (US$2.7 million)

Hradyesh, who likes to be known only by his first name, is completing work on a 600 BHP hand crafted hot rod for a client, with a price tag of Rs 15 crore. Hot rods are American cars with large engines modified for speed.

HotRodsIndia

However, the 30-year old car-groomer plans to make this into an exquisite club of expensive cars that are personalised to their owners.

To promote his business, Hradyesh will travel across India in ‘Morris Street’, India’s first street rod, built by him. The show aims to give car enthusiasts a glimpse of the world of street rods and custom cars, Hradyesh tells The Global Indian magazine.

The creator has travelled about 2000km in Morris Street from New Delhi to Jaipur and further cruised to Amritsar, and other north-western states.

“When people saw the symbol of style majestically gliding through the country, many dreams were born.”

The road show is now travelling to the central and western states of India.

While Hradyesh is offering handmade, highly-personalised cars to car lovers, he is probably following a Harley Davidson Exclusive club model, by providing other services to his clients.

“The owners can expect to be a part of events organized especially for them.”

“They can look forward to experiencing the sensuous Rod Resorts in India and even revel in the adrenalin rush of participating in India’s first ever Hot Rod Drag Racing Events.”

Completing first year in business, Hradyesh has seen some really interesting passions people share about cars.

“I have received requests for wacky looking cars, super luxury cars and even cars with performance specs that have never been seen before. It is my job to turn people’s dreams into real masterpieces and this is just the beginning.”

Events News Travel

Experience the world in a day in Auckland

Posted on March 27, 2012

Amidst news report of job losses and employment discrimination against Asians in New Zealand, the country’s largest city is hosting a cultural festival in an ethnically diverse suburb.

This Sunday 1 April, War Memorial Park in Mt Roskill, will host an extravaganza of ethnic food, live performances and a wide range of one-off experiences for the 2012 Auckland International Cultural Festival.

“It’s a celebration of Auckland’s diversity and I’d like to invite all Aucklanders come along and join in the fun,” says Auckland’s mayor, Len Brown.

“The event is a great opportunity to experience some of the many cultures living here.

Auckland Mayor Len Brown enjoying last year’s Auckland International Cultural Festival (Image: Auckland Council)

Auckland welcomes migrants from across the world and our different ethnicities bring a vibrant and dynamic atmosphere to Auckland.”


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Highlights of the festival this year include the wide range of ethnic foods available at Tastes of the World, the entertainment and food of The French Quarter, Sounds of Indonesia and the Fonda Latina, where you can learn and take part in salsa and flamenco dancing.

Also featured is the Ethnic Soccer Cup, an annual competition to decide Auckland’s ultimate soccer nation.

The free event will run from 10am to 5pm.

Bollywood Editor recommends News Travel

Ayesha Takia angry with Kingfisher

Posted on February 7, 2012

Ayesha Takia has alleged that a Kingfisher Airline staff mistreated her sister and even tore her boarding pass.

The Bollywood actor says that her sister, Natasha Takia, was mistreated by the Vijay Mallya-owned airline at Delhi airport

“The worst airline, Kingfisher!” Ayesha tweeted. “Shockingly bad airport staff behaviour at Delhi airport with my sister.”

“Natasha was booked in KF from Kathmandu to Mumbai. KF cancelled their flight and gave a booking in AI. Not her fault AI was delayed.

“This disgustingly behaved Kingfisher staff called Vinay podwal just tore my sister’s boarding pass and misbehaved with her!

Takia tweeted that her sister is unwell and tired “and hurt from being mistreated and threatened. I’m shocked!”

“Vinay podwal just threatened and yelled at my sister saying he can throw anyone out and tore her boarding pass!”

“Is this how a girl alone at an airport gets treated by the staff of the airline she is flying?

“She is unwell and has a horrible backache,can’t believe this happend to her”

“My heart is beating so fast with anger that a girl at an airport gets treated this way by airport staff!”

Appealing to her Twitter followers, Takia says: “How dare this Vinay Podwal misbehave with a passenger and tare (sic) her boarding pass; it cud b any one of you. Think about it!”

The actor was further perturbed by a personal comment made reportedly by the airline owner’s son, Sidhartha Mallya, on Twitter. The comment was not found the Junior Mallya’s Twitter account later.

Says Takia “Everybody has the right to freedom of speech and remember the customer is always right.”

“I just can’t imagine the kind of attitude he (Junior Mallya) is showing. At least he should check what happened and then comment. Disgusting!”

“My sister is a normal Indian girl travelling economy. So of course you won’t give a shit!”

Takia was flooded with support on Twitter, with one user describing the airline as ‘king of bad times’ while another suggesting that the Takia sisters must “submit a complain to the officials; it is an serious offence by kingfisher airline.”

Takia says that they are going to take serious action against this and go to court with it. “Let the law handle it, so that this doesn’t happen to any girl again!”

In the meantime, Kingfisher Airline, through its Twitter account, have put the blame on Air India.

“We understand that your flight on another airline into Delhi landed late due to which you missed your @flykingfisher connection flight to Mumbai.

“Our staff offered a wait-listed option on our next available flight. As soon as we received a confirmation from the other airline that their flight arrived late, our next flight was full, so as per rule only a wait listed ticket could be offered.”

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Migrating together more difficult than going alone – study

Posted on February 1, 2012

“In sickness and health” could be a wedding vow, but when it comes to moving to a new country, you would be better doing it alone than moving with a less enthusiastic partner, a study has found.

Victoria University of Wellington’s researcher Aidan Tabor and her advisor, Dr Taciano Milfont, researched the experiences of 95 British immigrants before their move to New Zealand, and found that one in three migrants were either an enthusiastic “driver” of the move or a less willing “trailing” spouse.

Moving to a new country can be emotionally challenging, as the “drivers” experience more stress and trailing spouses had lower wellbeing than people coming on their own or with an equally enthusiastic partner.

Such emotional challenges add to the already complex issues of logistics, finances and career.

Researcher Aidan Tabor

“Normally, spouses provide support to each other during stressful times, but ‘drivers’ felt they got less support from their less enthusiastic partner,” says Tabor.

Tabor moved to New Zealand from the United States three years ago with her family. She is researching into how migrants select a destination country including participants from the UK, South Africa and India.

The study found that enthusiastic migrants are more likely to adapt well and be happy in their new home but it will be harder for those that didn’t want to shift.

Unfortunately, the news only gets worse. “Extended families tended to withdraw support when they heard that their loved ones were moving to New Zealand.

The situation is particularly delicate for couples with children.

“The ones who felt the least support are those who have had to tell grandparents they’re taking the grandchildren to the other side of the world.”

What’s the way out? Tell your families you plan to return to the UK. “In these cases, extended family members were very supportive of the move,” Tabor says.