International Flight travel steps for first time travelers from India to US

Hi, I wrote this blog to help my in-laws when travelling to the US and this helped my parents and other first-time travelers in my family. Here, I have taken example of a Qatar Airways flight from Chennai to Doha to Chicago. But this applies to any other itinerary also.

Chennai / Hyderabad

• Once you reach the airport, put all luggage on a luggage cart available in airports and walk inside. There may be a security guard who will ask you to show your ticket and passport and will let you go inside.
• Once you are inside the airport, go to your (Qatar/British/any other) airways ticket check-in counter with all luggage, show your passport and tickets. They will give boarding passes for all of your stops ideally (if you have a stopover from Hyderabad to Doha and then from Doha to Chicago, US, you will get a boarding pass for each of these flights). If they don't give both boarding passes, it's ok. You need to ask for the second one in Doha/London near the gate where you take connecting flight. Next, they will weigh your luggage to see if it's less than 23 kgs and they take the big bags and give a receipt for every bag. Save those receipts in handbag. We'll need them as proof if bags go missing after landing in the US.
• For carry-on bags that we take inside the plane, there will be small luggage tags/name plate kind of papers near the check-in counter which you can take by yourselves, write your name and any India contact phone number and tie them to all carry-on bags including handbag This is not mandatory but just a precautionary measure if we lose these bags. Make sure you collect your passports, boarding passes, luggage receipts etc. From the counter.
• Next check the gate number on your boarding pass from Chennai/Hyd to Doha/London and walk towards that gate. For example, if your Gate # is A35, walk towards A section. You will find security counter as you walk that way. They will check your passport and boarding pass from Chennai to Doha and you will need to get your carry-on bags scanned. Take the trays there, remove shoes, belt, wallet, phones and put in the tray. Remove any zip log with liquids and put them outside in tray. Put all other bags also in different trays and send them for scanning one by one. Keep the boarding pass with you only and then you go into scanning machine. Normal chains, earrings, bangles don’t cause any issues. But if the machine beeps, they will take u separately for detailed scanning. No need to worry or get tensed. Make sure one of you stay close to luggage and collect the scanned bags immediately.
• Next you have to go to the Gate mentioned on boarding pass. As u go there, there will be an immigration process somewhere in between where they will ask to fill in a form and they will just check all your details and put a stamp your passport.
• Next you will continue going to the gate and sit near the gate. There will be some time here usually..so use nearby restrooms if needed.
• Flight Boarding will start 30 to 45 mins before the actual flight time, and you will first stand in line there when they announce that boarding has started and next staff will check your boarding pass and send you inside the flight. Check for your seat number on the boarding pass and sit in the seats after putting you luggage on the overhead luggage cabins. Keep the handbag alone near your legs.
• After settling down, call your family and let them know you boarded and switch off the phone. You will get food at regular intervals during the flight, and you can watch movies on the TV. They provide headsets for audio. Make sure to walk once in a while on the flight.

Doha/ London/ Any other interim stop:

• When getting down from the flight, ask the air hostess for wheelchair assistance and they will assist you on the next steps. Once you come out of the flight, you can also mention it to the staff there and they will take you to the gate to catch the Chicago/Cincinnati connecting flight.
• If you have not chosen wheelchair assistance, once you get off from the flight in Doha/London, you need to see the display boards for Chicago/Cincinnati flight number, see the gate where u should go to and follow signs in airport to go that gate. You might have to walk long distances or sometimes take trains if needed to reach the new gate to catch connecting flight.
• Make sure you are at the right gate by checking the flight number mentioned near the gate. Again, boarding will start 30 mins before the flight starts.
• Airports will have internet. You can try to connect to airport Wi-Fi by looking up the airport name and call your family in the US through WhatsApp.
• If any emergency and you need to talk to your family in US or India, ask someone to help connect to Wi-Fi or find a phone booth and call using US dollars.

Chicago/ Cincinnati/ Any other place in US:

• Before flight lands, air hostess might ask to fill customs forms sometimes. Recently, they stopped doing this though. Fill address and other requested details in it. Form will ask if you have jewelry, money etc. Mention yes if applicable.
• Ask for wheelchair assistance when getting out of the flight. Take this option compulsorily for Chicago as the airport is very big and we have to take trains from one terminal to another. For Cincinnati, you may not need one but it's upto you if you can manage.
• Wheelchair assistance staff will take you to immigration counters where you need to stand in lines and wait till you get your chance to speak to the immigration officer. The officer will check your passport, ask some basic questions and let you go.
• After that you have to go to baggage claim counter assigned to your flight number and wait there for suitcases. Take a trolley, put all luggage in it and come outside as per exit.
• There may be customs officers somewhere on the way who will collect the customs form you filled in the plane and ask if u have any food items etc. Just say have some sweets and snacks if you are carrying them. If they have any doubt, they might ask you to open suitcases and show them. They might also ask if you got any jewelry and you can say that you got some of your old personal jewelry to wear for parties here and will take it back when you go back.
• Don't forget to give a small tip to the staff who carried you in wheelchair after everything is done.
• After that, come outside and wait for your family to pick you up. Again, you can try to connect to Wi-Fi and call them over WhatsApp or if you find a phone booth, you can pay using coins and call the US number or ask any one in the airport to call us.

Hope you have a nice flight..

My All-Time Favorite English Music Videos

I love listening to music when driving, cooking or cleaning etc. and this paylist is a collection of all my favorite videos.

Check out this playlist -  

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUd6R_d2RGOURJK9PDZo1oiHVWSP3JPdw

India Trip - July 2023, Event Planning in Nellore, AP

We did our daughter's half saree ceremony in Nellore, AP, India and I wanted to use this space to note all the things we had to do and what places we visited to purchase stuff etc.

For Jewellery, 

• kalashajewels
• Shree Jewellers
• Mangatrai Punjagutta
• mukeshjewellersnellore
• Swarnsri, Vijayawada - very unique collection

For Clothes in Hyderabad,

• Lehengas & Party Wear Dresses - Aanchal, Jubilee Hills
• Pattu Sarees & Pattu Langa - Taneira & few boutiques in Guntur
• Fancy Organza Sarees - Singhania's, Jubilee Hills
• Patola Voni/Dupatta - Heritage Benaras
• For Kurtis, Party Wear dresses - Hi-Life exhibition, AMB Mall, Taruni etc.
• For Men's Traditional dresses - Jahapanah, AMB Mall

Others:

• Decor & Event Planning - My Dream Events, Nellore & Hyderabad
• Makeup & Hair - MUA Makeover studio, Nellore 
• Event Location & Guest Accommodation - Minerva Grand Hotel Nellore. Supposedly best hotel in Nellore. Rooms are well maintained. Complimentary breakfast. 2 big Party Halls are spacious and can fit 400 people. Food was good.
• Mangalasnanam/Sangeet/Mehendi Location - Sai Nikethan Villa, Saraswathi Nagar, Nellore - This is a very location with 6 bedrooms and good outdoor space.
• Mehendi designers - Rohit Mehendi, Nellore
• Catering - R.R. Caterers. They had so many varieties and the food was delicious.
• Photography - Archana Wedding Photography
• Tailoring - Anitha Saree House in Nellore & Vinuthna Boutique & Geetha Boutique in Guntur
• 50'th Anniversary 3 Tier Cake - City Bangalore Bakery, Nellore

Dubai Trip - July 2023

We visited Dubai for couple of days in July on the way to India. We took Emirates flight, enjoyed the food in flight and overall experience with Emirates. Dubai Airport is huge, very clean and beautiful. Since we have US Visa (any kind is fine), we could take On-Arrival Transit Visa in the airport. There are directions in the Airport to immigration area and once we go there, we need to go to Marhaba counters and fill in the Visa application, pay the Visa fees, collect the documents and go to immigration lines and wait until an immigration officer talks to you. They would ask general questions about our length of stay, purpose of visit etc. From Airport, we took a cab to our hotel - "JW Marriot Marquis" close to Burj Kalifa and enjoyed our stay there. The hotel rooms had very beautiful views of Dubai, spacious & modern, complimentary breakfast and lounge access.

First & foremost, July is the worst season to visit Dubai. It was unbearably hot, and we couldn't stand outside even for 5 mins. You are fine as long as you are indoors. Best season to visit Dubai is during winter months from November to March.

Whatsapp calls do not work in Dubai. You'll get a temporary physical SIM card in Dubai Airport during immigration, and you can use it in one of your phones in Dubai. People in Dubai use some other apps similar to whatsapp and you can also use that to call your cab driver if you arrange for an all-day cab. If you are a T-Mobile user, you will have mobile data everywhere. You can check if your network allows international features.

Dubai City is very clean & modern with lot of skyscrapers and there are some local areas which are very crowded and very much like Indian Streets.

There are taxis available everywhere or you could use Uber. You will see lot of drivers who can speak Hindi as well. If you want an all-day cab, you could talk to one of these taxi drivers and they can arrange someone or give you contacts.

Some of the places we visited in Dubai:

Burj Khalifa, Dubai Fountain and Dubai Mall are all at the same place and so it makes sense to visit them together.

• Dubai Fountain - Beautiful Fountain shows & Burj Khalifa light shows with shows every half hour in the evenings after 6pm. It's difficult to get a good viewing spot if you are late. Loved the different light shows on Burj Khalifa.
• Burj Khalifa - There are tours available to visit the top floors with good observation decks. You can purchase ticket online for the timeslot you prefer. We took an evening tour and were able to get a view of Dubai fountains from the top as well.
• Dubai Mall - Huge mall with lot of popular brands from all over the world. Since Dubai is tax free, it encourages folks to buy expensive things. There's a famous waterfall inside this mall. Don't forget to take a picture there.
• Future Museum - Shape of the building is unique and worth a picture. Take general admission tickets and not the very expensive ones as it's not worth it. If you don't have much time, you can skip it as well.
• Gold Souk - I was planning to buy lot of gold jewelry as gold is cheaper in Dubai but the designs are either too simple or too elaborate and did not match my taste. I did not buy anything except for a simple gold chain for my son in Malabar Jewellers. You can see Malabar Jewellers, Joy Alukas and so many other stores that you see in India. Anvar Jewellers in Gold Souk does not have any making charges. If you want to buy simple gold chains or bangles, check it out. When you buy some jewelry here, the stores give you a tax refund form which you need to show in the Airport to get a refund.
• Burj Al Arab - Supposedly a 7-star hotel and we just saw from outside and took few pics
• Jumeirah Beach - Very beautiful beach with white sand and blue waters. Burj Al Arab is on this beach
• Dubai Frame, Atlantis, The palm, Dubai Mosque, Kings Palace - We just drove around these as we did not have much time.
• Dubai Miracle Garden was not open when we visited but I think it's a must see for flower lovers.
• I suggest doing the Dubai Safari tours so you can get a feel of the dessert.
• If you have more time, you can visit one of the many adventure parks or ski resorts. Our cab driver suggested we visit some other places like Glow Garden, Butterfly Garden, Dubai Marina etc. but we didn't have time and the weather was too hot.

There are so many food options for all cuisines in Dubai. If you are an Indian, there are lot of Indian restaurants as well.

If you are planning to buy any gifts from Dubai, you could get Alladin Lamps in pretty colors, Camel souvenirs, Burj Kalifa figures, Wide variety of Dates with Nuts in Airports or any souvenir stores.

Jewelry Registration in US

Registering your Jewelry in the US

This blog provides details on how to register your jewelry when you have plans to travel abroad with them and bring them back. This will protect you from customs duty when you return to the US.

Please refer to my YouTube video below for details: 

https://youtu.be/ocjc0pgrf70

Sample form:

Mexico City, Mexico

In October, we decided to visit Mexico for our U.S. visa stamping. Finding appointment slots in India was a struggle, and we were also concerned about not being able to get back to India quickly in case of an emergency with family. It was a bit of a gamble, as there was always the possibility our visas wouldn't be approved in Mexico, in which case we'd have to return to India. We left our son back in the U.S. since he’s in high school, and we didn’t want any delays to affect his schooling.

We arrived at Mexico City’s airport on a warm day, something we definitely missed from Ohio in October. After going through customs and security checks, we exchanged some U.S. dollars for Mexican pesos—roughly 1 USD to 20 pesos. Interestingly, Mexico also uses the "$" symbol for pesos, and exchanging money required showing our passports. We worked with an agency to help with the visa stamping process, and they also arranged our taxis and drivers. They were incredibly helpful, and I can share their contact info if anyone’s interested. The next day, we completed our visa fingerprinting and interview, and fortunately, our visas were approved. However, they informed us it would take five business days for our stamped passports to be ready, so we had a few extra days to explore the city.

Mexico City, much like India, is a bustling hub with tightly packed stores, heavy traffic, and people walking along the roadsides. Homelessness is also visible in some areas. Most people drive manual cars, and road discipline isn’t as strict. Drivers tend to navigate quickly, and lanes are often optional. Public transportation is plentiful, though the roads are a bit rough around the edges, and public spaces could be cleaner. Like in India, Mexico uses metrics like kilograms, kilometers, and Celsius for weight, distance, and temperature.

The language barrier was a bit of a challenge since most people speak Spanish. We often relied on Google Translate to communicate. However, the experience was made more colorful by the vibrant “Day of the Dead” celebrations happening while we were there. The streets were adorned with marigold flowers and colorful skulls, and there was a massive parade featuring arts and crafts, dancers, and people dressed as Catrinas (skeleton-faced characters). The festivities even included street performers like jugglers and magicians entertaining drivers stuck at red lights.

Downtown Mexico City is home to numerous fabric stores, towering old buildings, and beautiful cathedrals. We visited Zócalo, the city's main square, which is home to the National Palace (where the president resides) and the stunning Metropolitan Cathedral. Gold shops lined the streets, and the nearby Templo Mayor Museum is worth checking out. 

On Day 1, we also visited the Basilica of Guadalupe, an impressive church known for its rich architecture, and the Teotihuacan Pyramids. The Teotihuacan site features three major pyramids, with the Pyramid of the Sun being the largest. It’s a fair bit of walking, so save your energy and start with the Pyramid of the Sun, then explore the others if you're still up for it.

We tried many classic Mexican dishes during our stay—flautas, gorditas, burritos, tacos, chilaquiles, churros, crepes, enchiladas, and taco alambre. While the food was delicious, after a week of the same, we were ready for a change.

On the next day, we visited the Palacio de Bellas Artes, Chapultepec Castle, and the Soumaya Museum. The Soumaya Museum is home to a vast collection of art and antiques from around the world. If you plan to visit, I recommend taking the elevator to the top floor first and then walking down, as it’s much easier to go down than up. Chapultepec Castle also involves a lot of walking, and like most places in Mexico City, traffic can cause delays in getting from one site to another.

The internet in Mexico wasn’t great unless we were at the hotel using U.S. cellular services. If you plan to stay longer, you might want to pick up a local SIM card to avoid connectivity issues. Getting around is easy with Uber, or you can take one of the city’s tour buses. Oh, and getting your nails done in Mexico is super affordable compared to the U.S.!

One of the highlights was our trip to Xochimilco, often called the "Venice of Mexico." The colorful boats on the lake, vendors selling goods from their own boats, and mariachi bands playing traditional music made for a lively and festive experience. We even visited a small aquarium that houses the fascinating and endangered axolotl, a species of amphibian my daughter has always been curious about.

We learned that Mexico City is built on an ancient lakebed, which leads to frequent earthquakes in the region. As a result, many buildings are smaller, and there aren’t too many skyscrapers, except for large hotels and office buildings. Taxes are also pretty high—up to 35%. The city is filled with stunning murals, adding to its artistic charm.

One of the things I really appreciated about Mexico is how people always form orderly lines. It’s rare to see people pushing ahead or cutting in line. The locals are incredibly friendly, greeting everyone with a smile.

We stayed for a few days at the Marriott and then switched to the Sheraton. As Platinum members, we had lounge access at the Marriott, and the food was excellent, though the rooms were a bit on the smaller side. At Sheraton, we were upgraded to a much larger room, but unfortunately, the food options in the lounge weren’t as impressive.

While tipping isn’t mandatory, it’s always appreciated in Mexico, particularly for taxi drivers and restaurant staff.

Overall, Mexico City is a vibrant, bustling city with a lot to offer. From its rich culture and history to its colorful streets and friendly people, it’s a destination worth exploring.