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..