As the coronavirus pandemic rages on, people are devising ingenious ways to adapt to the new normal and make the most out of it. A new term that has been floating around in the travel circle is ‘air bubble’ or ‘bubble travel’. Chances are you must have come across it too and wondered about what it means exactly. Let’s unravel the meaning of air bubble flights together.
What is Bubble Travel?
Air bubbles or travel corridors are systems between two countries that facilitate passengers to fly either way without any restrictions. In the words of an expert, “In a ‘travel bubble’, a set of countries agree to open their borders to each other but keep borders to all other countries closed. So, people can move freely within the bubble, but cannot enter from the outside. The idea is to allow people additional freedom without causing additional harm.” So, with the help of India’s air bubble, you can visit several countries by booking air bubble flights from India on IRCTC Air’s website or app even in the midst of a pandemic. A major economic benefit of bubble travel is that it boosts the tourism industry of all the concerned countries by making travel possible.
India’s Air Bubble
India started establishing travel bubbles with other countries in July to ease the travel of passengers, rekindle trade ties and also promote important sectors such as tourism. Keeping the current pandemic situation in sight, India recently relaxed a few restrictions and renewed air travel rules to allow onward connecting flights. Currently, India’s air bubbles include 23 countries namely Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Canada, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Iraq, Japan, Kenya, Maldives, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Rwanda, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Ukraine and the United States of America. So, Indians can now travel to more than 100 countries using a combination of Vande Bharat Mission flights and air bubble flights from India to connect with air bubble destinations across the globe.
Eligibility Criterion
Not sure if you are eligible for booking an international flight from India and traveling abroad? Here’s what you need to know.
– Diplomats, Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders as well as all Indian citizens with valid visas can now fly in and out of the countries with whom there is an agreement in place.
– The quarantine and medical check requirements differ from country to country. So do check individual regulations and travel guidelines before proceeding with your flight bookings.
Experience Ease of Booking with IRCTC Air
Want to book an international flight from India? You can now book air bubble flights from India to a country of your choice, without any hassle, on IRCTC Air. The online travel portal enables users to book domestic and international flights from the comfort of their homes using a user-friendly and easy-to-access interface. Available in two variants, as a mobile application as well as a website, IRCTC Air can be accessed easily through a smartphone, tablet, or laptop. Here are all the features that make booking flight tickets on IRCTC Air such a rewarding experience.
– It allows users to choose from a wide range of flight options from a large number of domestic & international airlines.
– It has exclusive features such as LTC claims & special defense fares on flight tickets (for government employees/Indian Armed Forces personnel & their dependents and for flights on domestic circuit only), the lowest convenience fee of Rs. 50 only
– It offers free air travel insurance worth Rs. 50 lacs on every booking that too at zero charges
– It facilitates a hassle-free and simple booking process with appropriate filters for refined searches, 24×7 customer support, and an easy interface.
– It offers great benefits such as credit shell, exclusive deals, super saver fare from Air India, rescheduling options, and quick refunds among others.
With such beneficial features, booking domestic flight tickets or international flights from India on IRCTC Air is indeed a delightful experience. Here’s how you can book an air bubble flight from India on the IRCTC Air website or app without any hassle.
– Open the IRCTC Air app on your mobile or the website www.air.irctc.co.in on any browser.
– Choose from a one-way, round trip, or multi-city journey
– Enter your departure and arrival destinations
– Click on LTC Claim or DEFENCE Fares button in case you are booking a flight under that category.
– Select departure and return dates along with the number of travelers and your preferred travel class type
– Hit search and pick a suitable flight option
– Log in using your pre-existing IRCTC account credentials or sign up as a guest user.
– Complete traveler information, review the booking and proceed with payment using a mode of your choice.
Just a few simple steps and you can be on your way to an international destination with the help of India’s air bubble and the safest air ticketing portal, IRCTC Air.