Articles by Cheshta Agarwal
347 articles
How Do I Pack Indian Snacks Without Leaks or Airport Trouble?
Every Indian family has packed theplas for a flight, and every family has a story about the one that leaked. The rules that actually matter: Delhi Airport's 100 ml liquids limit catches achaar oil and chutneys in cabin bags, IndiGo's restricted list bans strong-smelling items, and US customs wants every food item declared. What to pack, how to seal it, and what to say at the border. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
What Should I Keep Accessible During Immigration and Security?
Airport queues reward the prepared and punish the rummagers. At Delhi Airport on an international departure you show documents three separate times: photo ID and boarding pass at the terminal door, passport and visa at immigration, then electronics and your liquids bag at security. What to keep where, in order, per Delhi Airport and Air India. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
How Do I Claim Compensation for a Delayed Checked Bag?
The carousel stops, your bag does not appear, and the paperwork begins. File a PIR at the arrival hall before you leave (leaving without reporting counts as receiving the bag fine, per IndiGo), then a written claim: 7 days for damage, 21 for delay under the Montreal Convention. What caps apply on domestic and international routes, and what "lost" means after 21 days. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
Should I Remove Old Airline Baggage Tags Before Flying?
Old baggage tags are souvenirs to you and competing barcodes to the baggage system. The US DOT, London Gatwick and Iberia all say peel them off before check-in. What to remove, what to verify on the new tag (the three-letter destination code), and why your own name tag still matters. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
Can I Move Items from Checked Luggage to Cabin Baggage at the Counter?
Usually yes: ask counter staff before the bag is accepted and dispatched, and you can repack. What may move is set by your cabin allowance (IndiGo and Air India: 7 kg, 115 cm, plus a 3 kg personal item) and by security rules: power banks and spare batteries belong in the cabin within Wh and quantity limits, liquids over 100 ml and sharps stay out, with named exceptions. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
What Happens if My Checked Bag Is Two Kilograms Overweight?
Two kilograms over is excess baggage: pay, shift the weight into another bag or (for cabin-permitted items) the cabin bag, or remove items. IndiGo's airport rate on international sectors from India is INR 800 per kg; on piece-concept routes the bag falls into a flat 23-32 kg heavy-piece charge. No published grace margin on Air India or IndiGo. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
Can I Split a 30 kg Baggage Allowance into Two Suitcases?
Yes, if your ticket is weight concept: 30 kg is a total to divide, though each bag still respects a per-bag cap (IndiGo "maximum 23kg/piece", Emirates 32 kg per bag). On piece-concept tickets (1PC/2PC) there is no pool to split; each piece has its own 23 kg cap. Checked 25 Oct 2026 against Air India, IndiGo and Emirates.
What Does 23 kg per Piece Mean on an International Ticket?
"23 kg per piece" means every checked bag must individually weigh 23 kg or less; two bags at 23 kg each is not one 46 kg bag. Plus the 32 kg ceiling and IndiGo's per-piece cap hiding inside a weight total. Checked 25 Oct 2026 against Air India, IndiGo and Emirates.
Can I Carry Dry Fruits and Indian Snacks on an International Flight?
IndiGo allows "Dry foods" and dry sweets in both bags and bans oily foods outright; Air India does not name dry fruits and sends spice powders to checked only. Then customs: the US, Australia and New Zealand require declaring food on arrival; Great Britain works off unrestricted and restricted lists instead. Checked 25 Oct 2026.