The Journal.

Visa & Entry · 2 min read

Damaged Indian passport before a trip? Check the re-issue route

Passport Seva distinguishes readable damage from damage beyond recognition. Check re-issue and Tatkaal limits without assuming the document is fit to fly.

24 Oct 2026

Health & Insurance · 3 min read

Travel insurance: read the deductible before the headline cover

A large insured amount is not a promise to pay every bill. Read deductibles, sub-limits and the certificate using one insurer’s policy as an example.

24 Oct 2026

Baggage & Packing · 4 min read

What Should Go in My Personal Item for a Long International Flight?

Five things: documents and money, medicines, electronics with chargers, valuables, and one comfort layer. The power bank rides here too, cabin only, per IndiGo's published rules (max two, 160 Wh each, never checked). The full checklist, in the order you will need it.

24 Oct 2026

Baggage & Packing · 4 min read

How Do I Weigh a Suitcase at Home Without a Luggage Scale?

Use the bathroom-scale difference method: weigh yourself, then yourself holding the suitcase, and subtract. A filled 1-litre water bottle weighs 1 kg, so it doubles as a free way to test your scale first. Three reliable methods, plus the airline limits to weigh against.

24 Oct 2026

Baggage & Packing · 4 min read

Which Baggage Policy Applies on a Domestic-International Mixed Itinerary?

Whether everything sits on one ticket decides it. IndiGo's condition: the international allowance applies to domestic-to-international connections only on a single PNR; separate tickets can leave the domestic leg at the 15 kg domestic allowance even when your international sector allows 30 kg. How to keep the bigger number.

24 Oct 2026

Baggage & Packing · 4 min read

Can I Combine Baggage Allowances When Travelling as a Family?

Neither IndiGo nor Air India publishes a pooling rule on the baggage pages we checked, in either direction. What they publish is a per-person allowance and a per-piece cap (23 kg per piece on both, 32 kg single-piece max on Air India). So plan bags per person and ask the counter about combining. The honest version, with a family packing plan.

24 Oct 2026

Baggage & Packing · 4 min read

Does Baggage Allowance Change on a Codeshare Flight?

Yes, it can. When airlines publish different allowances, the Most Significant Carrier's rules apply, and on a codeshare that is usually the airline operating the plane, not the one whose code is on your ticket. Find 'operated by' on your booking and read that airline's baggage page. The two-minute check, explained.

24 Oct 2026

Trains in India · 6 min read

What If Your First Train Is Late and You Miss the Second Train?

Act on the second ticket immediately, but check one thing first: if you linked the two PNRs at booking, a missed connection earns the full untravelled fare back, claimed within three hours of the first train's actual arrival. If unlinked, cancel the second e-ticket online before its chart - confirmed tickets lose 25 percent at 48 to 12 hours and 50 percent at 12 to 4 hours before departure, subject to minimum charges. Then rebuild with enquiry, 139, and the unreserved fallback.

24 Oct 2026

Trains in India · 6 min read

How Much Time Should You Keep Between Two Indian Train Bookings?

Keep hours, not minutes: 2 to 3 hours for a same-station change, 4 to 6 hours when you change stations in the same city, and an overnight cushion when the second journey really matters. Two tickets are two separate journeys - unless you link the PNRs. The buffers and the refund maths, explained.

24 Oct 2026