The new best best kept secret in air travel

Back in the old days, before there was a new york to singapore direct flight, singapore airlines used to operate a connecting route via frankfurt. You could buy the US-frankfurt route seperately, although it was hardly marketed. The result was a cheap, spacious, civilized way to get to europe.

Today, i just completed a flight on Air India, from JFK to new delhi. Despite my premonitions of long lines at the check in counter and screaming children packed into an old 747, the result was almost as pleasing as the memories of my singaporean dreams of yore.

The flight, which was the sister route of a daily service to bombay via london, cost about 500 dollars. That was less than half of the alternative Continental flight. The service, supplied by attractive young women in saris, had more in common with india's excellent private domestic airlines than with anything i ever thought a state owned enterprise could provide. Check in, even in coach, was a breeze, although i did have to spend 45 minutes navigating the menagerie of TSA security. There was an above average in flight entertainment system, but best of all, the flight was inexplicably half empty, leaving we with a row to myself. They also have of a $100 credit towards a future flight, just for showing up, and let me check three bags without protest.

I'm not likely to fly to delhi from new york any time soon, but i do plan to make good use of the jfk london segment.