Yo,
I have travled on Air Deccan BLR-TRV sector around 10-12 times... out of which my flight was delayed once for 20 mins, because the cargo door wouldn’t close AND my flight was cancelled once. The cancellation was a big problem for me as I had to get back to bangalore, and I had to finally travel in the last seat of a bus... which was terrible. In all I found Air Deccan travel experience good. They are proud of the fact that their fares are low and they have actually managed to put the common man on an airplane, fulfilling the dreams of many people for whom air travel was once unaffordable. Their use of technology is commendable as it so easy to logon to their site and get e-tickets. I still continue to travel on Air Deccan and so far it has been good.
Some practical tips for traveling on Air Deccan.
(1) They don’t have seat numbers so if you are traveling with family (or friends) and want to sit together, then make sure that one of you board the plane first, move to the very front and grab some seats. Your family friends can get onboard leisurely and join you. When I travel with my wife and 2 kids, I always take heavy cabin luggage and manage to board first and get seats for all of us.
(2) Since most Air Deccan flights are small ATR aircrafts, they fly at 18, 000 to 20, 000 feet which is considerably lower than the 37, 000 to 40, 000 that Boeing 777 and 747’s fly. What this means is that Air Deccan flys through more turbulence than Boeing. Therefore try to sit in the first 5-6 rows of the plane, where turbulence is lower... and believe me, you will have a free fall experience at least once on your flight
(3) Take some snacks and reading material with you. If traveling with kids, take their food and some toys to amuse them if flights are delayed. Don’t take strollers as you will have to check them in.
(4) Try not to buy eatables/drinks on the flight as sandwiches and cold and limp, and all soft drinks are invariably warm. Instead try to have some food from the airport coffee day (or sandwich bar) before boarding.
(5) While booking make sure you give your correct mail ID and mobile number... and keep watching your SMS’es from previous date of travel as Air Deccan with SMS you in case of delays. Always have PLAN B in case your flight is cancelled.
Thats all I can think of now. Hope you find this useful.
CK