A journey 2 US.awesome x periance

It was a post i found on net...

Hello Friends,As I have mentioned before, I am having a great time in NCSU. I will be giving u details of my journey from hyderabad to Chicago on Indian airlines.I must admit that Air India is one of the worse airlines....... People going for Spring, keep Air India as your last option. My flight was at 3.45am at hyderabad International Airport. I reached the airport by 12:30 am .. Its always better if one reaches airport atleast 3 hours prior to the departure time. and went directly with my luggage into the terminal....Near the entrance the gaurd checks the ticket and lets in.. Now as soon as u enter u will find the baggage screening section. Depending on the airlines u have different sections... U have to unload by urself and screen them and then again upload all by urself. Here they even seal ur baggage by plastic rope....Now after this when proceeded further u find a machine where u can plastic wrap ur whole luggage....they charge Rs100 per bag. This only helps if u do not want to ur bags to be scratched in any way.... Porters help to carry luggage... but talk the rates before... they might ask u to pay even 200 bucks after the work is done... which actually u can manage.... Now u can proceed with the baggage to ur counter ( it will be given clearly). When ur turn comes keep ur passport and ticket with you....U again have to put ur baggage on the weight machine beside the counter( should be 32 kg each).Even if its 1-2 Kg extra(say 33 each)it will not cause any problem (Air India generally allows more than 32 also.. but some other good airlines might not if its more than 33.... But make sure that both weight 32(cant take one 35 and other 29). If some one is travelling by air India and is carrying 90Kgs, please make sure that one bag(of three bags) weights 32Kgs.....Here they usually dont check the cabin baggage which according to them sould be 7kgs only. Mine was 12kgs... Try to make ur cabin bagggage look as thin as possible...

After all this he gives u ur boarding pass of this flight and connecting flights... And also coupons for ur Baggage and they will sent from there...Now u only have ur cabin baggage and put a tag of ur particular flight and class on the baggage..... Generally one is allowed to carry one small back pack like college bag apart from cabin baggage..... So, u can carry upto 3-4 Kgs in college bag also... After taking boarding pass, they will give u am immigration form to fill out....Now u go to the immigration counter. Here take the form before the counter and fill it accurately and then go to the counter along with ur passport and present boarding pass.... He asks ur destination and if u have not taken "Immigration Clearence not required" stamping on your passport u have to pay him Rs250 everytime u leave India. I suggest u take it from Passport office....U can now proceed for security clearence (here u only reqire boaridng pass of presentflight). Now screening of ur cabin baggage and u is done here.... Check whether ur tag tied to cabin baggage is stamped after screening.U can now sit and sleep and just wait for boarding. Once it is announced u can board the flight and be seated . My next stop was in London where flight stops for refueling.... So, I was not allowed to leave the plane... i was sated in flight for 2 hours when cleaning of flight was done and also the crew changed..... If any one has to change flights, they have to take the cabin baggage and back pack and then catch the connecting flight... here, one needs to go through security check again.... some times, u r needed to remove your shoes, jackets, wallets etc and scan them by putting them all in a tray... and then again board the connecting flight....Then the last stop was Chicago (O Hare International Airport). In the flight, 1 hour before landing, air hostess will give you two forms:
1.Landing/I94 form
2.Customs form

U need to duly fill them before u get down.Even people who are going to Raleigh thru Newyork, Have to fill this as it is the Port of Entry for them....The Landing form is simple to fill in and i guesseveryone can fill it. Only thing u have to have is ur passport details and a address of US (u can mention the address written on i20 here or if u have got a permanent address to stay, mention that).For the customs form, They ask if u are carrying any foods, peservatives etc.. Then at the last column They ask u declare the articles amount u have brought to US which will remain here(u need to fill it in the column of VISITORS). Write it as $0. U need to also declare the amount u have brought is more then $10,000 or less. This does not include dd's. It consists of Cash, TCs, Personal/Banking Cheques.... About food items, generally students tick NO... Mostly, they wont check the baggage.... coz even they know we bring pickles and stuff.....After u enter the airport, u will be directed to baggage collection area... At some places they charge for trollies and at some places, they are free..... Try to carry some 1 dollar notes.... Take the trolly and wait at baggage counter... it some times takes 2 hours to locate the baggage.... coz there will be more than 700 suitcases..... So, it will be easier if u tie some odd colour ribbons to the handle so that u can identify the bag easily.... Also, write the address of university/senior on the baggage.... in big and huge letters.... u can write/print it on a white paper (A4 size) and then past it with brown plaster.... as they do for bih parcels........ It will be useful in case of baggage loss...... Try to write the address even on cabin baggage.... and dont lock the baggage (except cabin one)... and for numbe rlocks, if u lock it, paste the number code near the lock so that they wont break the locks...... very rarely, they open the baggage.... but its better to leave the baggage unlocked....

if its a cleap quality lock or something, then lock it.... it dosent make any difference eben if they break it.... but is its number lock kind of thing, mention it some where.... Then once u arrive u will be taken to the immigration counter with proper directions. Here there are 2 sections for U.S.Citizens and Visitors. U proceed to the Visitors section.now here keep ur passport, ticket and I20 ready. Go to the officer there and give him the I94 and customs form along with passport... He will ask u ur I20 and u give him that too. Then he asks u to put ur right and left index finger on the scanner and he returns ur I20, Passport and customs form.... He will pin the i94 receipt to the passport.... u need to keep that very safe even if he dosent pin it..... Then after the immigration check, u will be directed to baggage claim area.... After collecting the baggage, u can go to the customs counter and give him Customs form. He checks and asks u to proceed. Sometimes he sends People to the agriculture counter if u r carrying food preservatives or pickles. (Here if they ask u how old the pickels are, dont tell them fresh, tell them they are about 6 months old.)Now u can exit or go to the connecting flights from the same door.Do not expect it to be cold here, it was actually very hot.Enjoy on flight and have a safe journey. Try moving around the flight to warm ur body. To avoid Jet lag set ur watch to local time and sleep according to that.Note: Try to carry some tablets in cabin bag.... for vomitings, fever etc., Never eat heavy in flight... its always better to eat light....

Hope this helps you