Inspite of 2020
playing havoc in everyone’s lives. I still want to hug the time we have and
make reminiscences that last forever. By being brave as a family, acclimatising
to amend and endure to succeed in situational stress, overcome hurdles and
accomplish great things for the several escapades that lie ahead.
Flying down to discover an Indian city to ring in the New Year is a ritual, being a family who loves to travel. This time round after several days of research and ponder I decide to plan this vacation post the New Year celebration chaos is over and I am not even going to lie — if there’s one thing that I like about the pandemic, it’s having my own space with flights.First things first, I zero in on Udaipur as it’s a short haul flight, hoping to minimize time at the airports and contact with other travellers. I chose IndiGo based on my previous experiences with them handling my mother who’s a wheel chair passenger. It is natural for anyone to be nervous about travelling during the Pandemic, but my mother is glad to be flying with IndiGo as I ensure her that all safety precautions are in place. Coming from a family of doctors, some even forefront soldiers during the pandemic, along with her will-power, made it easy for me to convince her to join us in this voyage. I Web Check in a day before, select seats of my choice, fill health insurance forms, print baggage tags, in order to remain as contactless as possible.
Getting to The Airport
We are not confident to take a public cab and the park and fly option doesn’t work for us as we fly in from Terminal 2 and arrive at Terminal 3 on our way back….so I have booked a cab from Andaz Hotel Aerocity…believe me it is the best decision. The driver is bang on time and the car is well sanitised. In my opinion, the best thing to do when flying is being fully prepared. We are all wearing our masks from i-protect and carrying our individual sanitizers, sanitizing wipes and sprays (I use Svish as it is non-gassy unlike the rest). Andaz goes the extra mile and co-ordinates the wheel chair for my mother with IndiGo, right at the entry.
At
the Airport
We made sure to arrive an hour and a half before our scheduled departure since, so that we could comply with the new airport safety measures and the new normal. My mother’s wheel chair is well sanitised in front of us, we drop our bags at the counter and the best part is everything is contactless.I am extremely impressed with IndiGo not only is it inexpensive but is dependable and proficient too; the staff ensure lines flowed safely, efficiently and effectively. As we make our way to the boarding gate, we straightaway notice the inflow in hand sanitizer places near all touch points. You’d be surprised at what can find to touch during a brief walk through the airport, so this is one safety measure I am truly happy to see implemented and would be even better-off to see stay.
In
The flight
Everyone is
given a kit that comprises a mask, shield wearing and travel-size sanitary
packs to ensure their flight experience is safe and comfortable.
Wearing masks and face shield is compulsory during the complete length of the
journey outside any eating or drinking. Food- wise, I have booked from the food
options online in advance. The Chicken Junglee Sandwich is a family favourite. The
flight attendants are friendly and helpful, checking in on my mother if she was
ok. All this really helps ease any anxiety we were experiencing and our one
hour flight is extremely pleasant. When we land, we literally yell, “Touchdown”
with pure happiness across our faces!
Where we stay
Situated by the tranquil Lake Pichola and bordered by the visions of the
Aravalli mountain range, Leela Palace Udaipur is a modern-day palace hotel
which brings the magnificence and extravagance of the Land of the Mewar. All 80
guest rooms and suites relish picturesque views of the lake, heritage city and
mountains. Our indulgent holiday here is quite breath-taking, along with
spotless butler services and gorgeous dining options. The Leela Suraksha
Program in conglomerate with Bureau Veritas India, shapes on The Leela’s
current rigorous cleaning procedures and is intended at inspiring sanitisation,
cleanliness and wellbeing measures to supply a safe atmosphere for everyone
that works or visits. I am glad we to stay at Leela Palace (also the
winner of Travel + Leisure USA’s World’s Best Hotel Award)! All in all with so
many effective safety measures in place, I am at peace with our decision to fly
with IndiGo as a family and begin the New year with more hope to fly!
First published in Travel And Leisure
