I remember a time when British flags flew over India — mind you, I didn’t agree with colonialism back then, and I still don’t agree with it now. I chose to stay behind to counteract the disastrous marks the Empire left. But if there’s one thing I find pleasant about those times, it was transportation. Unfortunately, India today is in dire infrastructural straits. We haven’t even got a bloody decent road system for crying out loud! But Jet Airways continues those British traditions in the best form possible — courteous service and excellent hospitality, much like those overland routes to Burma. I recently flew to London to see my friends on Jet Airways, and even if the price’s raised, I would very much choose to fly with them again.

Last time I was in India, overland transportation was considered dangerous — so I opted for the safest choice for my family and me. We’d heard only good things about Jet Airways, so I got on-line and booked us tickets to visit family in Goa. At Mumbai Airport, we were treated like royalty: there were seats available in the front so we got upgraded. FOR FREE! During the flight the captain got out of the cockpit and guess what — started singing Happy Birthday to my daughter, and the entire crew joined in. It was a memorable experience, and I daresay that Jet Airways is the most humane airline there is out there.

You can book a ticket directly online at their website or you can use a third-party agency like Expedia to buy the ticket for you. It is recommended that you use a third-party website as their ticket prices are often lower than the official website’s due to exclusive deals and other money-saving agreements in place between the airline and the websites.

Ticket holders need not do anything; the airline will announce the date and time of the replacement flight and will usually give you a partial ticket refund for the inconvenience caused (unless you are flying on a cheap ticket; some promotional class tickets have the stipulation that no refunds are to be made).

Unfortunately, as Jet Airways is not associated with SkyTeam or any other major airline partnership, mileage points collected on your account are not valid for tickets on any other airlines. However, JetPrivilege’s affiliates are more than enough to keep you content. To collect mileage points, simply enter your account number when booking a ticket. To find out how to sign up, approach a Jet Airways agent directly or visit their website.