BudgetTravelCheap Hotels, Flights and Car Rental

Airport Lounges are facilities offered at airports to provide comfort to travelers. It has the facility of free, unlimited food & drinks, comfortable sitting and lie-down arrangements, bathing facilities.

It is very useful in case you have a long layover or flight at odd hours.

Airport Lounge Access

Once you have checked in your baggage and done with security clearance, you need to look for signs that show the way to the lounge.

Follow the signs and you will reach the reception. There you will have to show your boarding pass and the debit/credit card that allows you to use airport lounge facilities.

The attendant will validate your card, do a small transaction that will be refunded (Rs.1 or Rs.25 based on the type of your card), and will give your a receipt.

You may have to show the receipt once you enter the lounge (in Banglore I had to show, in Mumbai since the lounge was right behind the reception they did not check.)

In case you do not have the lounge access card (debit/credit/third party), you can pay for entry and use the lounge facility. Charges are around Rs.1000 for adults and Rs.800 for kids (till the age of 12years)

Free access to airport lounges

There are some specific credit and debit cards that offer free access to airport lounges. Check on your bank's website or the particular airport's website to see if the card you have makes you eligible for free access to the lounges in the airport.

Nowadays many banks are offering free lifetime credit cards that give you free access to the lounge once or twice in a quarter provided you have spent Rs.5000/ in the previous quarter.

There are few carriers like Vistara that provide complimentary lounge access to higher-class travelers.

Airport lounges in India

All the major airports like Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai has lounge facilities. If you are in any other city, just check on the airport website about the lounge.

Airport Lounges in Bangalore

Bangalore airport i.e Kempagauda International airport has one of the best lounge facilities.

The airport has a lounge for both domestic and international flights.

I will be talking about the domestic lounge.

There were two lounges for the Domestic area but due to renovation, one was closed

The one that is operational is managed by TFS (Travel Food Services) and is called BLR Domestic Lounge.

This lounge is located on the mezzanine floor. This lounge is divided into two parts, one for the quick travelers i.e those who have only 1-2hrs left to board their flight, and the other where passengers have more time in hand.

Depending on your flight time, the lady may direct you in either direction, but you can always move between the two areas.

One area has a live counter where you can get freshly made dosa, pasta, etc. The other area has a buffet.

You can enjoy the filter coffee or CCD coffee from the machine.

They have almost all kinds of soda drinks, fruit drinks as well as alcohol (you will have to pay for alcohol).

Airport lounge Mumbai

Mumbai is a huge airport, just follow the lounge signs after you are done with your security check.

After validating your boarding pass and lounge access card, you can enter the area.

The food is served depending on the time of the day. There are options of Veg, Non-veg, salads, juice, soda etc.

Airport lounge access cards

There are some cards that are provided by a third party and provides lounge access. You will have to buy those cards.

Airport Lounge FAQ

Can my family, friends use my card to get access to the lounge?

Remember, an entry in the lounge is one person per card. In case you have multiple eligible cards then Yes, you can bring in your family members and friends on your card.

You will have to accompany them i.e you cannot give your card to your family member for lounge access if you are not traveling with them.

How to get a lifetime free credit card with airport lounge access?

At the time of writing this post, ICICI was offering lifetime free credit cards (MakeMyTrip brand and ManchesterUnited brand). There is no joining fee or annual maintenance fee.

Check with your bank, chances are if your account history is good, they will waive off the charges on your credit card, making it free for you.

Are airport lounges open?

Airport lounges were shut down due to Covid. With the reduction in infected cases, airports have opened lounges.

Few lounges may be working with limited options.

Covid protocols are strictly being followed in the lounge. Facemask, hand sanitization and social distancing is being followed.

Can I pack & take food outside the lounge?

I did not see any packing box in the lounge but if you want to take some food outside the lounge (by wrapping it in tissue paper or some other way), there is no one to check or stop you from doing it.

The only restriction is was on soda cans. In Bangalore Airport, the attendant insisted on opening the soda can before handing it over.

Can I use airport lounges on arrival?

No, lounge facilities are available only for departures. At the lounge reception, they check your boarding pass before letting you in.

Is the lounge facility available on debit cards?

Yes, there are few eligible debit cards like Yes Bank's debit/ATM card where lounge facilities are available. Check your bank's website for eligibility.

Do read more interesting travel-related articles on ReviewBlogTravel

Places to Visit from Banglore:Coorg

Hacks to Get Cheap flight Tickets

Can I carry Microwave in flight?

Is microwave allowed as check-in luggage in airplanes?

Yes, you can carry microwave oven in flight. I carried a microwave oven as check-in luggage in Airasia. Continue reading to know details.

I was traveling from Banglore to Pune and found myself in a situation where I had to carry a microwave oven.

I had booked air tickets but was not sure if the microwave is allowed as a check-in bag.

I searched on Google and got posts that said it can be carried but no one had shared their personal experience. It was all about chats with customer care.

Questions that were bothering me were:

1. Will flight allow microwave?

2. Will it be handled carefully and no damage will happen.

A big risk was if the authorities did not allow, i will have to leave the microwave at airport itself (as good as throw it in thrash) as no one accompanied me to the airport to whom I could have handed over the box.

Even though I had these doubts, I decided to go ahead with it.

I had a 20L LG microwave (20"x11"x15"). Its weight was around 20kg's and dimension just right for the check-in baggage ie within 27"x21"x14" (the requirement is that the sum of these sides should not be more than 62").

I used the box with approximate dimension of 24x14x18. I had a big box in which some stuff was delivered, I cut it out in the size of microwave (with some buffer) and used it.

You can do the same or order box from here

As I was traveling domestic, the check in bag weight was 15kg's but since my wife and kid were traveling with me, the airline allowed me to club the weight.

I checked in 2 bags of 22kg and 21kg for the 3 passengers in my itinerary.

How to pack a microwave for flight?

The best way will be if you have retained the original packing i.e both the box and thermocol fillers, but this is not very common.

Same was the case with me. I did not have the original packing, so I bought a hardboard box as per the size of the microwave.

Buy box from here

Make sure the glass turntable and the wheel attachment is properly secured. I wrapped it in bubble paper & towels and kept it in my check-in box.

There was some gap on the front and sides between the microwave and the box, I cushioned it with the extra cardboard.

I Made small cylinders from the left over cardboard and pushed it in the gap such that the microwave will not move. The cylinders were soft enough so that not to put a dent on the microwave and sturdy enough to keep it from moving from its place.

Wrap a lot of packing tape on the outside of box to make it sturdy.

If possible, get a tape with "Fragile" written on it & put/stick it on all the sides of the box.

Buy duct tape with Fragile written on it

How to Check in Microwave at airport?

At the check-in counter, the attendant was surprised when I told them I was checking in a microwave.

She called her supervisor and confirmed if it can be checked in. To my relief, the answer was yes.

The attendant asked me if the packing was good, then she pasted Fragile sticker on the box.

Instead of putting the box on conveyor belt, she asked another attendant to take it manually.

This gave me some confidence that there will be no problem with the microwave.

After landing, I was curious to see the status of my microwave, there were no external visible damages, first level check passed!

We reached home and unpacked the box. To my joy, the Microwave reached its destination without any damage!!

Things not to pack in your checked in luggage

Conclusion:

This was my experience with AirAsia, I assume other airlines follow the same protocol while handing fragile checked-in luggage.

Microwave oven is not categorized as dangerous goods or items that are not allowed in flights.

For more interesting articles, keep on reading ReviewBlogTravel

Places to Visit from Banglore:Coorg

Hacks to Get Cheap flight Tickets

Mysore or Mysuru as called by locals is a beautiful city in the southern part of India. It is in the state of Karnataka.

Mysore is the second biggest city in Karnataka after the silicon valley city of Banglore.

It is famous for its Palace, Temples, Mysore silk sarees, and Mysore pak (a sweet that is named after the city)

How to visit Mysore?

The nearest international airport to reach Mysore is the Banglore airport i.e Kempagauda International airport.

Mysore is well connected by Air, road, and trains. Based on your preference, you can opt for either cab or Government bus or the Indian railways or go for a flight.

Banglore to Mysore car rental

Banglore to Mysore is approx 150km around 3hr journey, either by road.

Car rental from Banglore to Mysore is a brisk business and you will have many options.

You can book a private cab that may cost Rs.15-Rs17 per km or an Ola cab (Rs.1400-Rs1700) on one side.

Do note that it's an inter-city drive, hence better to book the cab one day in advance.

Banglore to Mysore by Bus

KSRTC bus is also an option that will cost you Rs.140 for non-ac and Rs.300 for a Volvo.

These buses do not start from the Majestic bus stop, you will have to go to the satellite bus stand. Take a bus from Majestic and you will reach the satellite but stop in 15min.

The non-ac bus frequency is very good. At any given point in time, you will get a bus.

Banglore to Mysore by train

Trains are cheapest at around Rs90- Rs500 per person.

During covid, railways are not issuing any un-reserved tickets. So better reserve a ticket online.

The general coach is referred to as "2nd seating". So you will be actually traveling in a general compartment but with a reservation.

Since most of the passengers get down at Banglore (Majestic/Kempagauda station), you will easily find a seat on the train to/from Mysore.

The train takes around 3.5/4 hrs.

Flights to Mysore

Mysore airport is also known as Mandakalli Airport. The airport is located 10km from the center of the city.

It's a single terminal airport where only small aircraft operate.

I found flights to Mysore very costly. You can book a flight directly to Mysore (not all the cities are connected) or fly down to Banglore and take a cab or bus from there.

Banglore being a big city and having an international airport, you will get very good deals on flights.

Banglore to Mysore Flights

Air-India has a direct flight from Banglore to Mysore, it takes around 1hr by flight.

Rest all the flights are via some other cities and you will unnecessarily waste your time.

Must-visit places in Mysore

Beware of the autorickshaw guys, they will offer to take you around the palace, church, and some shopping spots at a very cheap rate.

They get a commission for bringing in customers to the shopping place, no harm in it, but they will provide you false information about the other spots to lure you into going with them.

Mysore Palace:

An awesome place with beautiful gardens surrounding the royal palace.

The best time to visit is around 4pm when the sun is not that bright.

You will have to pay Rs.100 per adult and Rs.50 for kids aged till 12years.

This ticket is only for entering the palace, if you have already visited the palace and just want to spend time in the garden outside, just walk in.

For entering the palace, you will have to deposit your footwear at the entrance, Rs.2 is charged per pair.

You need to pay and collect a bag to put your shoes in. Make sure to tie a know (lightly) before depositing it at the counter.

Keep the receipt safe, without it you will not get your footwear.

You can hire a guide as well for Rs.400/500 who will explain the history of all the artifacts.

Chamundi Hills:

A beautiful place from where you can have a view of the whole Mysore city.

I will recommend going by car or auto so that you can park at the spots and enjoy the view of Mysore city.

Ample parking is available if you arrive at nonpeak time.

You can get a KSRTC bus as well from the city bus stop, a non AC bus ticket is Rs.20 and an ac bus is Rs.35 per person, each side.

You can reach the hilltop and visit Chamundeshwari Temple. At times it gets very crowded, to avoid a long queue you can buy a VIP pass costing Rs.30 or Rs.100. This will save you some time.

Beware of Monkeys, it will jump and grab any food item/water bottle.

Vrindavan Garden:

A place to visit in the evening. I recommend reaching there after 4pm, enjoy the beautiful garden and water bodies.

Around 630pm the garden is lit with beautiful lights.

On the other side of the garden, you can visit the musical fountain. It starts around 630pm.

Each person has to pay Rs.100 for entry.

Mysore Zoo:

If you have time, you can keep this on your list or can skip it.

Mysore Weather:

Avoid summer when planning for Mysore. The rest of the time the weather is pretty mild and you will enjoy it.

Mysore Dasara:

Mysore is famous for its Dasara festival. The whole city is buzzing with festivities and the Mysore palace is lit with thousands of light, enhancing its beauty.

Dasara gets very crowded, hence plan accordingly.

The cheapest way of Sightseeing Mysore

In case you are a solo traveler, you can save money by buying a day pass from Mysore City Bus stand.

A non-ac bus day pass will cost Rs.60 and an AC day passes Rs.100.

You can hop on-hop off any city bus and cover a lot of places with this pass.

Itinerary for sightseeing in Mysore at a budget

1. To visit Mysore from Banglore or other places, reserve a ticket by train. Make sure you arrive around 9am at Mysore junction in case you are on a one-day visit.

Note: Due to covid, unreserved tickets are not being sold at ticket counters.

General tickets are now being sold via websites like IRCTC where you get a reserved seat in what was a "general coach" before covid.

KSRTC buses are also a good option if you are traveling from Karnataka.

2. You will be approached by cab drivers who will offer you to take around Mysore and drop you back at the station in the evening.

They will charge anywhere from Rs.1500 to Rs.2500.

I did not try this service but heard from friends that it's good. You can opt for it if you are with family or in a group.

For solo travelers, I will recommend taking a walk or any transport to the city bus depot (it's around 2km from the station)

Ask for a day pass there, it will take care of all your vehicle expenses!

3. Take a bus to Chamundi hills. Bus no.201 will take you there. It has both AC and Non-ac options, board the bus as per your day pass eligibility.

4. While returning, get down at Mysore zoo, if it's on your list.

5. From Mysore zoo, take the bus and get down at the Mysore palace stop.

6. From Mysore Palace, either walk or take the bus to the city bus stop, and depending on your next spot, take a bus to that place.

Depending on the time, it will be a good idea to visit Brindavan Garden. Bus no.303,303A will take you there.

7. There are lot of cheap loadging available around Mysore in case you opt to stay for the night. Depending on the peak season, you can get yourself a room for as little as Rs.500.

8. Eat local, you are better off sticking to Idly, dosa rather than ordering any fancy dish unless you are in a fancy restaurant.

9. You cannot save on entry charges, so avoid places you are not interested in.

The flip side of traveling by a bus while sightseeing is you may waste some time waiting for the bus to arrive.

Conclusion:

Mysore is a very nice city and if you are in Karnatka or a nearby place, do plan to visit.

Do read more informational posts on ReviewBlogTravel

Related Posts:

Nandi Hills Review

Coorg Review

Coorg, also known as Madikeri or Kodagu is a small hill town located in the Southern part of India, in the state of Karnataka.

It is famous for its coffee plantations, scenic views and is a good weekend getaway for people staying in Banglore or nearby areas.

Coorg Resorts

The hill town is a tourist place and has Resorts, Hotels, and Homestay suitable for all budget.

There is a whole range of options, right from Resorts that offer full-day activities to Homestay where you just hit the bed after roaming around for the whole day.

Coorg visiting places

Once in Coorg, you can visit the following places:

1. Mandalpatti:

Mandalpatti-Coorg-Places near Banglore.jpg

This is a spot at one of the highest points on the hill. The view from this place is awesome, depending on what time of the day you arrive here.

Early mornings are foggy, afternoons are clear and cool. Evenings get pretty cold here.

To visit Mandalpatti, you have to hire a Jeep. It will take you to the topmost spot from there you need to walk 10min to reach Mandalpatti.

You can take your bike as well, but then you will have to park it 1km before the point and hike the rest of the way.

Taking the car is not advisable as there is a very rocky patch of road and you may end up damaging your car.

The jeep takes Rs.2000/ per jeep and allows 6 people in it. Though I have seen few jeeps with almost 10 guys in it but that will be a very uncomfortable ride and risky too given some spots are very rocky.

You need to pay Rs.20 for each person at the forest check post.

Apart from the view on top, on the way, you can stop to capture some awesome photographs.

Warning: The route is very bad and I will not recommend it for old people. The ride is bumpy all the way.

In my personal opinion, given the hardship to reach Mandalpatti, I will not recommend it to anyone. The view is good but I have been at better places minus the bumpy ride.

2. Coffee Plantation visit:

There is a Government coffee plantation that is open for visitors. Entry is Rs.200 per person and you will get a guide to show you around.

The Guide is very knowledgeable and shares some very interesting facts that we were not aware of.

The tour ends with Coffee & Wine tasting (small shots only).

There are many wine options and you can buy coffee, wine, spices grown on the plantation.

The tour did not last more than 30min and shopping can take as much time as you want.

In my opinion, a good place to visit but I thought the entry fee was on the higher side. An Rs.50 entry would have been more apt.

3. Abbi falls:

This was a complete disappointment for me. There is an entry/parking charge of Rs.40. You will have to walk for 10/15min to reach the waterfall.

All you can do is watch the fall from inside a cage. I felt like a zoo animal who is locked in a cage for visitors to see. The only thing is here you are the one in the Cage!

4. Raja's Seat:

This is a beautiful garden (some work was in progress when I visited). A beautiful sunset point and a nice place to relax.

The entry fee is Rs.10 but I saw some guys just walk in without tickets and the security guard looked helpless.

Coorg weather

The weather in Coorg is pretty cold at night and early mornings. It gets hot as the day progress.

Coorg homestay

There are many homestays in Coorg that offer affordable stays. It's like Airbnb. You get a fully equipped apartment.

To book a homestay, you will get an option on your booking site. You can filter on Homestay to get a list of only homestays.

Tip: Google the name of Homestay after looking it up in the booking portal and book directly with them. It will save you some money!

Coorg from Bangalore

Coorg does not have its own airport or railway station. The only way to reach Coorg is by road.

There are many private cab drivers or bus tour services. You can also explore the state government bus KSRTC.

Coorg nearest airport

You can fly down to Mangalore airport that is around 16o km from Coorg or you can plan your trip from Banglore (Kempagauda airport is around 265km from Coorg) via Mysore, covering the beautiful city of Mysore as well.

Coorg nearest railway station

Mysore is the nearest railway station for Coorg. It's a 3hr drive from Mysore to Coorg.

Conclusion:

In case you do not have anything else to do, you can plan for Coorg.

I did not find Coorg very appealing.

Do read more informational posts on ReviewBlogTravel

Related Posts:

Nandi Hills Review

Mysore sightseeing for Rs.60 only!

Airport Lounge Access

Free access to airport lounges

Airport lounges in India

Airport Lounges in Bangalore

Airport lounge Mumbai

Airport lounge access cards

Airport Lounge FAQ

Can my family, friends use my card to get access to the lounge?

How to get a lifetime free credit card with airport lounge access?

Are airport lounges open?

Can I pack & take food outside the lounge?

Can I use airport lounges on arrival?

Is the lounge facility available on debit cards?

Is microwave allowed as check-in luggage in airplanes?

How to pack a microwave for flight?

How to Check in Microwave at airport?

Things not to pack in your checked in luggage

How to visit Mysore?

Banglore to Mysore car rental

Banglore to Mysore by Bus

Banglore to Mysore by train

Flights to Mysore

Banglore to Mysore Flights

Must-visit places in Mysore

Mysore Palace:

Chamundi Hills:

Vrindavan Garden:

Mysore Zoo:

Mysore Weather:

Mysore Dasara:

The cheapest way of Sightseeing Mysore

Itinerary for sightseeing in Mysore at a budget

Coorg Resorts

Coorg visiting places

1. Mandalpatti:

2. Coffee Plantation visit:

3. Abbi falls:

4. Raja's Seat:

Coorg weather

Coorg homestay

Coorg from Bangalore

Coorg nearest airport

Coorg nearest railway station

Follow Us

More posts by Topics

Popular Posts

instagram