Friday, January 27, 2012

Cheap Flights to Pakistan

A number of carriers offer cheap flights to Pakistan from all over UK. Due to high demand of flights it is advised to plan in advance and book your flight as early as possible. One of the main advantages of booking flights to Pakistan in advance is that you get the best deals and the cheapest fares. Economy class usually sells out the quickest and the seats that are usually left available for last minute booking are the expensive first class ones.

Some airlines provide the bidding option, using which one can bid on their favourite airline. Furthermore direct flights tend to be expensive whereas the flights involving stops are slightly cheaper. Stops are not all that bad, if your stop is more than 12 hours you can arrange for a 1 day pass and check out the city, or even do some shopping at the airport.

One has to be extremely careful regarding weight-age. Flights to Pakistan have limits regarding weights. At the time of writing Emirates have a 37 KG limit whereas PIA has a 47 KG limit (main and hand carry both), Anyone going above these limits will have to pay for their extra weight per kg, and it comes to quite a hefty sum. One must also be careful not to put any liquid in hand carry as they are confiscated on the spot and not allowed on plane.

There are a large number of agents offering cheap flights to Pakistan and cheap flights to Peshawar direct as well. They also come up with great discount and holiday packages which include cheap fares and other benefits. Many websites offer a comparison system where you can compare the rates of all the major airlines and find the cheapest tickets to Pakistan.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Make Your Business Trip to Pakistan Easier

Travelling to Pakistan on a business trip does not mean only booking an airline ticket. There are a lot of things to consider. You should book your trip weeks in advance to avoid any mishap and to get the cheapest tickets. One of the most important things to remember is to leave a photocopy of your passport and documents with your friend or family before you leave.

To help in preparation a list always comes in handy. Make a check list of all the important things that you need to take with yourself. Bring limited and useful items only as excessive baggage will be charged at the airport. Even though laptop is the most essential item nowadays it is not considered as being a part of the main baggage and is not weighed with it. A lot of airlines will not even weigh the laptop bag and tag it.

Always check with the airline you are with on their travelling insurance policies. To be assured that you are protected during medical emergencies, accidents and flights being cancelled complete travel insurance should be implemented on business trips. This not only helps in the peace of mind factor but also ensures that you do not spend too much money when such accidents do occur.

You should know what language is being spoken in your destination country. And it is always a good idea to know the basic words of that language. You can always get admission in language classes and do a 1 month course before departing, this will help you in more ways than one. Not everyone everywhere knows English and knowing the important phrases in their language will help you a lot. Along with language another thing to know is the difference in culture. What might appear normal practice to you might be considered offensive in your destination country. For example drinking alcohol in Pakistan will land you in jail. So it is best to learn all about the cultural differences.

Make sure to convert your currency to the Pakistani rupee before your flight to Karachi. You should also bring your credit cards with you for emergencies as they are accepted in major stores all over Pakistan. Even if you forget to covert your currency there are hundreds of currency changers in every major city that are happy to take the dollar and pound.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Luggage and Documents Consideration Before Travelling to Pakistan

Whenever leaving UK for a visit to any major cities of Pakistan (Islamabad, Peshawar, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad) keeping documentation with you is extremely important as on airport you are recognized by your documents. The best tip I can give here for travelling is to keep your documents very close to you and to carry original copies of your documents, so that if unfortunately you happen to lose your documents your friends or family can fax or email you copies of your documents.

The most vital document for a traveller is his passport. To issue a passport (if you do not have one) you must go in person to a passport office with two recent passport size photographs, proof of your citizenship, and a valid ID card.

Most of the countries will require a visa before they allow you entry. You can only board then aircraft when you have been issued a valid visa from the destination country. Countries in Europe do not need visa's for EU citizens but for almost every other country a visa is needed. To apply for a visa you must send your documents along with your passport to the embassy of the destination country. Visa processing does take a considerable amount of time so it is recommended to apply for  a visa well in advance to avoid any delays.

Regarding luggage if you are carrying expensive electronic items it is always a good idea to keep a copy of the receipt and insurance. As these will help you to prove your ownership. In most cases these receipts will also help you in claiming international warranty for your items in case anything goes wrong.

On your flight to Lahore one must also be particularly careful in luggage handling and packing. Never let anyone handle your luggage. Also if you are taking something abroad, some harmless item, even a notebook. Never tell the person checking your luggage that it does not belong to you and you are taking it for a friend. if they find out that the items in your luggage are not your own he is obligated to dispose of those items and may land you in more trouble and extensive searching.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Things to Consider Before Visiting Pakistan

Pakistan is an ancient civilization and is known for its beautiful and cultural locations. A well thought out and comprehensive preparation is needed before setting out for your flight to Pakistan. So to completely enjoy your vacation one must have a good idea as to the requirement for travelling to Pakistan.

It is natural for all travellers to look for the cheapest tickets to Islamabad. Such flights can be obtained from various providers online. Most providers let you compare the prices of various airlines so that you can find a cheap ticket to Pakistan. Pakistan at most places experiences a dry climate. The summers tend to get very hot whereas the winters are more pleasant and bearable. I personally love the hot summers of Pakistan and tend to find a ticket to Pakistan in July/August where the summer is at its peak.

The advantage of finding a ticket during this period is that you might get the best prices and the cheapest flights. However if you do not like the summers then the best time to travel to Pakistan would be in the winter months from November till early April. During this period the climate is considerable pleasant.

The airports in Pakistan are well maintained and well connected to all the key cities. The Jinnah international airport in karachi, Allama Iqbal airport in Lahore and Benazir Bhutto airport in Islamabad are the major international airports of Pakistan and are well maintained along with adequate facilities. Furthermore other capital cities of Pakistan such as Peshawar, Quetta, Sialkot and Multan all have international airports.

There are a large number of big shopping plazas and small stores located at convenient locations. The local handicrafts are also easily available. All items in Pakistan are very cheap, the best time to shop is before Eid when all the prices are dropped and mega sales are announced. Another pleasurable experience in Pakistan is dining out as there are a large number of options available for dining out, a variety of hotels and restaurants offer local and international dishes.