Turbulence Ahead For U.S.-Bound Indian Carriers

Washington: For those who don't like point-to-point flights to the U.S., the choice of a transit airport has hinged on the price of the ticket and the time we have to kill doing a beer and duty-free. So, Frankfurt, London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle or Amsterdam Schiphol it has been, before the Finns began to hard sell Helsinki in recent years via "higher-order" temptations like a smaller carbon footprint!

Challenging the all-European jostle for the business potential of Indian travellers have been Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi. The useful three-way, dog-fight of Arab egos has been spoiling U.S. with aircraft and lounges that feel plusher each year, along with walk-in visas, meet and greet speedy clearance services like Marhaba and deals like free hotel stay and limousine rides in the city.

But from end-January there's been more to Abu Dhabi or Dubai than all its rivals.

Transit from there and you can be done and over with immigration, and customs clearance of your suitcase at UAE itself. So, after crossing the Atlantic via Abu Dhabi you can breeze out of O'Hare or JFK as easily (or at least hope to!) as an American passport holder on a domestic flight!

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