US to India Travelogue during the Pandemic

 US to India Travelogue

Travel experience summary from Seattle to Los Angeles to Dubai to Cochin in December 2020. Alaska Airlines & Emirates were the Primary airlines.  

Disclaimer - Please refer to official TSA, Airlines, Indian Embassy & other official websites as the Travel rules & regulations are subject to change. The following is a summary of our experience during our parent's travel to India which can vary for your travel!

1) At Seattle Airport (Alaska Airlines)

• Air Suvidha or Covid Negative test results are not requested for Domestic travel to LA.
• At the airline's counter, they weighed the luggage and confirmed that the Luggage would be sent all the way to India. 
• They do not give Boarding passes for LAX to Dubai or Dubai to Cochin. 

2) At LAX International Airport (Emirates)

a) Covid Testing Result

• A Covid testing report was required for all passengers. 
• here's a list of Covid Testing centers available in Seattle. 
• For clarity on 72hrs rule of when to get the testing completed - please check the video by Michael Khanna, this is quite self-explanatory 

b) Air Suvidha form

• Airsuvidha form - https://www.newdelhiairport.in/airsuvidha/apho-registration
• They look for the completed form with SR Number
• We did not apply for exemption as it is not required for Kerala.

3) At Dubai Airport

• None of the forms were asked to be presented again including the Covid test results. 
• You are given Face shields to wear along with Masks during the Dubai to India flight

4) At Cochin Airport

• During the flight to India, you are given a form to be submitted which mainly asks for details about your stay/local details in Kerala. 
• This form is required when you land in Kerala. 
• A mandatory 7-day quarantine is required. No Covid testing is done at the airport.  

Additional Information 

1. Application forms

We also completed the following Additional forms based on previous experiences from folks in this group.

Also, please ensure you/your parents know about the various forms you have completed as we found a few passengers/parents confused at the Airline counters when asked to present the forms.

• Kerala Govt - Covid Jagratha https://covid19jagratha.kerala.nic.in/ you will get the Approval code after submission of these forms. 

• Indian Embassy in US https://www.indianembassyusa.gov.in/reg_indian_nationals you will not get any acknowledgment on the website or email but when you try to submit again, you will be informed that the Passport number is already registered. 

• California Rule - LA City requires you to submit a form if you are traveling to LA - https://travel.lacity.org/   Though it is not clear if it is required for Transit but these are listed when you travel to California. Please refer to your airline's website for requirements for each state.  

2. Apps

• We installed Aarogya Setu app on the phone but did not register as we did not have India SIM card

3. Masks

• We carried 2-3 different types of masks/extenders to ensure the Masks are worn at all times and are not painful. 
• We bought these extenders that helped in relieving the ear pain (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BJT7D4J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1&fpw=alm)
• There are plenty of options available online, please prepare for traveling with Mask.
• For folks traveling with kids, please refer to airline rules; we saw a couple who were not allowed to board as their child was refusing to wear the mask. They were able to board at the last after they were able to convince their kid.

4. Sanitizers

• TSA allows up to 12 ounces per passenger https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/hand-sanitizers
• Keep them in separate zip lock or bags as you will need to take them out during the security screening at TSA. 

5. Food

• Food was good in Emirates as expected across all legs of the journey. 
• If you are traveling from a different city in the US to take the flight to India, you can refer to TSA Travel guidelines and carry food accordingly to your local destination - https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/food (especially if you have parents who are traveling alone who might be hesitant to order food from food stalls at the airport. it’s better to carry some food than relying on biscuits).