How do I contact Desi Flights?
Email us any time — [email protected] for questions and help with any trip or booking, or [email protected] for booking help, parents travelling alone and group trips. Write in Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, Bangla or English — whichever is easiest for you. Our WhatsApp “Ticket Puchho” service is launching soon; until it opens, email reaches us directly.
Is it safe to pay online here?
Yes — 100% Safe & Secure Payment. Every payment is protected with secure, encrypted checkout — the same safety your bank uses. Very safe, very secure: pay with full confidence, with No Hidden Fees, and your e-ticket and payment receipt come straight to your email as your proof.
When is the cheapest time to fly to India?
Fares are usually lowest for late January–March and mid-August–early October departures, and highest around Diwali, Christmas–New Year and June–July school holidays. Booking 6–10 weeks ahead for long-haul usually beats both last-minute and booking a year out. If your dates can move by even 2–3 days, check the days around them — midweek departures are often cheaper.
Do I really get 2 checked bags?
On most full-service economy fares between the USA and India, Pakistan or Bangladesh, yes — 2 bags of 23 kg (50 lb) each is the long-standing standard. But some airlines now sell “lite” fares with fewer bags, which is exactly why we make you choose your bag needs in the search and tell you to check the allowance on the fare before paying.
What if I need a refund or a change?
Book with full confidence — every booking is covered by 100% Safe & Secure Payment, with Better Price Guaranteed and No Hidden Fees. Your e-ticket and confirmation come straight to your email; changes, cancellations and refunds follow the fare rules shown clearly at checkout, and your confirmation email explains exactly how to get help with any change.
Can you book for my parents who don’t use computers?
Yes — that’s half of why we exist. You can search and book for them right here using their passport names and travel dates — pick elder-friendly timings and layovers, and add the FREE wheelchair request with their ticket.
Is wheelchair service really FREE with every ticket?
Yes — bilkul FREE. Wheelchair assistance is provided free of charge by most airlines, and we promote it with every ticket we sell: tell us at booking, request it with the airline right away (special-assistance page or phone), and reconfirm 48 hours before flying. Staff then help at check-in, security, the gate, at any connection, and right through to arrivals. There is no Desi Flights fee and no hidden charge for it — see the full guide in our free wheelchair section.
Which cards can I pay with — is it really secure?
Pay with Visa, Mastercard or American Express (plus other major debit and credit cards shown at checkout) through 100% Safe & Secure Payment — secure, encrypted checkout, the same safety your bank uses. Very safe, very secure, with No Hidden Fees, and your e-ticket and receipt come straight to your email.
Do you fly from cities other than Chicago?
Yes. Chicago O’Hare is our home airport, but the search covers New York, Newark, Dallas, Houston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, Seattle, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit and Minneapolis — plus Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary in Canada — and every destination in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh listed above.
Can I book my hotel on Desi Flights too?
Yes — use the Hotels tab at the top. It’s made for how our families travel: airport hotels for late-night arrivals, family rooms for weddings and longer stays, and stays in Delhi, Amritsar, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Lahore, Karachi, Dhaka and Sylhet. Many hotels offer free cancellation or pay-at-hotel — check the terms on the room you pick before you pay, and pay with 100% Safe & Secure Payment.
Can I also book flights and hotels inside India on MakeMyTrip?
Yes — for onward travel inside India (domestic flights like Delhi to Amritsar, and hotels in Indian cities and towns), you can also compare and book on MakeMyTrip. See our MakeMyTrip section — and whichever you choose, you get Better Price Guaranteed, No Hidden Fees and 100% Safe & Secure Payment.
How does the airport taxi work?
Use the Airport Taxi tab: pick the airport, the town or village you’re going to, the date and a vehicle big enough for your bags. The price is fixed before you fly. Your driver tracks your flight, waits at arrivals with a name board, and helps with luggage. It’s the safest option for parents travelling alone and for anyone landing late at night — book it from here, they just walk out and find their name.
How does Ola Taxi work — and how is it different from the airport taxi?
The airport taxi is pre-booked for one job: meeting you at arrivals and taking you door-to-door, often to another town or village. Ola is for everyday rides inside Indian cities once you’ve landed — home to the bazaar, hotel to the Golden Temple, hospital visits, weddings. Pick your city, pickup and drop in the Ola Taxi tab above, choose Mini, Prime, SUV, Auto, Rentals or Outstation, and finish the booking in the Ola app or on olacabs.com, where you’ll see the fare before you ride and can pay by cash, card or UPI. Ola works in India only — for Pakistan and Bangladesh, use the pre-booked Airport Taxi instead.
Can I book a taxi from Delhi Airport straight to Punjab?
Yes, that’s one of our most popular transfers — Delhi Airport to Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Amritsar and towns and villages across Punjab. Pick an SUV / Innova or a large van so the whole family and all the bags fit in one vehicle, and expect rest stops on the longer runs. The same door-to-door idea works from Lahore and Dhaka airports too.
What documents do I need to fly home?
A valid passport, and the right visa or status for your destination — for example an Indian visa or OCI card for India if you’re no longer an Indian citizen. Rules change, so check your destination’s official requirements well before your travel date, and make sure your passport name matches the ticket exactly.
Do my parents need travel insurance to visit the USA?
It isn’t a legal requirement, but we strongly recommend it. US healthcare is very expensive, your own US health plan won’t cover visiting parents, and visitors can’t use US government health programs — one hospital stay can cost more than the whole trip many times over. Visitor plans cover emergency medical care, hospitalisation and trip interruption; compare them in our visitor insurance section and book the plan that fits your parents best — with 100% Safe & Secure Payment.
What is an eSIM, and should I get one for India?
An eSIM is a digital SIM you buy online and install with a QR code before you fly — your phone gets mobile data the moment you land in India (and similar eSIMs exist for Pakistan and Bangladesh), with no airport SIM queue and no swapping cards. Your US number stays active for calls and WhatsApp. Most newer phones support eSIM; check yours and see plans in our eSIM section.
Which months are cheapest for my route?
It depends on the route, but the pattern is similar across most of them: late January–March and September–early October are usually the kindest months, while Diwali, Christmas–New Year and June–July cost the most. Our cheapest-month guide breaks it down route by route — Chicago to Delhi and Amritsar, Dallas and San Francisco to Hyderabad, Toronto to Delhi, Chicago to Lahore, New York to Dhaka and more.
Can you help with Umrah travel?
With the travel side, yes: Jeddah (JED) and Madinah (MED) are in the flight search, and Makkah and Madinah are in the Hotels tab. Umrah visas and packages themselves are arranged through licensed Umrah operators and approved agents — we don’t issue visas. See our Umrah travel section for how the pieces fit together, and always confirm current rules with your licensed operator before booking.
How do flights work with a baby under 2?
Usually the baby travels on a parent’s lap for an infant fare — typically a small percentage of the adult fare plus taxes, confirmed at booking — or in their own seat at a child fare. Your baby still needs their own ticket and passport. Bassinets can be requested on many long-haul flights, and formula and baby food pass security in reasonable quantities. Our babies & infants guide covers it all.
What is meet & assist — and is the wheelchair free?
Meet & assist is a staff escort inside the airport: help through check-in, security, connections and to the gate. Wheelchair assistance is free on most airlines; a personal meet-and-assist escort is a separate service that some airlines and airports charge for. Both are requested with the airline at booking or right after, ideally 48–72 hours ahead. See the meet & assist section.
Is there a senior citizen discount on flights to India?
Sometimes — Air India is known for a senior-citizen concession (60+) mainly on domestic India routes and selected fare types, and other Indian carriers have offered similar on domestic sectors. On USA–India international routes such discounts are uncommon and the rules change, so check the airline’s page for your exact fare at booking — and remember the senior fare category must be chosen during booking, with photo ID proof of age carried at check-in. See the senior fares section.
What is the Desi Flights Family Club — is it really free?
Yes, completely free — no joining cost and no points program (points aren’t ours to give; you still earn your airline’s own frequent-flyer miles as usual). Members get fare alerts first on our WhatsApp channel, free web check-in and seat help on repeat bookings, extra care for parents travelling, and priority help when they refer family and friends. The club launches with our WhatsApp channel — see the Family Club section.
