So, you are looking for the best airline to travel between India and the USA for your parents – well, prepare to be amazed by the kind of options you get. I’ve traveled between India and the USA couple of times now, so let me share with you some insights from my experience.
First of all, in order to choose the best airline, you have to have some clear priorities. If I were you, I’d choose what type of airline am I looking for. For example, I’d choose between a) Budget b) Comfort, and of course c) Length of the journey.
Best airlines for parents traveling to USA
So, if parents are traveling from India to the USA (and back) I’d choose comfort and length of the journey. A normal one-stop journey from India to USA itself can go well over 24 – 30 hours and can be excruciating. So for parents, you can imagine the trauma. Layovers, immigration clearances, documents, long walks… phew! It can be terrible for parents.
Also read: Best travel insurance for USA
I’d suggest choosing an airline that has the shortest distance, without any layovers or possibly just one layover. Also, choose an airline that has good food options (both veg and nonveg) and offers good comfort. To summarize.. choose an airline…
- That has a short journey
- Has no or just one layover
- Offers good food options
- Has good leg space
- And offers good overall comfort
Get wheelchair assistance for your parents
Now, apart from all this, my big recommendation will be to get wheelchair assistance for your parent, regardless of whichever airline they are flying. Basically, wheelchair assistance means that you can get a wheelchair for your parent, right from check-in to exit. This is an excellent way to ease travel for parents as it reduces their need to walk, find immigration queues, check-ins, etc.
When you get wheelchair assistance, a personnel/ground staff from the airline will provide a wheelchair right after the checkin for your parent. They will escort them with the wheelchair to the immigration/security check queues, take them to the right terminal, etc so your parents don’t have to worry about anything.
Normally, for parents traveling, it’s a hassle to figure out things at the airport. Where is the terminal, check-in points, signage, counters, etc?
Most airlines offer wheelchair assistance for a nominal fee. You can opt-in for wheelchair assistance when booking your ticket.
So, based on these points, here is my selection of the best flights between the USA and India, for parents.
- Emirates (One stop – Dubai)
- Air India (Non – stop)
- Etihaad (One stop – Abu Dhabi)
- Qatar Airways (One stop – Doha)
- Lufthansa
- KLM
- Air France
- British Airways
- United Airlines
- ANA All Nippon Airways
- Singapore Airlines (Great customer service)
- Air China
- China Southern
- Virgin Atlantic
- Turkish Airlines
- Brussels Airlines
- Air Canada
- Egypt Air
- Saudia
- Jet Airways
I’ve also written about ways to find cheap flights to USA from India here. Check it out!
