All About Travel to USA

This Travel page is divided into multiple sections. Go to appropriate sections to find the relevant information.

Air Travel to U.S.A.

For any first time travelers to USA, shopping and packing is one of exciting phase of your journey to USA. Student traveller’s are on budget and have different set of needs compared to Temp Workers on those who fly on Business.

click on the individual links to learn more.

Shopping for USA Trip

List of Items to Pack for USA for Students

List of Items to Pack to U.S.-bound Students

Packing for Trip to USA

10 Tips to Packing your Suitcase for U.S. Travel 

Last Minute Packing and Travel Tips

10 Tips to Pack a Suitcase Like an Air Hostess

15 last minute tips for flight travel to USA

15 Last Minute Flight Travel Tips and Checklsit for USA

Flying to America in a Hurry? I had 15 days between visa interview and travel date.

These 15  last minute air travel tips will help you when you are short on time.

Last Minute Travel Tips and Checklist

Here are few last minute flight travel tips for students ( and others) flying to US for first time.

1. Don’t forget to register for Frequent Flyer Miles ( before you fly)
2. Did you make arrangements for accommodation and pickup from airport?
3. Do you have dollar bills ($1, $5 or $10) to make phone calls and rent trolley at airport?
4. Phone numbers of person going to pick you from the airport.
5. Give those USA contact numbers to your parents (or relatives).
6. If possible buy a calling card that can be used to while on transit and in USA.
7. If your flight gets delayed, do inform pickup person about the delay.
8. If you are not sure about anything, ASK for HELP.
9. While in airports, keep an eye on your carry on bags.
10. Take the bags with you when you go to restroom.
11. Get mentally prepared to use Tissue Paper in Restroom (if you are not used it )
12. Soiled Tissue paper goes into Toilet Pot, not into trash can.
13. Know what to expect during the travel. 
14. Call the airline 3 to 4 days before the flight to check your meal preferences.
15. If you arrive at US during mid-day, don’t go to bed right away. Force yourself to stay awake till 8 to 9 PM.
16. Buy sweets to seniors who will pick you from airport and provide temporary accommodation.
17. Relax and enjoy your trip.

About Frequent Flyer Miles – For example If you are flying in Jet Airways, register for their Jet Privilege Account before you travel.

Provide the Frequent Flyer number to agent who  issues your boarding pass.

You will fly about $8000 miles on your way to US (one way). That’s 8000 miles added to your Frequent Flyer Account. After accumulating 25,000 in miles the account, you can get one round trip ticket free within US with partner Airways in Jet (which is American Airlines).

Last Minute Packing and Travel Tips to USA – Packing, Baggage, Food Items

Here’s two last minute Air Travel experience shared by  readers:

I traveled from New Delhi, India to Marquette, MI (USA). Here are some last-minute flight travel tips to the USA for you.

• Baggage Weight
• Liquids in Carry On Bag
• Food Items in the Bag
• Electronic Items

Baggage Weight

Make sure to weigh the suitcases at your home. Sometimes, your weigh scale might not be accurate. So, verify the sale accuracy with known weight.  I recommend having exact weight or maybe 1 lbs extra.

For cabin bag, airports and airlines have a free cabin bag size check-up tool where you can measure whether your cabin bag is of the right size.

Carry some warm clothes with you in cabin bag to avoid cold A/C within the cabin during the flight.

Liquids in Carry On Bag

Any liquid (Oil, Shampoo, cream, deodorant, etc.) more than 100 ml is not allowed in cabin/laptop bag.

If you are carrying liquids, make sure they do not carry it the cabin bag. Otherwise, you have to lose it in Delhi/Mumbai airport.

Rather carry it in your checked in bags.

• 10 Tips to Pack Suitcase Like an Air Hostess

Even if your oil or shampoo bottle size is more than 100 ml but it contains only 50 ml content in it, they still won’t allow it in cabin bag.

Matchbox is also not allowed.

Food Items in the Bag

If you have a connecting flight from Chicago (ORD Intl Airport) then in Chicago airport security officials (Customs) won’t allow Ric. They will open your checked in bags and throw (trash) Rice from it, as Rice are not allowed from a foreign country, I don’t know about other states airports.

• Refer to Travel Guide  for Complete First Time Travel Tips

Bring plenty of Indian spices with you (I’d suggest you to get all type of spices with you in more quantity because they are not available here and in some places they are available but very costly as compared to India).

Electric Gadgets from India

Do not get any electronic gadget from India like Iron, DVD Player, etc. because you are not able to connect then in sockets here in the USA. The USA has a different type of sockets and plugs our Indian plugs won’t fit into their sockets if you can you get a converter with you from the electric shop from India with you.

Following seven last minute flight travel tips is written by Munna (long time HSB follower).

1. Connection Time

While changing flight at any airport, it’s better to have a good gap like 3 hours. Do not book a flight with just 1-hour gap.

While coming from India, if you are changing plane at any European or Middle Eastern airport, you have to go again through security screening, and your passport/visa is checked. It takes some time and sometimes because of bad weather flight gets delayed a little bit. So 2 hours gap will make you comfortable.

2. Reach airport early

If you are coming from India, atleast 3 hours. There are so many queues.

Keep a print out of your ticket receipt. If you are catching a flight in USA to India, atleast 2 hours.

I have seen many Indian students coming late and missing the flight.

3. Baggage Weight

Look at weight limit and pack properly. It is very common for students to come overweight and then waste everybody’s time in adjusting the baggage to weight limit. A small TSA approved lock was a good investment.

4. Air Fares

Don’t blindly follow your friends that if he went through some travel agent or some particular airline.

Sometimes it is cheaper to break the journey into two parts like Delhi to Chicago and then to go to your city from Chicago in a separate ticket if the direct ticket to your destination is expensive. But then you may have to pay for luggage. So do all the calculations.

4. Travel Cash

Keep some dollars in your pocket. You never know-you may get stuck in some airport for 5-6 hours, and you need to buy a water bottle or McDonalds or a pint of German Beer.

5. Cheap Travel Dates

Try to go on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday as tickets are slightly cheaper and more vacant seats on planes on these days.

At the same time, if someone is going to come to Airport to pick you, then weekend or evening arrival time will be convenient for them.

6. In-flight Food

If you are fussy about food, go to the airline website and opt for Special Meal. Do it well in advance and also get it confirmed either on ticket receipt or while printing boarding pass.

You can request new meal up to three days in advance. If you are Vegetarian, then you can ask for Hindu Vegetarian.

7. Carry On Bag Weight Limit

Utilize your carry-on limit of baggage. Read the rules carefully. The size of baggage, laptop bag. They allow shawl, jacket, book over the limit.

10 Tips to Pack Your Suitcase for International Flight Travel

Are you going on an International Trip?  Oh Boy. It’s suitcase packing time.

It’s the fun when you are not used to packing suitcases for international air travel.

Guess, how many people helped me with packing when I came to America for the first time?

About 15 people, family and friends, were helping me pack. Everyone had a say in what to pack, how to pack and what not to pack.

Now, times have changed. We travel frequently and it doesn’t take days to pack suitcase our suitcases for Air Travel to foreign countries.

In December 2015, I flew to Europe and it took me 45 minutes to pack for the trip.

Check-In Baggage Allowance – 70 lbs

When it used to be 32 kgs per suitcase  (70 lbs) when I came to America. Those days are long gone.

It was so much easier to pack all the stuffs. But, now airlines allow max of two suitcase with 23 kgs in each. Some airlines charge even for one suitcase.

So, we have to be very careful in what we pack and how we pack.

Here are few tips that will be of some help.

Students traveling for the first time, will have lots of stuff to carry. But, staying informed about what to carry and how much to carry will greatly reduce the amount of effort and stress on you.

Air Travel – Suitcase Packing Tips

1. Remove all the tags from new dress/clothes. It will weight almost 200 Grams ( try me ).
2. Remove all the card-board boxes. If you feel something are fragile, try to wrap around your dress.
3. You will get almost everything in U.S. So, try to get items that are not available in US. Those stuff goes into suitcase first ( Indian Spices, your mom’s recipebooks, pressure cooker, ..). So, the idea is to create the list of items and assign priority.
4. Tie a colorful ribbon on the suitcase handle. It will be much easier to identify your suitcase in the baggage claim area.
5. Try to avoid bringing oily stuffs ( hair oil, pickles, home made oily foods…) I had very bad experience and had to throw away an entire suitcase. At U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent, pricked a hole into couple of thick plastic bags with pickles and when the baggage reached home, oil was floating the suitcase. All the new dress, spices, and so many things worth Rs 20,000 to 25,000 had to be thrown away.
6. Usually, you will make a huge list, buy all the stuffs and when you pack it and weight, it will come to 30+ kgs. Priority list will help you to decide which items to remove.
7. If you have 10 pairs of socks, see where you can stuff the socks or use it to wrap spices items or try to insert the socks into shoes, so it will save space.
8. Don’t try to arrange things in suitcase, whatever you arrange, it will be in messed up order when you get it in U.S.
9. Try to get the weigh scale where you can hang the suitcase using a thick rope. Other weigh techniques will not give you accurate weight. Hang the weigh scale to your roof using chain/rope and weight the suitcase. I have tried so many ways, but finally ended up following the above way.
10. If in case you got small suitcase and find it hard to fit the stuffs, then place heavy items that occupy less space in that suitcase.

Bonus Tips

1. Keep breakable items in the center of the suitcase
2. Keep flexible items at the corners.
3. Always zip your suitcase, so that zip is top of the suitcase.
4. Don’t waste your money on air travel insurance
5. Split the items when you pack

I hope, above tips will help to pack the suitcase in more effective way.

10 Tips to Pack Your Travel Suitcase Like a Flight Attendant

Packing is not fun for first time Air Travelers to USA. If you are coming to USA to attend Colleges will have tough time while packing and shopping. You have limited space and lots of items on the list.

From my travel experience, I have packed and unpacked suitcases several times. Following tips should help folks flying for the first time.

When I was student and traveled to USA for the first time, it took several days of planning to pack the suitcase. In recent trips, it takes less than 30 minutes to pack.

Check-In Baggage

Following baggage limits apply  to/from USA/India. For other country readers, refer to the airlines baggage allowances.

Majority of the airlines allow 2 check-in bags (suitcase) upto 23kgs per suitcase.

For students, few airlines allow upto 3 check-in bags (23 kgs each). Before booking the flight ticket, ask about the baggage allowance.

If you have connecting flight, make sure they don’t charge for additional bags.

If you have any questions about baggage allowance, all the airline directly.

5 Tips to Pack Suitcase

1. Remove the tags from new dress/clothes.
2. Remove card-board boxes or any other boxes that came with the items you have purchased.
3. For Fragile items, wrap it with clothes.
4. Make a priority list and pack according to the list.
5. First Things First. Spices take high priority, few books, clothes, personal care, etc.

How to Weigh the Suitcase

Different ways to weigh the suitcase. Make sure you get the weight right.

1. Regular weighing machine – You weigh yourself first, then weigh again with the suitcase. Subtract and find the suitcase weight.
2. Buy a hanging weigh machine. Hang the suitcase to calculate the weight.
3. Weight individual items + weight of suitcase (not recommended)

Last time my hanging weighing scale messed up the weight. I had 23 kgs and while at airport during check-in, scales showed 24.5 kgs. Always, we have a cover filled with least priority items that can be removed if the weight is more than the limit.

 5 More Suitcase Packing Tips

1. Tie a colorful ribbon on the suitcase handle. Makes it easy to identify your suitcase in the baggage claim area. I tie 2 different color ribbons.
2. Even now, I don’t bring oil or pickles (details below)
3. Insert clothes and dress into empty vessels if you are running out of space.
4. Don’t arrange things inside the  suitcase. You are wasting time. It will all get messed up.
5. I have TSA locks to lock the suitcase. Is it necessary to lock the suitcase?

I had very bad experience and had to trash a brand new suitcase and all the new cloths. At U.S. Customs, they pricked a hole into a couple of containers  with pickles for inspection. When the baggage reached home, oil was floating in the suitcase. All the new dress, spices, and so many items had to be thrown away.

Since that experience, I’m not taking any oil in the suitcase. If you decide to take oily items, do the following

• Wrap the item in plastic cover (2 layers)
• Seal the cap with duct tape
• Put the cover insider any container.

Also, buy a light weight suitcase with wheels.

Having wheels in carry-on suitcase will also help to drag them around in the airports.

List of Items to Pack to USA Travel [for Women]

We used List of Items to Pack for USA for Students and made her version of the list. Hope, you would find it useful.

List of Items to Pack for USA

I always wondered why the lists that are provided on the internet only satisfy the needs of men and never women for their journey to USA.  I discovered that it’s because no women has taken initiative to write about it. So here I am with an article that would cover most of the inquiries about items to be packed in the luggage by women.

Also I have tried to cover the differences in individual eating habits, because despite having a good hold on cooking, I brought lots of Spices which I rarely use. I should bring it to everyone’s notice; due to enormous work pressure in US, least time is devoted to cooking.

Indian food which takes little longer to cook than soups, pasta, noodles, burgers and sandwiches will soon be out-listed from the weekday’s menu. However, in the weekends Indian food remains to be the favorite choice of Indians as well as Americans.

• Note : This list is pasted “as-is” and in coming week, this list will be updated. Gals reading this list, if you’d like to improve on it, send an email or add a comment.

List of things to Pack to US

Group	Item	Quantity	Comment
Stationery	Mechanical pencil	3-Feb	0.5 mm is available in India but try getting 0.7 mm as it is extensively available in US although 0.5 mm is also available
	Pencil Eraser	3-Feb	I don’t like erasers found here. You might like it
	Stapler	1
	Stapler pins	1-2 boxes (whole year)	Stapler pins here are giant sized. I like the cute Indian size.
	Cello tape with cutter stand	2-Jan	I brought it without the cutter and always wish to buy the cutter stand. I use cello tape very often. Also to pack sandwiches.
	Pens	1 pack (12)	Not much writing here. Also stationery items are free. No need to bring many pens.
	Notebooks	Nil	Buy from here
	Files and folders	5-Apr	You will still have to buy. Do not bring 2 pin files. 3-pin files are used here
	Pages	Few	A4 size paper is not used in US. The US letter size paper will be used for submitting assignments.
	Markers and colored pens	Bring them if you use them	Expensive here
	Year planner		Highly required
Utensils	Pressure cooker	1	Mandatory
	Extra valves, rings and whistles	4	Do not avoid bringing it. I know a friend who cannot use his pressure cooker as its valve is not working and it is not found in US.
	Pans and pots	2	You can avoid bringing it. Its not very expensive in Walmart
	Spoons	4	Its good to bring though not very expensive here.
	Bowls and dishes	1	For yourself for the initial days. Later you can manage to get it for free from Student associations
	Scissors and knives	1 each	Would be fine
Spices and cereals	Dals	250g each	Bring your favorite dals only. No one cooks what they don’t like.
	Hot red chilli powder	½ kg	MUST
	Green chilli sauce	1 bottle	MUST
	Turmeric pwdr	250g	I don’t use it much. Depends on your food habit. (100gms is enough)
	Nutmeg/Jaifal	2
	hing	1 small pkt	I have not usedit yet
	Javitri	25g	I love biriyani and butter chicken. You might be using it often.
	Dalchini	50g	Very expensive here
	Elaichi (bari and choti)	50g each
	Sukhi lal mirch	50g	Not very expensive here
	Black pepper corn	250g	I am a pepper lover
	Tej pat	10g	Required in cooking almost all Indian meals
	Dhania pwder and jeera pwdr	100g each	I have used it twice since I hanve been here
	Methi dana	10g	Makes my dosa batter ferment faster
	Anice (saunf)	depends	Depends on the way you use it
	Sabut jeera	250g	For whole year
	Sambhar powder	100g	I don’t eat sambhar regularly. Bring more if you love it
	Salt and sugar	NIL	No need to bring
	Tandoori chicken masala	1 pkt
	Meat masala	1 pkt
	Garam masala	1 pkt
Eatables	Biscuits		Needed very much in the initial days
	Rice	250g	Bring it
	Snacks
	Pickles		Bring only if you eat them. I have not consumed pickles since I have been here.
	Maggi	4 in one	Trust me, will be needed
	Knorr soups		Get all your favorite flavors
	Instant meals	Few	You will realize its importance in US
	Papad	Few types	You wont get it here.
Clothes	jeans	8	Laundry is chargeable and will be done once in 15 days. So bring clothes for atleast 15-20 days
	trousers	12	You will end up buying jeans here as trousers cost the same as jeans in US
	Thermocot suit	2
	sweater	2
	shawls	3	It is the most comfortable when at home or in University. Also adds style because its very expensive here. Starts from $25 here.
	Caps/scarfs	nil	Buy from here
	muffler	2	Expensive here
	Indian wear	2	Will be required if you are social. Bring one sari and salwar suit.
	Skirts	2	I feel much comfortable in skirts
	Night dress	4	Very expensive here
	Winter jacket	1	Buy it from U.S.
Shoes/ sandals	Leather shoe/boot	1	You will still have to buy…coz we are ladies
	snickers	1
	sandal	1
	walker	1
Accesories	Belt	3	1 leather, 1 cotton and 1 fancy (chain)
	Nail filer	1
	Foot scrubber	1
	Pumic stone/ body scrubber	1	Very expensive in US
	Nail cutter	1
	Hair pins/clips	2 sets
	Hair bands/clutcher etc		Bring as many as you can …you will still buy…. hihihi
	Safety pins	2 sets	Safety pins in US are different in size
	Hanky	12-Jun
	Socks	5, 2 woolen	I don’t like wearing socks but I have to as I feel cold
	Stockings	4	Indian size is difficult to get. Best ones for winter
	Sanitary napkins		For 2-3 months
	Washing soap for clothes	3-Feb	Wheel/Rin etc
	Washing detergent sachet	2-3 small pkt	For home washing of clothes
Cosmetics	Moisturizer	1	Bring according to your availability of space
	Shampoo	1 small	Cheaper in US
	Conditioner	1 small	Cheaper in US
	Makeup items	1 each	Very-very expensive in US
	Lipstick	As many	Lipsticks are very expensive here. Also you can’t try them before buying. You will not find any moisturizing lipstick like ELLE 18 brand here.
	Nail polish and nail base		Indian ones preferable
	Nail polish remover		Small pack of acetone. Get it from pharmacy store in India. Nail polish removers in US are alcohol instead of acetone. Acetone is good for nails while alcohol is not.
	Lip moisturizer	3	Too expensive in US
	Bathing soap	3
	Coconut oil	Large container	For hairs, very expensive here ( Pack it carefully so it won’t leak)
	Mustard oil	Small container	Glowing hair and split hair treatment
Jewelery			Bring matching jewelery as much as you can. It’s too expensive here. Nothing less than $5 for artificial ones
Purse/Bags	handbag	1	For flight purpose
	Backpack with laptop space and trolley	1	We ladies hate carrying. Use the same as your carry bag.
Electronics	CDs/DVDs		If you like to listen to Hindi/regional language music. Bring that.
	Cell phone handset	NiL	If you have one and you want to use it, you can. I am using my Motoming handset from India. It has Us pin point
	Pin converter	1	Indian Items with Indian pin point can be used only when converted to US plug point. I got my electronic Tanpura which needed that. But it is always good to have one. You never know you might need it. Most of my Indian friends borrowed it from me.
	USB printer port	1	If you are interested to buy a printer. It is more expensive here
	USB Phone port	1	Cheaper in India
Others	Bed sheet	2	Double bed/twin bed (single bed)
	Towel	2
	Shoe brush	1
	Shoe polish	1
	Pillow cover	1	Large size
Allopathy Medicines	Vitamin tablet with more than 5mg Magnesium	2 strip	Will help you feel little less pain. Only for ladies.
	Antiseptic cream	1	sofframycin
	Antihistamine cream	1	Antiallergy, can use after any bug bite for relief.
	Pain relieving cream	1	Eg volini
	Voveran	1 strip	fever
	Antibiotic tablet (broad spectrum)	1-2 strip	5-6 courses, mainly it should be effective against cold and throat infection
	Pain-killer	1 strip
	Bandages	4-Mar
	Anti-diarrhoeic	1 strip	Eg metrogyl
	Seven seas (VitE)	1 bottle	For good glowing skin, very expensive in US
Homeopathy medicines	Kali mur 12 X	1 bottle	Liver
	Glonoine 200	1 bottle	Sun stroke, can be taken before going to sun
	Rhus tox-200	1 bottle	After getting drenched, prevents cold, also after exposed to snow
	Borax-30	1 bottle	Acne
	Sepia-30	1 bottle	Leucorrhoea and anemia. To be taken in the morning.
	Arnica-200	1 bottle	Antitetanus effect after wound. To be taken within 24 hours after wound.
Cold treatment (2 weeks or till cold persists)
1	Belladona-	1 bottle	Once in a day, every night before sleeping
2	Bryonia-200	1 bottle	3 times a day
3	Hepar Sulph-200	1 bottle	Once in a week
4	Phytolacca-200	1 bottle	Once in a day, every morning before eating anything
Cramp or Mild fracture treatment	Black board Chalk, turmeric powder and mustard oil		Soak chalk in water till it makes a paste. Add turmeric powder and mustard oil, heat till color changes. Apply warm on affected area. It relieves pain and heals wounds.

Not every items listed above is must. You pretty much can get everything in U.S. but try to have a priority list and get those items. Again, remember this, you can get all the items listed above in U.S. but for a student it will initially look expensive.

Winter clothes, try to buy from here. Winter cloths from India will not be of much help for weather here. If you have additional student travel tips, share it with us.