Airline Tickets to Chennai, India, cheap flights

Madras was of the first outposts of British East India Company. The city was founded in 1639 when the company chose Madraspattinam, a small fishing village, as its settlement. Today cine stars turned politicians are the order of the day now in this city where the roads are lined with towering billboards depicting scenes from the latest movies. Here traditional art forms like dance and music are a way of life even in the most modern homes. Most famous of the classical music is the Carnatic music, and classical dance called Bharatanatyam. Many people visit Chennai during the months of December to January. This is the time of Carnatic music festival, popularly known as 'Music Season'. During the music season, a host of music halls called "Sabhas" have music programmes called "Kutcheris" for which performers gather from across India and recently from the diaspora, across the world. The Madras music festival is now acknowledged to be Asia's biggest cultural event.

Chennai Airport

Chennai Airport ( Airport Code: MAA, Menmbarkam Airport ) has an International Airport situated at Tirisulam 7 km south of Chennai (17 km from the city centre). Anna terminal is the International Terminal with round-the-clock Immigration and Customs. There are several international carriers which operate regular flights to Chennai from foreign destinations. Some of the international flights are operated from Chennai via Mumbai. All passengers are required to pass through immigration on arrival and departure. Foreigners registration office is located at Sastri Bhavan. Income Tax Clearance Certificate is required at the time of departure if the stay has been for more than 90 days. Trollies ....free of cost available to passengers on arrival/departure if you find a good one....

Changing Money/ Currency Exchange
In India, the unit of currency is the Rupee (INR). Change money with Authorized Currency Exchange places like the airport, most banks and hotels and insist on a receipt, as it will help you reconvert unused rupees into the original foreign currency at the time of departure. Avoid any people on the street who offer to change your money at a temptingly high rate of exchange ( Generally you end up with fake currencies, or its a scam where the street dealer bolts with your money. )

Taxi Bookings/Hotel Pickup
It is advisable to do all bookings of taxis (Pre-Paid) and hotels via the airport. The cab fare is little more expensive but the cops keep a record of cab passengers so you are safe and don't have to put up with a tampered meter or other excuses. If you can arrange to be picked up via your hotel it would be very beneficial.

The fares are different from the domestic and international terminals though both the terminals are next to each other. It's better to keep small change in hand as the counter staff very often don't seem to have change....please note the taxi number written on your charge slip (one copy is for the passenger and the other is for the driver to collect the fare from the counter). Once out of the terminal you'll have a tough time warding off all the touts and taxi drivers soliciting passengers. Make your way through this crowd and across the drive to the taxi stand. Now its up to you to locate your taxi!. You can ask the other drivers to help you locate the cabs which usually is parked out of view right at the back of the line of cars. Drivers will voluntarily offer to tow your luggage cart or help you put them in the trunk but do it yourself to avoid missing luggage.

Chennai Climate

The climate is hot and humid but made pleasant by the cool breeze wafting in from the sea. The temperature can get quite hot and nasty (+40 C), so it might be a good idea to stay indoors in the afternoon. The city gets most of its rains from the North East monsoon which prevails during the months between September December. However, sometimes the monsoon fails, resulting in acute water shortage.

Airlines having flights to Ahmedabad

Air Canada

Air France

Air India

Alitalia

British Airways

Air Canada

Cathay Pacific

Delta Airlines

Emirates

Ethiopian Airlines

Gulf Air

KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines)

Kuwait Airways

Lufthansa

Singapore Airlines

Swissair

Most of the Transatlantic or Transpacific Flights from United States have multiple stops in Paris (France), London (UK), Amsterdam, Seoul, Bangkok,...and one stop in Mumbai or Delhi.

Flights are available from the following cities to Chennai, India

Los Angeles (LAX)
Boston, MA (BOS)
New York City, NYC (JFK)
Chicago City Airport (CHI)
Chicago Ohare, IL (ORD)
Phoenix, AZ (PHX)
Denver, MI (DEN)
Dallas / Fort Worth, TX (DFW)
Toronto, Canada

Houston, Texas (HOU)
Atlanta, GA (ATL)
San Francisco, CA (SFO)
Minneapolis, MN (MSP)
San Diego, CA (SAN)
Las Vegas, NV (LAS)
Newark, New Jersey (EWR)
Philadelphia (PHL)
Detroit MI (DTW)

Seattle, Tacoma (SEA)
Pittsburgh, PA (PIT)
Saint Louis, MO (STL)
Maimi, FL (MIA)
Washington DC (WAS)
Orlando, Florida (MCO)
Salt Lake City, UT (SLC)
Charlotte, NC (CLT)
Cincinnati, OH (CVG)

Flight Reservations during Holiday Seasons
If you are traveling during a holiday period and you have set travel dates, book early. During this period International Flights will fill up in advance. We recommend that you book your flight reservations about 3 to 4 months in advance, to get the best deals on airline ticket.

Attractions / Places to See in Chennai

Chennai with the Bay of Bengal on its side had been the British trading post for years. Amongst the must visits in Chennai is the second longest beach in the world Marina Beach.... The gorgeous golden sands invite innumerable tourists especially during the evenings. The British East India Company's St George Fort is a famous landmark of Chennai..... Another colonial structure in the city of Chennai worth visiting is the Santhome Cathedral.....For the religious minded people visit to the Kapaleeshwar Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and Parthsarthy Temple dedicated to Lord Krishna. The city is also home to the National Art Gallery that has a great collection of old paintings and sculptures.

Chennai is known for traditional South Indian cuisine. Food from various restaurants is usually inexpensive for the quality that it offers. Familiar dishes include Pongal, Dosa, Idli, Vadai and Sambar. A special form of coffee known as 'Filter Coffee' is the popular beverage.

Chennai Travel Guide