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  About Washington

Washington DC, is the capital city of the United States of America. The city reflects the rich history of the United States with its neoclassical monuments and iconic locations. The place will keep you engaged with its compelling slew of tourist attractions. As the capital of the United States of America, Washington DC has many traditional attractions with important museums and monuments. Make sure to visit all the Smithsonian American museums as they shed light on various cultural and historical significance of America.

Best time to visit Washington DC

Washington DC's summers are the peak season for travel. However, to steer clear off all the touristy crowd and to engage in some real fun, it is best to opt for spring and autumn. Summers in Washington DC are from June to August when the city experiences sweltering heat and a tremendous tourist crowd. Some of the fun events and festivals hosted by the city during this period include Capital Pride Parade, National Mall Fourth of July Celebration and Summerfest DC. While they may seem like enjoyable activities to participate in, the exorbitant prices of surviving a trip might pull you back. Although many locals ring in summers in other parts of the US, tourists might find Washington DC to be a tad bit expensive during peak season. Even hotel rooms in Washington DC are expensive. The months leading up to summer, though, are quite pleasant and even easy on the pockets. Spring brings with it the season of blossoms as the month of March begins with the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Watching the cherry blossoms bloom is a trip and definitely worth experiencing. The city also witnesses the National Memorial Day Parade, another interesting festival to be a part of.

Maybe not summer but the season following summer in Washington DC is just as favourable for tourists. The autumn season is just next to perfection and definitely something all tourists would enjoy. The weather is exquisite and calm as the brisk winter air starts to slowly take over the city. Booking a hotel in Washington DC becomes cheap and affordable too as the summer crowd takes away the expensive tags. However, as many business travellers make their way into the city, the hotel deals might still be a hard snag unless you make prior hotel bookings in Washington DC. The city witnesses the H Street festival and Library of Congress National Book Festival during autumn. The cultural festivals with their historical significance only add to the experience one might take in during a trip to Washington DC. If you want to downscale your budget further, then winter is the best time to visit for you. The city streets freeze up while the temperature ranges between 5 degree Celsius to 7 degree Celsius. The perks, though, are the slash in hotel room prices, which is a sweet deal if you want to experience winter in the city.

Places to visit in Washington DC

The first thing to check out would undoubtedly be the Lincoln Memorial. The location would make quite a postcard-worthy click with Honest Abe's memorial in the background. Next, you can visit Vietnam Veterans and Korean War Veterans Memorials, popularly referred to as 'the Wall', which has names of all the Americans who succumbed to the Vietnam War. Just around the Lincoln Memorial is the beautiful Tidal Basin, a must-visit, especially during spring. The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum is a treasure trove which celebrates exquisite aircraft, including Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Vega 5B and Wilbur and Orville Wright's 1903 Wright Flyer, to name a few. It is a fascinating place and would certainly pique your interest. The city also has the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum which showcases the atrocities faced during the World War II. Do not miss the National Gallery of Art and The White House and the Washington Monument.

Things to do in Washington DC

Majority of the things that you can do in the city pertain to some of the sightseeing. Washington DC is recognised to be the city with a plethora of historical monuments and a haven for American history. The city offers a peek into the country's history as well as important events. Aside from indulging in the past of the country, one of the things you should definitely do is get tickets to a show at The John F Kennedy Centre for Performing Arts. You can explore the US Capitol's Library of Congress to get more understanding of the politics. A picture next to Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial also sounds like a good thing to do. You can also take a break from all the history lessons and head to 9:30 Club to relish some live music. The club has hosted many big bands, including RHCP and Nirvana.

Food and Restaurants in Washington DC

Washington DC's food culture is as diverse as the capital can get. There is an abundance of succulent eateries spread across the city. From piquant Spanish delicacies to oyster shots, there are many ethnic and global restaurants that will get your attention. Check out H Street Northeast, in the Atlas District to get some of the ethnic action as there are Belgian, Japanese and many more cultural kitchens. To get the sophisticated gourmet experience at an upscale restaurant, you can visit José Andrés' hotels such as Zaytinya and Oyamel Cocina Mexicana. Old Ebbitt grill and 1789 are also some lovely places where you will get the high-end fine dining experience. However, if you are on a budget, then opt for some eateries such as Ben's Chili Bowl and Good Stuff Eatery. These places have some signature dishes that you shouldn't miss at any cost. From lip-smacking burgers to rice bowls, the two joints offer an interesting palette of flavours in their meals that is worth all the money shelled out. Good Stuff Eatery's burgers are famous as they have been curated by chef Spike Mendelsohn.

Another major highlight to add to Washington DC's food culture are the farmer's markets in the city. Located in the District, a group of farmers huddle up to sell their fresh goods which come in all forms, colours and shapes. You'll find organic vegetables, healthy fruits and a colourful spread of goods at the market. It is a good place to get some of the fruity and healthy veggies action. Columbia Heights Farmers Market and FRESHFARM are two recognised markets that you should check out when in the city. Interestingly, the city also has lovely breweries and brewpubs, which came into existence in the recent past. However, the best way to enjoy the DC spirit would be to indulge in some brunch options. Tabard Inn, Kafe Leopold, Equinox, Cava Mezze, Juniper, Cafe Milano, to name a few, would be the best places to start your brunch rendezvous

How to reach Washington DC

Flight connectivity to Washington DC from India is quite decent but overpriced. There are no direct flights to Washington DC from India and layovers are the only way to reach the capital city. The demand for flights to Washington DC are not as much as for New York City or Chicago. Hence, the connectivity is also quite poor. There are only a handful of airlines that operate from India to Washington. Airlines such as United Airlines, Air Canada, Emirates, All Nippon Airways, to name a few, are the only ones that have flight services to Washington DC from India. There are no nonstop or flights to Washington DC from India, and usually, a layover or connecting flight is the only way to go. The United Airlines has flight connectivity to Washington DC from Newark. Many of the flights use the international route of Newark to reach Washington DC. Emirates is the only other airline that stops at Dubai for a layover before flying to Washington DC. Cathay Pacific also has flights to Washington DC from Delhi. Mostly, the connectivity is only from the Dubai and Newark international routes to reach Washington DC. The popular route to Washington DC often chosen by travellers is from Newark

Travellers require a transit visa to enter the USA and to reach Washington DC. Since the flights have connectivity from Newark, the non-immigrants are required to show a transit visa to let the authorities know that you are just taking a connecting flight to a different destination. A transit visa is a type 'C' visa where basically, you need to show at the Newark airport that you are just taking a connecting flight to Washington DC. To acquire these, you could apply for them at the American embassy, or you can do it online. The provisions are faster online and would be beneficial to you. The flight duration to Washington DC from India is approximately 17 hours, which is subject to change depending on the availability of flights. Do not expect cheap flight tickets to Washington DC. Not only is the capital expensive but even flight tickets to Washington DC is quite exorbitant. Even the accommodation is high-priced, and it would be best to make flight and hotel bookings to Washington DC well in advance to avoid expensive rates.

  About Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand Limited is the official flag carrier of New Zealand. The airline is based out of Auckland, the capital city and primarily operates scheduled passenger flights to about 20 domestic routes and 32 international routes. The airline is perfectly connected with destinations in and around the Pacific Rim. Basically, it has direct flight connections with islands in the Pacific Ocean that are far from the other big continents. Air New Zealand has been part of the Star Alliance since 1999. It was formed in 1940 and has been part of New Zealand's aviation industry for nearly eighty years now. It came into existence as Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL), an enterprise that operated flights predominantly between New Zealand and Australia. It catered to the trans-Tasman route and carried scheduled flights in the continent. By 1965, the Tasman Empire Airways Limited witnessed a change in ownership as the government of New Zealand took overall operations. Following the change in ownership, the government renamed the airlines like Air New Zealand. With this move, the airline further became the national flag carrier.

Under the government's management, Air New Zealand only catered to international routes. However, in 1978, the government merged the airline's operations with the domestic airline New Zealand National Airways Corporation, to form just the one airline to conduct both, international route transit and domestic route operations. In 1989 though, Air New Zealand was privatised, but after more than a decade, the ownership was returned to the government, as it was close to declaring bankruptcy. A failed deal with the Australian carrier Ansett Australia led to Air New Zealand's financial crisis. In 2000, the airline had announced that it was choosing to acquire Ansett Australia wholly to be owned and operated under their wing. They even proposed a whopping AD 680 million from News Corporation Ltd. The decision in itself was criticised by various business commentators as they stated how Ansett's fleet, along with its staffing levels and infrastructure easily outweighed Air New Zealand's.

Further, proposals to purchase Air New Zealand Group were also shared by foreign companies. By 2001, Air New Zealand's inability to afford the costs incurred led to the collapse of Air New Zealand/Ansett Group. Further, the failure to purchase Virgin Blue resulted in Air New Zealand losing money and time and eventually Ansett Australia's operations were terminated. Air New Zealand incurred a loss of NZD 1.425 billion.

To get the airlines out of the towering losses, it was re-nationalised and brought under the New Zealand's government plan to rescue Air New Zealand. Under the government's ownership, Air New Zealand reconfigured some of its domestic operations and introduced a low-cost airline business plan. By 2003, the airline returned to its profitable stance as it raked in higher profits and relaunched its long-haul flights by 2005. The airline also incorporated newer aircraft to its fleet with a view to accommodating both, short-haul and long-haul destinations. By 2010, Air New Zealand also received government approval to form an alliance with Australian airline Virgin Blue which has now been renamed as Virgin Australia. Subsequently, the airline purchased about 26 per cent of shares in Virgin Australia Holdings and further cemented their relationship. Much recently, in 2018, the airline ended its partnership with Virgin Australia by selling off its stakes in the airline to a few investors as well as the Nasham Group. The airline's main hub is at Auckland Airport which is situated in Mangere, the southern region of the Auckland urban sphere. The airline's headquarters is located in a building, about 20 km from Auckland Airport, called The Hub. It is in Auckland's Wynyard Quarter. Currently, the airline operates a fleet comprising of aircraft from the Airbus and Boeing family. They also have a regional fleet that has ATR 72 and Bombardier Q300 turboprop aircraft utilised for operations.

Fleet size of Air New Zealand

As of 2019, Air New Zealand holds a strong fleet comprising of 116 aircraft. The airline also has 64 jet aircraft that include 25 Airbus A320s and ten Airbus A320/A321neo aircraft. They are mainly used for their short-haul flights. Aircraft such as eight Boeing 777-200ERs, eight Boeing 777-300Ers and thirteen Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner has been reserved for long-haul destinations. Along with these aircraft, Air New Zealand also has ten Airbus A320/321neo, one Boeing 787-9 and eight Boeing 787-10 aircraft that have been ordered and are speculated to be received in the next few years. In the past, Air New Zealand also accommodated Douglas DC-8-52, Douglas DC-8F-54, Fokker F27-100 Friendship, Fokker F-27-500 Friendship, Lockheed L-188 Electra, McDonnel Douglas DC-10-30 and British Aerospace aircraft as part of its fleet. However, they have converted their fleet now to host mainly Airbus and Boeing jet aircraft. The airline does have 27 ATR 72-600 and 23 Bombardier Q300 that are predominantly used for short-haul trips.

Baggage Allowance

Air New Zealand follows an eccentric baggage allowance policy wherein they charge a specific tariff for checked baggage. The airline's ticketing process involves the passenger to choose if they want just a seat only fare or if they need to add baggage as part of the travel too. Accordingly, the airline grants baggage allowance to the passengers. There is no concept of a free checked baggage allowance that the airline has to offer. However, over the selection of bag fare, the passengers will be allowed to carry checked baggage that can weigh no more than 23 kg. As for passengers travelling from business class or premium class tickets, the baggage allowance is extended to 32 kg max weight. Beyond this, the passenger will further have to purchase extra baggage from the airport's check-in kiosk or on their official website. The dimensions of the baggage are very important, and passengers cannot afford to carry bags that do not fall under the mentioned measurements. A total linear dimension for the baggage which includes the length, width and depth, should not exceed 158 cm. This applies to all the bags.

In-flight services

Air New Zealand has improved its in-flight services to accommodate better facilities for its passengers. The onboard facilities such as comfortable seats, exquisite in-flight meals, friendly staff and crew, have only enhanced its name and reputation among passengers. The airline offers a variety of other in-flight services too which include entertainment systems for long-haul flights and provisions of blankets, noise-cancelling earplugs and other such amenities.

Popular routes and top cities of Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand's main route focus is on the Australasia and the South Pacific spheres. They have introduced several long-haul flight services to connect to Eastern Asia, the United Kingdom and the North and South America. Air New Zealand is known to be the last airline to have circumnavigated the world with flight routes that connected London's Heathrow Airport from both, Los Angeles route and Hong Kong route. They eventually scrapped the Hong Kong route in 2013 as the favour to Cathay Pacific, with which it has a codeshare agreement. With this move, the airline halted its Hong Kong - London route altogether and only continued its Los Angeles - London route. Currently, the airline serves about 30 destinations in its international route including Adelaide, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Shanghai, Nadi, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, Taipei, Honolulu, Houston, San Francisco, and Chicago. They have planned to introduce a new international route to connect Auckland and Newark by 2021. Meanwhile, the airline also caters to about 20 domestic route destinations which are Blenheim, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Invercargill, Nelson, New Plymouth and Queenstown, to name a few.

Why travel by Air New Zealand?

Air New Zealand has seen some ups and downs since its inception. The airline has witnessed tremendous highs of success as well as lows of bankruptcy. However, it has continued to emerge stronger from all these experiences. In fact, with these incidents, Air New Zealand has been able to work on its facilities and to bring the best in-flight services and better connectivity with destinations for passengers. It has expanded its international route as well as domestic route following some changes in the management. There have been some massive changes with respect to their in-flight services too, along with route connectivity.

To ensure that Air New Zealand is also on par with its competitors, the airline has worked to incorporate some of the recent upgradations that others have taken up. These include allowing web check-ins for passengers. This has reduced the inconvenience caused by standing in the check-in line at the airport. Not to mention how further details regarding the flight status and Air New Zealand's flight schedules can also be found on their website. An Air New Zealand flight ticket can also be booked on their official website. Depending on the ticket type booking by the passenger, the airline helps out in understanding the baggage allowance and in-flight services that they can enjoy. With such rich facilities and upgrades, Air New Zealand has welcomed more passengers and loyal customers.