Both the US and India are high-traffic markets for Turkish Airlines. After having expanded beyond New Delhi and Mumbai through IndiGo in India, Turkish Airlines is eyeing expansion across USA through Southwest Airlines, a leading low-cost carrier headquartered in Texas. The recently announced Turkish-Southwest partnership will take effect in early 2026, enabling seamless domestic connections through America for both inbound and outbound passengers of Turkish Airlines.

Benefits of Turkish–Southwest partnership for US–India travelers

Currently, Turkish Airlines operates point-to-point flights between USA and India via Istanbul. Within the US, it does not serve destinations beyond its 14 American gateways: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Miami, Dallas DFW, Houston, NY JFK, Newark EWR, and Washington DC (IAD). As an interline partner, Southwest Airlines will provide further domestic connections from 10 of Turkish Airlines gateways in the US.

Starting in 2026, you will be able to continue your journey on Southwest Airlines’ domestic flights from:

• Atlanta to Memphis, Nashville, Montgomery, Charleston, Raleigh
• Boston to Philadelphia, Portland, Hartford, Atlantic City
• Chicago to Minneapolis, Columbus, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Louisville
• Seattle to Alaska, Portland, Boise, Salem
• Los Angeles to Phoenix, Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Houston
• San Francisco to Las Vegas, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, Santa Barbara
• DC IAD to Charleston, Charlotte, Lexington, Cleveland
• Detroit to Madison, Cincinnati, Des Moines, Indianapolis, Cleveland

Precisely, Turkish Airlines’ passengers from India and other countries can fly to their final destinations from the above 10 entry airports in USA. Likewise, travelers from Southwest Airlines’ domestic network can seamlessly board Turkish Airlines flights to India and other destinations at those major US gateway airports. The Southwest-Turkish partnership will help expand your itineraries on single flight tickets, making it easier to manage the journey. Turkish Airlines’ global passengers can travel to over 100 US cities where Türkiye’s flag carrier does not fly to.

Turkish Airlines’ baggage allowance through Southwest’s domestic network

Effective 28 May 2025, Southwest Airlines eliminated its liberal “bags fly free” policy to charge domestic passengers for checked bags. Southwest Airlines’ new checked baggage fee is $35 for the first bag and $45 for the second bag. But Turkish Airlines’ passengers are exempt from paying Southwest Airlines’ checked baggage fees due to the Turkish-Southwest partnership. Turkish Airlines’ free checked baggage allowance will apply throughout your itinerary including the leg to be operated by Southwest Airlines.

The post Indians from Small US Cities can Travel on Turkish Airlines Flights to India, Starting in 2026 first appeared on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

The post Indians from Small US Cities can Travel on Turkish Airlines Flights to India, Starting in 2026 appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

Like previous years, 2026 will see airlines launching new routes and reshuffling their existing flights in the US-India corridor. 2025 had a great lineup of new flight services from USA to India, with strong anticipations for Air India’s nonstop connectivity to Dallas, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Atlanta. Air India’s direct network expansion is not happening in the US anytime soon, whereas Cathay Pacific and British Airways are making a comeback to Seattle and Dallas DFW respectively in 2026. St. Louis in Missouri, and Charlotte, NC will get new one-stop flights to India in the New Year.

Cathay Pacific resuming flights to Seattle 

Of the airlines opening new routes between USA and India in 2026 is Cathay Pacific. Seattle Tacoma Airport is all set to welcome back Cathay Pacific Airways after 6 years of its last flight to Seattle in 2020. Cathay Pacific’s five weekly service to and from Seattle is scheduled to take off on 30 March in 2026. Indians in the West Coast will get another route option to fly from Seattle to India via Hong Kong.

IndianEagle.com offers the best flight deals of Cathay Pacific and other airlines operating from Seattle and other US cities to India. Seattle will be its 7^th US gateway after Boston, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Dallas, Texas. In 2025, the flag carrier of Hong Kong added Dallas DFW and Hyderabad RGI airports to its network. Cathay Pacific is known for offering cozy seating, quality customer service, and outstanding inflight dining in all travel classes.

Etihad Airways connecting Charlotte to India via Abu Dhabi

A new route a year keeps Etihad Airways growing in the US-India travel market. After having successfully connected Boston and Atlanta to India in 2024 and 2025 respectively, Etihad is all set for Charlotte, NC with four weekly flights starting 23 March 2026. North Carolina Indians will get to travel on Etihad flights to India from Charlotte other than Lufthansa operating from RDU Airport. Precisely, Etihad is the first Middle East carrier to expand to North Carolina, USA.

“Flying with Etihad Airways has certain perks, including Abu Dhabi stopover programs. We have the best Abu Dhabi stopover packages with discounts for Indians and Americans. The best Indian Eagle deals for Etihad flights and Abu Dhabi stopover are available over phone calls to +1800-615-3969. One of the 10 safest carriers in the world, Etihad is a family-friendly airline with inflight nanny service and trained nurses for guests,” said Dheeraj Dhuvvuru, CEO of IndianEagle.com.

British Airways resuming flights to St. Louis and Dallas DFW 

St. Louis, Missouri is one of the new flight routes coming up between USA and India in 2026. From 19 April, British Airways will be flying to St. Louis International Airport four times a week and connect its flights from St. Louis to India via London Heathrow. This route will be operated by B787 Dreamliner known for fuel efficiency, comfort, and sleek cabin design. The aircraft has three cabin classes: World Traveller (economy), World Traveller Plus (premium economy), and Club World (business class).

Currently, most airlines have two-stop itineraries from St. Louis to India, except United and American Airlines. Flying with United or American Airlines means checking in only one bag for free – a disadvantage for family travellers. However, British Airways’ upcoming service will provide Indians in Missouri with smooth one-stop flights to Delhi and Mumbai and generous checked baggage allowance. Book British Airways tickets at affordable prices through IndianEagle.com.

Interestingly, British Airways will resume its service to Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas; and Miami, Florida in summer 2026. Reportedly, British Airways’ Dallas to India flights via London Heathrow will be restored with a daily service, while Miami International Airport will get a double daily service by the airline. BA is also ramping up its frequency to 14 weekly services to San Diego and Austin in the south coast.

EgyptAir making comeback to Chicago and LAX

EgyptAir is reviving some of its previously terminated services to the United States. Los Angeles LAX and Chicago ORD airports will welcome EgyptAir flights back in 2026. With flights to Los Angeles in May and to Chicago in June 2026, EgyptAir will venture into the Midwest and Southwest regions. Currently, it serves only the US east coast -New York JFK, Newark EWR, and Washington DC, IAD.    

Like the Middle East carriers, EgyptAir operates one-stop flights between USA and India via its hub, Cairo International Airport. The upcoming EgyptAir flights from LAX and ORD to Cairo will further connect to New Delhi and Mumbai. Like Ethiopian Airlines’free stopover in Addis Ababa, EgyptAir’s Cairo stopover comes with free accommodation during a layover over 6 hours. International transit passengers can obtain a free 96-hour transit visa to Egypt for a hassle-free stopover.       

Turkish Airlines’ partnership with Southwest Airlines  

Turkish Airlines has long been eying expansion in both the US and India. While IndiGo serves the purpose by connecting Turkish Airlines’ passengers to its domestic network across India, Southwest Airlines will be serving the same purpose in the US starting 2026. Recently, Southwest Airlines announced interline partnership with Turkish Airlines – which will be effective in 2026.

As an interline partner, Southwest will provide seamless domestic connections to and from Turkish Airlines’ major US gateways, including Dallas DFW, Houston, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, New York, and Washington DC. Grab Turkish Airlines’ lowest fare deals for US-India travel at IndianEagle.com.

Air France adding Las Vegas to its network

Come April 2026, Air France will start a three-weekly service to Las Vegas – the entertainment capital of the world. As per the 2026 summer flight schedule, Air France will connect Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) to Paris CDG on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Like British Airways and KLM, Air France flights from Las Vegas will further connect to India and other countries. Since 2021, Air France has been expanding its US network: Denver in 2021, Dallas DFW in 2022, Raleigh RDU in 2023, Phoenix in 2024, and Orlando, FL in 2025.

Subscribe to Travel Beats, a leading US-India travel news portal for everything from transit visa to travel hacks, baggage allowance, transit stopover guides, and upcoming flights to India. Travel Beats is a subsidiary of Indian Eagle, the most trusted air-ticketing partner of NRIs and OCI cardholders booking best international flights to India and USA.

The post Airlines Adding New Flight Routes to US-India Corridor in 2026 for Your Better Travel Options first appeared on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

The post Airlines Adding New Flight Routes to US-India Corridor in 2026 for Your Better Travel Options appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

Effective 12 December 2025, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services has tightened how photographs are used for immigration records, signaling a wider push toward stronger identity verification and fraud prevention in the system. The USCIS limits the age of a foreign national’s photo that can be used to create immigration documents to no more than three years.

Photo rules for international travel and immigration are changing fast, especially for Indians living overseas. Indian missions have also been enforcing the new ICAO passport photo rules for NRIs since 1 December 2025. For Indians applying for passport renewal or a new passport outside India, even a minor oversight in compliance to the passport photo guidelines can now lead to rejection.

What is the new USCIS photo policy for immigrants

Under the new USCIS photo policy, the agency will only reuse a previously captured photo if it was taken within the last three years. If your photo on record is older than 36 months, USCIS will not use it to issue immigration documents.

Another key change is that self-submitted photos are no longer acceptable. You cannot upload or mail your own photographs for immigration forms. Only photos taken by USCIS or authorized biometric service providers will be used for identity verification.

Why USCIS updated the photo rules

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, USCIS allowed photos up to 10 years old to be reused for certain applications that did not require new biometrics. During the pandemic, the agency temporarily allowed even older photos to be used to reduce in-person visits. In some cases, documents were issued using photos as old as 22 years.

After the pandemic, USCIS returned to the 10-year limit. However, the agency later decided that this timeframe was still too long and has now shortened the photo reuse limit to three years. USCIS says recent photos are essential for accurate identity verification. The updated policy strengthens security, improves record accuracy, and helps prevent identity fraud across the immigration system.

Who is affected by the new USCIS photo rules

The new photo policy applies to all immigrants and non-immigrants, regardless of nationality. Indian applicants are fully covered under this rule, with no exceptions. Some immigration forms do already require a new photo every time because a biometric appointment is mandatory. These include:

• Form I 90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card
• Form I 485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status
• Form N 400, Application for Naturalization
• Form N 600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship

For these applications, USCIS captures a fresh photo as part of the standard process.

How USCIS’ 3-year photo rule actually works

The three-year rule applies only when USCIS considers reusing an existing photo already in its records. If the photo is older than three years, it will not be reused. Applicants do not need to submit photos unless USCIS specifically asks for them. In most cases, photos will be taken during a scheduled biometric appointment.

USCIS can also request a new photo even if the existing one is less than three years old. The agency has full discretion to collect updated biometrics whenever needed. This rule mainly affects applications where photos were previously reused without a new biometric appointment.

FAQs

What the new USCIS photo policy means for Green Card holders

For Green Card holders, the process remains the same. Applications such as green card renewal or adjustment of status already require biometrics, including a new photo. Because USCIS captures a fresh image each time, the three-year photo reuse rule does not practically change the process for Green Card holders.

Does the new USCIS photo rule apply to Indian applicants

Yes. The USCIS photo policy applies equally to Indian applicants and applicants from all other countries. There are no nationality-based exemptions. Indian travelers and immigrants should also be aware of parallel photo rule updates for Indian passports when applying through embassies or consulates abroad.

The post USCIS Scraps Self-Submitted Photos of Immigrants and Tightens Photo Validity Rules for Documents first appeared on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

The post USCIS Scraps Self-Submitted Photos of Immigrants and Tightens Photo Validity Rules for Documents appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

He came well-dressed. He arrived in a Limousine. He walked on a red carpet. He waved to everyone. The staff clapped and cheered with pom-poms. He received a hefty cheque and enjoyed a special dinner. His 40 years of service, dedication, commitment, and work ethic was celebrated like a big milestone. He is neither a CEO nor a corporate biggie. It was not his farewell party either. His American Dream has been as simple as a common Indian man.

Amid the regular news of layoffs in the US tech sector, the celebration of Balbir Singh’s 40 years of service at McDonald’s feels like a breath of fresh air. His employer, colleagues and other staff came together to celebrate it like a milestone in a grand manner in November. Not only those he works with, but also America’s immigrant community and media cheered his success – which made it bigger for him and his family.

The red-carpet welcome, the earnest camaraderie, and the $40K cheque were beyond the imagination of Balbir Singh who came to the USA in the early 1980s – before H1B Visa opened doors to the US for Indian techies in 1990 and Air India started nonstop flights to USA in 1993. Far from the skyscrapers of Silicon Valley, the rat race to the corporate ladder, and the volatility of startups, Pargan Balbir Singh quietly built a steady career at McDonald’s in Saugus near Boston.

He began working at McDonald’s in 1985. Initially, he took over kitchen duties with the same discipline and dedication as in his homeland, Punjab. After a few years behind the grills, he moved to supervisory roles. Today, he manages four McDonald’s outlets and leads the team to excel every day without compromising on his work ethics. Colleagues affectionately call him “papa bear” and admire him for his humility, empathetic leadership, and unwavering attention to details.

Celebrating Balbir Singh’s steadfast loyalty as legacy, Lindsay Wallin, who owns nine McDonald’s outlets in the US, spoke highly of him to the media, “Balbir has shaped the heart and soul of the organization over his four decades of service.” “One of the things I admire most about Balbir is that he embraced our company motto of ‘Why not?’ Why not try something new? Why not grow? Why not push for better? That attitude has fueled our success,” she added highlighting his rare dedication.

Wallin also shared memories of the early days when Balbir worked for her father, Bob King, the original franchise owner. “Many of the people standing here were part of that original team, including Balbir,” she said. She explained how her father wanted to build a ‘McFamily’, not just a business, and expressed pride in carrying forward that legacy. “I first started as a crew. I worked in the kitchen and helped in the back… I tried to do everything. I’m really a proud and happy member of this family,” Balbir said.

His colleagues arranged a surprise bigger than the red-carpet welcome for Balbir at McDonald’s. It was a huge collage board featuring his old photos and celebrating his journey with them. On seeing it, Balbir could not help but let his tears roll down. For a moment, it took him back to the days when he came (legally) to America, a greener pasture of opportunities, leaving his mother (country) behind. He found warmth, love, family, stability…in his adopted home.

The post This Indian American Got a CEO-like Welcome on Red Carpet for His 40 Years of Service in USA first appeared on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

The post This Indian American Got a CEO-like Welcome on Red Carpet for His 40 Years of Service in USA appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

On the occasion of Thanksgiving 2025, your trusted travel-booking partner – Indian Eagle – is back with bigger savings on flight tickets to India for you. You can grab major airlines’ Black Friday and Cyber Monday flight deals with a flat $25 discount directly at Indian Eagle headquartered in Austin, Texas. IETHANKSGIVINGTB is the Indian Eagle Thanksgiving discount coupon for you.

Eagle Deals + $25 OFF = Bigger Savings

Unlike usual festive offers, Indian Eagle’s Thanksgiving 2025 discount is simply irresistible, because you can save an additional $25 on “Eagle Deals” this time. Available only on Indian Eagle website, Eagle Deals are exclusive US-India itineraries with discounted fares cheaper than regular airline prices. An Eagle Deal + $25 OFF will unlock bigger savings for your travel to India this winter or anytime in 2026.

Thanksgiving Discount Code for Black Friday Flight Deals at Indian Eagle

IETHANKSGIVINGTB – is the discount coupon code for cheap flight tickets from USA to India. Since the offer is open to all, you can share the code with your friends and neighbours in USA as a thanksgiving gift. Why not let them fly cheaper? After all, sharing is caring! Please note you can redeem the coupon when booking your travel directly at Indian Eagle.

Validity: The Indian Eagle Thanksgiving Discount is valid from 00:01 CST on November 27 up to 23:59 CST on December 1, 2025.

Travel in 2026: You can use the IETHANKSGIVINGTB coupon to unlock savings now and fly anytime in 2026. This limit-time discount offer is suitable for early travel planners.

Last-minute travel: You can avail the discount on select itineraries for last-minute travel to India if you have not yet planned your winter holiday trip in 2025.

One-way or round-trip: The Indian Eagle $25 discount is valid for both one-way and round-trip flight booking.

How to book Indian Eagle Deals with $25 Discount 

It is just a matter of few simple steps! Log on to Indian Eagle Flights, search for itineraries based on your route and travel dates, select the “Eagle Deal” of your choice, fill traveller details, apply the discount code (IETHANKSGIVINGTB), get the discount instantly, make payment, and receive e-tickets to your registered email ID. It’s that simple!

Can I grab Indian Eagle’s Thanksgiving $25 discount on Black Friday flight deals?

Yes, you can. Major airlines’ Black Friday 2025 sale is live at Indian Eagle. The airlines offering Black Friday flight deals from USA to India are listed below. You can grab the discount on Eagle Deals and other select itineraries during the Black Friday 2025 sale period, except cashback itineraries.

Air India’s Black Friday Deals 

Among our airline partners, Air India’s Black Friday discounts on USA-India flights cover a broad period of travel from 15 January to 31 October, including summer holiday travel in 2026. Available through 3 December 2025, Air India is selling business class seats at a discount of 7-10% and offering Economy class tickets discounted up to 20% through IndianEagle.com, depending on your origin in the US and destination in India. 

For instance, Air India’s Black Friday sale 2025 makes SFO to Mumbai flight deals as cheap as $678 for a round trip from July to August 2026. At IndianEagle.com, you can grab Air India fares starting at only $630 for SFO to Bengaluru round trip in Economy during the same travel period, if you grab the Black Friday offer before 3 DEC 2025. Similar discounted fares for Air India tickets from JFK to DEL and Mumbai, Newark to DEL and Mumbai, SFO to DEL, and ORD to DEL are also available as phone-only deals over Indian Eagle’s customer helpline – +1800-615-3969.

Singapore Airlines’ Black Friday Offer 2025 

Singapore Airlines’ Black Friday flight deals from USA to India will be available through its partner – Indian Eagle – for a week starting 26 November until 2 December. The limited-time discount offer will let you fly on a premium carrier like Singapore Airlines for fares lower than usual, between 15 January and 30 October 2026. For instance, Singapore Airlines’ Black Friday sale includes cheap SFO-BLR flight tickets starting as low as $647 at IndianEagle.com, in March and April 2026.

• Black Friday Sale period: 26 NOV to 2DEC 2025
• Travel Period: 15 January to 30 October 2026 (for Economy and Premium Economy)
• Travel Period: 16 July to 30 October 2026 (for Business Class)

Qatar Airways’ Black Friday Flight Deals     

You can access Qatar Airways’ Black Friday special fares for US-India travel at IndianEagle.com, starting 24 November. Available through 30 NOV 2025, the limited-time offer unlocks an exclusive discount up to 20% on flights from Dallas to Hyderabad, Seattle to Bengaluru, Atlanta to Mumbai, Chicago to Kolkata, Boston to Chennai, and DC IAD to Delhi. The Black Friday 2025 sale, along with Indian Eagle discount $25, is the right opportunity for you to save BIG while flying with Qatar Airways, the world’s best airline according to the 2025 Skytrax Awards.

• Sale Period: 24 NOV to 30 NOV 2025
• Travel Period: 26 NOV 2025 to 30 June 2026

Ethiopian Airlines’ Black Friday Deals 

Among the airlines offering Black Friday flight discounts, Ethiopian Airlines is giving 15% OFF on flight tickets from JFK to Delhi and Mumbai. During this period, Ethiopian Airlines’ Atlanta to Mumbai tickets are available at only $735 for a round trip from 5 DEC 2025 to 2 March 2026. Check out our customers’ travel experience with Ethiopian Airlines.

• Sale Period: Until 6 DEC 2025
• Travel Period: 28 NOV-14 DEC 2025; 16 JAN-19 MAR 2026; 16 APR-31 MAY 2026

Etihad Airways’ Black Friday Sale 2025

Etihad Airways’ Black Friday deals are live at IndianEagle.com for cheap international travel from January to July 2026. Don’t miss the opportunity for incredible savings on US to India round trips with an additional ‘Indian Eagle discount’ of $25 on select deals. Etihad Airways’ Black Friday offers (available until 2 DEC 2025) include:

• Charlotte to India cheap flight tickets within USD 800 for a round trip
• Atlanta to New Delhi and Mumbai fares as low as $702 for a round trip
• Atlanta to Bengaluru, Kochi, and Kozhikode fare deals under $800
• Boston to Chennai flight tickets within $750 for a round trip in Economy
• New York to Kolkata cheapest flights for a round trip under $700
• New York to India flight deals within $800 for a round trip in Economy
• Washington DC to India budget flights within $750 for HYD, DEL, BLR, BOM
• Black Friday flight deals from Chicago to Delhi, Mumbai, HYD and BLR under $750

The post Grab Airlines’ Black Friday Flight Deals from USA to India with Extra $25 OFF from Indian Eagle first appeared on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

The post Grab Airlines’ Black Friday Flight Deals from USA to India with Extra $25 OFF from Indian Eagle appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

Big fat Indian weddings take the world aback every year. After the grand Ambani wedding for INR 5000 Cr became a global spectacle in 2024 and Indian American CEO Varun Navani’s wedding procession rocked Wall Street this year, a pharma tycoon’s daughter and a tech entrepreneur (both from the US) tied the knot today amid sheer luxury and opulence. This billionaire wedding, a three-day extravaganza attended by Hollywood stars and Bollywood biggies has transported the world to the bygone princely era of India.

Vamsi Gadiraju Weds Netra Mantena in Udaipur 

Netra, the heiress of Indian American billionaire Rama Raju Mantena, and Vamsi Gadiraju, a millionaire tech entrepreneur from New York, are the couple who took business class flights from USA to India for their lavish saptapadi in Udaipur, a premium wedding destination with palatial venues and picturesque locations in Rajasthan. The groom, Vamsi Gadiraju, is a New York-based co-founder and CTO of Superorder, an AI-driven tech platform for restaurant operations. Forbes’ 30 under 30 list in 2024 featured Vamsi Gadiraju, a distinguished alumnus of Columbus University.

Who is billionaire Rama Raju Mantena? 

The Netra-Vamsi lavish wedding in Udaipur owes its unmatched grandeur to the bride’s father, Rama Raju Mantena, the chairman and CEO of Ingenus Pharmaceuticals headquartered in Orlando, Florida. A US-based pharma mogul with roots in Andhra Pradesh, Raju Mantena has been leading the multimillion-dollar business of manufacturing cancer medicines and other health solutions since 2010. Prior to that, he founded and sold P4 Healthcare. He had moved to the US for MS in pharmacy, with a computer science engineering degree in India.

In 2018, Raju Mantena became a household name across India and among NRIs for donating a 28-kg gold necklace to the Tirupati Balaji Temple. The giant necklace made of 1008 gold coins with Sree Venkateswara Swamy’s name on each is currently valued at over INR 30 crores. In 2023, he made headlines for his purchase of a lavish property with a private beach and 16 bedrooms in Florida where another Indian American billionaire, Dr Kiran Patel has a palatial residence spread over 17 acres.

What makes Netra-Vamsi wedding an extravagant affair

Celebrated like a Rajasthani royal event, the wedding of Telugu American Raju Mantena’s daughter is a star-studded affair with Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bieber, and Trump Jr., the eldest child of President Donald Trump, among the guests in attendance. The three-day event spanned over mehendi, sangeet, haldi, and saptapadi amid the folk music and dance of Rajputana at The Leela Palace, Taj Lake Palace, and Zenana Mahal in the historical City Palace. The 5-star properties came alive with a rare blend of majestic beauty, exotic floral décor, and motifs of Rajasthan’s folk culture.

Unlike a Telugu couple, Netra Mantena stole the show like a Rajput bride in a designer red lehenga with a floor-length veil, and Vamsi Gadiraju ditched dhoti for an embellished sherwani with the turban of a Rajasthani groom. The guests, including Donald Trump Jr. were dressed in Indian ethnic fashions for various ceremonies. Precisely, the Vamsi-Netra wedding theme is inspired by the royal beauty of Rajasthan.

Raju Mantena flew out Jenifer Lopez and Justin Bieber from USA to India to set the stage on fire at the cocktail party. Reportedly, it was Jenifer Lopez’s first visit to India. The sangeet ceremony was a dazzling spectacle of Bollywood stars who entertained the guests with their high-octane performances. Madhuri Dixit, Karan Johar, Ranveer Singh, Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, Varun Dhawan, and Janhvi Kapoor were the star performers at the Netra-Vamsi wedding in Udaipur.

Subscribe to Travel Beats, a leading overseas Indian community portal, for diaspora stories, flight discounts to India, international travel news, airport guides, and transit visa updates. Travel Beats is a subsidiary of Indian Eagle Inc. whose Black Friday deals on US to India flights with $25 discount will go live on 27 November.

The post Who’s Indian American Billionaire Raju Mantena? His Daughter Weds Vamsi Gadiraju from New York in a Big Fat Wedding first appeared on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

The post Who’s Indian American Billionaire Raju Mantena? His Daughter Weds Vamsi Gadiraju from New York in a Big Fat Wedding appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

Indians abroad will soon be able to book flight tickets from India to USA, Canada, Europe, and other countries for their parents or family in INR without worrying about airlines’ hefty cancellation fees. India’s civil aviation regulator, DGCA, has proposed airlines to consider a 48-hour window for free flight ticket cancellations – just like the free 24-hour booking cancellation rule in the United States. Free rescheduling of a flight reservation within 48 hours of booking has also been proposed.

What is the new 48-hour free flight cancellation rule in India

DGCA’s proposal for free flight cancellation and amendment within 48 hours of booking is a thoughtful move to recognize travelers’ rights in India. Many travelers end up paying the airline fee in thousands of rupees for cancelling refundable bookings or losing the entire value of non-refundable airline tickets due to unprecedented events, like medical emergency or death-like exigency in the family. This is part of DGCA’s broader plans to make air travel more transparent and accessible, including the latest guidelines for wheelchair service at Indian airports.

Key details of DGCA’s proposal for free flight cancellation  

• The free 48-hour window would cover both domestic airlines and international airline tickets for flights originating in India.
• Domestic flights scheduled to take off after 5 days from the date of booking would be eligible for free cancellation and rescheduling in India.
• International travel scheduled within 15 days from the booking date won’t be eligible for free cancellation or rescheduling within 48 hours of booking.
• The free 48-hour window would let you reschedule your travel for new dates or upgrade your tickets from Economy to a premium class without the airline fee, but fair difference may apply.
• Airlines may issue a refund or credit the value of tickets in the form of a voucher in case you cancel a confirmed flight booking on grounds of a medical emergency.

DGCA proposed free name corrections in flight tickets

DGCA also proposed a 24-hour window for free name corrections in domestic and international flight tickets. Once the proposal becomes a provision, you would be able to correct spelling errors in your name within 24 hours of booking a flight in or from India, without paying any fee to airlines. Misspellings of travelers’ names are not uncommon during a flight sale period when cheap airline deals are booked at a hurried pace. Of course, free or paid correction of name spellings is subject to your identity verification by airlines.

Also Check: A Guide on Major Airlines’ Policy for Passenger Name Correction 

FAQs:

When will DGCA’s 48-hour free cancellation rule be effective?

The proposed rule is under consideration now. It is anticipated to take effect on or after 30 November 2025.

Will the 48-hour free flight cancellation rule apply to US-India itineraries?

Most probably, no. India’s free flight ticket cancellation within 48 hours of booking would apply to itineraries, one way or round trip, originating in India.

The post Booking India to USA Flights? DGCA Proposes 48hr Free Ticket Cancellation and 24hr Free Name Correction first appeared on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

The post Booking India to USA Flights? DGCA Proposes 48hr Free Ticket Cancellation and 24hr Free Name Correction appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

Indeed, America is the incubator of ideas, the cradle of innovations, and the architect of billionaire-dollar careers. Evidently, recognition runs high for Kruti Patel Goyal, a new comer in the club of Indian American CEOs; Adarsh Kumar, who won the Global Student Prize from USA; Varun Mohan whom Google roped in for $2.4bn; Tejasvi Manoj whose AI app saves senior citizens from cyber scams. Now the American Dream of two Indian-origin college dropouts – Adarsh Hiremath and Surya Midha – hit the jackpot.

The college dropouts cum AI startup founders, Adarsh Hiremath and Surya Midha became the world’s youngest self-made billionaires only at 22, stealing the limelight from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who was the youngest billionaire at 23 in 2008. The Indian-American college friend duo, along with their business partner Brenden Foody, have reached this milestone after their startup – Mercor AI – is recently valued at USD 10 billion. What began as a simple AI-driven recruiting startup has now grown into one of the fastest-growing companies in the US Silicon Valley.

Who are Adarsh Hiremath and Surya Midha, the world’s youngest billionaires?

Born to Indian immigrants in California, Adarsh Hiremath and Surya Midha grew up imbibing core Indian values and listening to success stories of Silicon Valley ventures. Both attended Bellarmine College Preparatory, a Jesuit high school known for its academic excellence and award-winning debate team. That’s where they met and discovered their shared passion for technology and problem-solving.

Adarsh’s family traces its roots to Karnataka, while Surya’s parents migrated from New Delhi to the United States in the 1990s. Growing up as US citizens of Indian origin, they shared the discipline and determination of their immigrant families, while embracing the risk-taking mindset and problem-solving attitude of the West. This east-west cultural mix became the foundation of their entrepreneurial journey.

In 2023, they, along with their friend Brendan Foody, founded Mercor, aiming to connect software engineers from India and other emerging markets with tech companies in the US. As artificial intelligence gained global momentum, they quickly spotted a larger-than-life opportunity. The company pivoted from recruiting to providing “human-in-the-loop” AI training services, where real experts help improve AI models through data labeling, testing, and feedback. This shift defined Mercor’s meterio rise.

How Adarsh Hiremath and Surya Midha became billionaires at 22

Mercor AI’s stupendous valuation catapulted Adarsh Hiremath and Surya Midha to the league of Indian-origin billionaires, including the richest Indian American Jay Chaudhry. Powered by innovation and timing, Mercor now serves major AI labs like OpenAI and Anthropic, employing more than 30,000 global contractors, including engineers, lawyers, and medical professionals who assist in training large AI systems. The trio in the C-suite not only propelled Mercor into the global spotlight but also created history as the world’s youngest billionaires.

According to Forbes, the net worth of Adarsh Hiremath, Surya Midha, and Brendan Foody is based on Mercor’s $10bn valuation, not on liquid cash. Each of them reportedly owns about 22 percent of the company, which equals approximately $2.2 billion each on paper. Their net worth will multiply with the increasing valuation of Mercor AI. After raising $32 million in 2024 (Series A) and $100 million in early 2025 (Series B), Mercor closed a $350 million Series C round, which elevated its valuation to $10 billion.

This story is part of our continued series that gives a shoutout to achievements of Young Indians in America. Travel Beats is a subsidiary of IndianEagle.com, the most trusted air-ticketing partner of Indians and Americans. Best Indian Eagle flight deals make travel between USA and India cheaper, irrespective of routes.

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A spate of complaints about non-availability of pre-booked wheelchair service at major Indian airports propelled the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to amend “special service” norms for airlines. As part of the revised wheelchair rules, DGCA – a leading Indian civil aviation regulator – now allows airlines to leavy a fee for wheelchair bookings by able-bodied passengers and senior travelers in good health. At the same time, DGCA made it clear that airlines must continue to provide wheelchair assistance as a free service to those who genuinely need it at airports.

DGCA also directed the airlines to display the above on their websites. However, there is yet no clarity on how airlines would identify whether a passenger genuinely needs free wheelchair service and how much fee will be levied on non-genuine wheelchair bookings. A draft on the revision was issued in August 2025 after the civil aviation watchdogs, including DGCA, were taken aback by facts about the misuse of free wheelchair service – a key facility for those with physical debility, limited mobility, or some medical condition.

An 82-year-old woman, among the passengers of Air India, suffered a fall while walking with difficulty due to wheelchair shortage at New Delhi Airport on that given day in March 2025. It led DGCA to probe why the available number of wheelchairs did not suffice to fulfil daily requests at airports. The investigation revealed the overbooking and misuse of free wheelchair assistance by able-bodied passengers in their 40s or 50s. It leaves senior citizens with limited mobility deprived of the service at busy Indian airports.

It is undeniable that having wheelchair support (for free) is the easiest way to skip long queues, from security to immigration, at the busiest airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad, as wheelchair-bound passengers get priority service for baggage check-in and boarding. Besides, non-Hindi and non-English speaking passengers depend on wheelchair staff to navigate the crowded terminals of Mumbai and Delhi international airports where wayfinding signages and information displays are only in Hindi and English.

New DGCA Guidelines for Wheelchair Assistance at Airports 

“To facilitate the timely provision of special assistance, passengers who have pre-booked wheelchairs shall report to the airport sufficiently in advance of their scheduled boarding time. Considering airport-specific constraints such as terminal layout, security procedures, and resource availability, airlines may prescribe a minimum reporting time to facilitate hassle-free assistance,” the DGCA circular to airlines states.  

While providing wheelchairs to passengers for free or a fee is airlines’ primary responsibility, airport operators are not exempt to it, according to DGCA’s new rules for special service at airports. If airlines fall short of fulfilling wheelchair requests during a busy travel season, airport operators must have a provision of supplementary wheelchairs to help airlines render special assistance to travelers with genuine needs.

A number of wheelchair requests come from travelers booking flights from India to USA, Canada, the UK, Singapore, Australia and other countries, as many Indians fly overseas to get medical care or visit their children residing there. DGCA’s new guidelines for airlines to charge able-bodied travelers for wheelchair service will impact passengers of Air India flights and IndiGo’s codeshare flights with Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, American Airlines, and Air France-KLM.

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Gone are the days when fairness creams used to define Indian women’s potential in the marriage market and the world outside home. While Indian society is progressively rising over its personality disorder caused by deep-rooted obsession with fairness, Indian-origin women have stepped over it to reach new highs in America where actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas was bullied for her brown complexion in her school days.

From UmaSofia Srivastava, the Miss Teen USA 2023 to Chef Aarthi Sampath who made it big in Food Network to Divya Suryadevara, CEO of financial services at UnitedHealth Group to Chef Priyanka Naik who was invited to attend the White House’s Diwali celebration in 2024; they continue to achieve milestones in diverse fields that either test their beauty or brains. Joining the growing cohort of Indian-origin trailblazers is the new CEO of Etsy Inc – Kruti Patel Goyal.

Etsy, a global online marketplace for handmade goods, is offering the top position in its C-suite to Indian American Kruti Patel Goyal for the next chapter of growth and innovation. Come January 2026, she will not only take up the baton from the outgoing CEO but also enter the elite club of Indian-American CEOs. Just a month ago, another India-born business leader, Srini Gopalan occupied the corner office at T-Mobile as CEO.

Who is Kruti Patel Goyal, the next CEO of Etsy Inc?

Armed with prestigious American degrees (from Harvard and Stanford)  and years of experience in various leadership roles, Etsy Inc’s new CEO Kruti is a tech-savvy leader from the Gujarati and Marwari communities known for their sharp business acumen. In her career spanning 15 years at Etsy headquarters in New York, she rose through ranks, like Director of Marketplace Integrity, VP Business Development, SVP Product, Chief Product Officer, and President and Chief Growth Officer.

Growing up in north India where textile embroidery is a household art passing through generations, Kruti Patel Goyal shares an umbilical bond with Indian handcraft traditions. Her love for handcrafts across geographies, her upbringing in business communities, her American education, and her innate leadership traits came together to gel her way to the hot seat in the C-suite – of course, through challenges.

However, the ‘CEO’ hat that Kruti is going to don at Etsy – America’s largest online marketplace for independent artisans, creators, and art curators – is not the first to her. For 3 years, she worked as CEO of Depop, a resale fashion marketplace that Etsy acquired for $1.6 billion in 2022. With her strategic thinking, business-critical decisions, and keen understanding of Gen Z consumers, Kruti not just revived Depop; she catapulted it to TIME’s list of 100 most influential companies in 2024.

Why Etsy is Betting on Kruti Patel Goyal as CEO

Depop’s multiplied popularity and Etsy’s slow-paced growth amid current challenges is the driving force behind Kruti’s appointment as CEO of Etsy Inc. Interestingly, her tenure as CEO of Depop was fruitful with a 40% increase in the number of active sellers and active buyers. Her collective experience in product innovation, market expansion, operational strategy, changing consumer behavior, marketplace integrity, and engineering could be a lever for Etsy Inc to accelerate its growth in emerging markets across the globe.

Kruti Patel Goyal’s appointment as Etsy Inc’s CEO in 2026 reinforces the latest study by the Manhattan Institute that says – highly educated, skilled Indian immigrants benefit the US economy with their fiscal contributions that help reduce the national debt over the long term. They do also support the US-India travel ecosystem. Though the Indian immigrant community makes up merely 1.5% of the US population, its direct contribution – $250-300 – to the US economy is an estimated 5-6% of the income tax.

The post Who’s Kruti Patel Goyal, New CEO of Etsy Inc? Not Just Another Indian American to Lead a Global Firm first appeared on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

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