India - What to Wear

So we don't have the formal invite yet but did get a hilarious email inviting us to what sounds like several weeks of awesome.  The table below is very intriguing to me for many reasons but not least because I have not been to an Ascot Goat Race, much less in a tuxedo.

India - Travel Data

We have been hovering over buying the tickets for a while and looking at all the angles.  The complexity of the trip is a function that looks like C = (HxTxB)^S where C=complexity, H=Humans x 9.73 (the universal constant of how much more work it takes going places with people), T=Total trip hours, B=# of bags, carry on and check and S= # of stops.  So the math tells us to change plans as little as possible and leave 1 of the kids at home (sorry JB). 

We settled on the itinerary below.  Outbound its as good as we can make it, returning we just could not get straight to Delhi without making things way more expensive so we'll have to cope.

• The Chicago to Delhi flight is the longest AA has, and I wonder if its the longest ever.  15 hours in the plane is pretty remarkable. 
•  We have an overnight in Delhi and I found a Hilton nearby.  I wonder about handling all of the bags during this portion but in any case we may get a chance to see a bit of Delhi in the morning.
• I have never heard of Jet Airways and I can't help but think of this
  
• 8 hours in Bombay airport with a ton of bags will suck, nothing to be done about it
• The return flight is a little longer from Delhi to Chicago, anything over 14 hours I guess is a wash

Outbound:
   
Tucson to Chicago

	Carrier Flight Number Departing Arriving Aircraft Type City Date & Time City Date & Time AMERICAN AIRLINES 374 TUS Tucson Dec 16, 2010 06:50 AM ORD Chicago Dec 16, 2010 11:15 AM McDonnell Douglas Super MD-80(S80)
	Travel Time:  3 hrs 25 min  ~ 1450 miles Economy Class Meal:   Food for purchase

Chicago to Delhi

Carrier Flight Number Departing Arriving Aircraft Type City Date & Time City Date & Time AMERICAN AIRLINES 292 ORD Chicago Dec 16, 2010 07:35 PM DEL Delhi Dec 17, 2010 09:45 PM Boeing 777(777)
	Travel Time:  14 hrs 40 min ~7500 miles Economy Class Meal:   Dinner  Breakfast

Delhi to Vadodara

Carrier Flight Number Departing Arriving Aircraft Type City Date & Time City Date & Time JET AIRWAYS OPERATED BY JET AIRWAYS KONNECT 2601 DEL Delhi Dec 18, 2010 05:25 PM BDQ Vadodara Dec 18, 2010 07:40 PM Aerospatiale/Alenia ATR72(AT7)
	Travel Time:  2 hrs 15 min ~500 miles Economy Class Meal:   Beverage service.

Return:

Vadodara to Bombay

Carrier Flight Number Departing Arriving Aircraft Type City Date & Time City Date & Time JET AIRWAYS OPERATED BY JET AIRWAYS KONNECT 2006 BDQ Vadodara Jan 09, 2011 11:15 AM BOM Mumbai Jan 09, 2011 12:10 PM Boeing 737-800 Passenger(738)
	Travel Time:  0 hrs 55 min ~250 miles Economy Class Meal:   Beverage service.

Bombay to Delhi

Carrier Flight Number Departing Arriving Aircraft Type City Date & Time City Date & Time AMERICAN AIRLINES OPERATED BY JET AIRWAYS 7839 BOM Mumbai Jan 09, 2011 08:05 PM DEL Delhi Jan 09, 2011 10:05 PM Boeing 737-900 Passenger(739)
	Travel Time:  2 hrs 0 min ~750 miles Economy Class Meal:   Beverage service.

Delhi to Chicago

Carrier Flight Number Departing Arriving Aircraft Type City Date & Time City Date & Time AMERICAN AIRLINES 293 DEL Delhi Jan 10, 2011 12:55 AM ORD Chicago Jan 10, 2011 05:00 AM Boeing 777(777)
	Travel Time:  15 hrs 35 min ~7500 miles Economy Class Meal:   Breakfast  Snack or brunch

Chicago to Tucson

Carrier Flight Number Departing Arriving Aircraft Type City Date & Time City Date & Time AMERICAN AIRLINES 1637 ORD Chicago Jan 10, 2011 09:25 AM TUS Tucson Jan 10, 2011 12:20 PM McDonnell Douglas Super MD-80(S80)
	Travel Time:  3 hrs 55 min ~1400 miles Economy Class Meal:   Food for purchase

India - Step 0

I've never been and it's time to go.  Tina's oldest cousin in Vadodara (aka Baroda) has 2 kids getting married over Christmas break and we've decided now is the time to make the big trip.  Me, T and the kids (7 and 11) will be flying a little under 20,000 total miles, celebrating Christmas, 2 weddings, New Year, J's birthday and our 2 anniversaries over the span of 26 days from 12/17 to 1/10. 

It seems far off now but starting up the lists of shots and clothes and packing logistics tells me that we need to get thing moving.  My plan is to chronicle all of it here (including the trip of course) and to use this as a forum to complain about things and offer observations on the process. 

Know 2 things:  I am mildly terrified/super excited about this trip and I can say whatever I want here cause T doesn't read it.  Boobs.