Gnani.ai co-founder's advice for taking a flight in the pandemic: Keep some time in hand, do your homework

Ananth Nagaraj, co-founder Gnani.ai's first flight during the pandemic was from Bangalore to Delhi just as the pandemic had begun. This was a business trip.

"For a person who is used to travelling almost every week, the lockdown was a much-needed break. But after four to five months of just being at home, the whole situation eventually got to a point wherein I started missing travel. For me, it was simply to deal with the situation no matter the challenges," he says.

Airport access
"It was good to see airports using emerging technologies such as barcode scanners, RPA, AI, and big data analytics to ensure a seamless and a touchless experience. The aviation industry has worked really hard on creating better passenger experience, hassle-free travel, and on optimising operations especially during such unprecedented times," he says.


Precaution
"I would say it has to be a combination of maintaining proper social distance, wearing masks, maintaining good hygiene, and keeping one abreast with the travel advisory communication," he says.

Nagaraj started missing the personal interaction with partners and clients and somehow felt it’s time we learn to adapt and face the situation.

"I believe there has been enough awareness and discussion on Covid related travel guidelines and preventive measures one needs to follow so there was nothing much to worry about," he shares.

Words
"One word, I would use to describe my first flight is automation. Airports are a perfect example of using techniques and processes to improve efficiency and speed while bringing in customer delight," he says.

Advise
"Fly safe and take all necessary precautions, keep some extra time in hand, do your homework ahead of a flight and understand that we are all in this together," he cautions.