Low-cost sleeping pods, lockers for flyers near airport

Pune: Pods to sleep, lockers for luggage safety. Flyers with long layovers or landing in wee hours in the city can avail these facilities a few metres away from the airport.The paid facilities introduced by AeroMall authorities, in coordination with the airport officials, have gained traction in early days with nearly 60% occupancy. According to officials, such amenities are highly relevant in cities like Pune, where red-eye flights are aplenty."There are 11 single-occupancy pods, of which three are exclusively reserved for women. Designed to ensure privacy, comfort and security, these pods provide a convenient option to passengers seeking short-duration rest without opting for expensive hotel stays," AeroMall vice-president Y S Rajput told TOI.A two-hour stay in a pod costs Rs599. A 12-hour stay is priced at Rs1,999. One has to fork out Rs799 for three hours and Rs1,399 for six hours."Considering that many passengers travel with luggage, locker facilities have been introduced at affordable hourly rates. Each pod has a TV set, while the overall facility includes amenities like a working area, meditation room, washrooms and small in-pod lockers for valuables such as phones and wallets. Several add-on features such as hot beverages, massage chairs and virtual reality experiences are also available," Rajput said.Handewadi's working professional Maithili Hansa recently availed the service while travelling to Guwahati and described it as commendable. "My flight was at 2am but I reached the airport at 7pm because getting transport in the wee hours is difficult and unsafe, too. I was going around the AeroMall when I saw the service and used it to take a short nap because I had worked all day. I used the service for around three hours, got recharged and then proceeded for check-in. The experience was pleasant," she said.Frequent flyer and business executive Pravesh Jain said he was unaware of the facility's existence and suggested the airport authorities to promote it through multiple channels. "Given Pune's high volume of flights, especially from 11pm to 4am, the service has a strong potential to become increasingly popular," he said.15 additional slotsAirport director Santosh Dhoke said the city airport had been allocated 15 additional slots for flights, operational from May 1. With these, he said, the total number of slots had increased from 220 to 235."Cities like Bagdogra, Bengaluru, Chennai, Mangaluru, Patna, Solapur and Varanasi will get connected to Pune. These additions are expected to boost tourism, trade and regional integration. The airport is currently connected to four important regional destinations - Nanded, Kishangarh, Sindhudurg and Jalgaon. These RCS (Regional Connectivity Scheme) routes are instrumental in enhancing last-mile connectivity and promoting balanced regional development," Dhoke said.
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