Make hay while the card shines

A discount card with a difference. This is what the International Student Identity Card (ISIC) was meant to be when it was launched in India 10 years ago. Today, ISIC is the sole UNESCO endorsed card, which can be used in 93 countries, where students can avail discounts in eateries, book shops, shopping, transportation, accommodation and cultural programmes at 2,000 outlets in India and over 50,000 outlets across the world.This is not all as ISIC cardholders can avail discounts while visiting Pyramid at Gizeh in Cairo, and Acropolis in Greece as well.
The same ISIC card now brings exclusive travel packages for students travelling abroad through the Student Travel Information Centre (STIC), the sole representatives of ISIC in India. According to the director of STIC, Richa Goyal Sikri, "Apart from the regular benefits, students possessing ISIC get access to specially priced fares for students in association with STA Travel, the largest student and youth travel organisation in the world."
ISIC travel package fare to Europe is cheaper by about 35 per cent of the market fare and is lesser by almost 40 per cent to the US and Canada, making it highly attractive for students. It will cost an ISIC card holder Rs 16,000 about for one way Delhi-London trip, whereas a non-ISIC card holder will have to fork out around Rs 19,000 in any other student discount package. Similarly, Delhi to a destination like New York, Boston, Washington DC, Houston, Dallas, Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco in the US will cost somewhere between Rs 21,000 to Rs 24,000 to an ISIC card holder and approximately Rs 30,000 to a non-ISIC card holder.
The package includes special baggage allowance of up to 40 kg for Europe and three pieces of luggage to the US and Canada. There are special discounts available on suitcases in luggage stores in India and on international phone calls. The other benefits include 24-hour international help-line, e-mail and virtual safe facility. "All these facilities are offered free of cost. ISIC travel package has an exclusive foreign exchange tie-up with Travelex - a prominent brand in India to provide solutions for all forex needs making it highly convenient for a student traveller. The idea is to provide not merely the best travel deal for students but all travel related solutions under one roof to make it convenient for the students," Sikri said.
There is a special lucky draw for any student purchasing an ISIC Travel Package with Emirates entitling the winner to a free return ticket to New York from Emirates. "Today''s youth demand high value for their money and this is a challenge we have promised ourselves to meet. ISIC travel package can be obtained by any full-time student of minimum 12 years of age at any of the 43 offices of STIC across the country," she added.
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