Soubhik Mitra is an assistant editor with the Hindustan Times. The Mumbai boy has spent over a decade reporting on civic, environmental and political issues. His current stint is the longest where he writes on aviation and travel.
Articles by Soubhik Mitra
Flying overseas gets comfortable and cheap amid discount war
If you thought that flying dreams have crash-landed with cash-strapped domestic carriers sitting firmly on expensive air tickets, plan a visit abroad, reports Soubhik Mitra.
Updated on Nov 22, 2008 12:02 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
Jet hires US pilots
Jet airways hired two American pilots for Rs 5 lakh a month on October 23, a move that has the airlines’ Indian pilots, facing salary cuts, up in arms, reports Soubhik Mitra.
Updated on Oct 25, 2008 01:02 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
Low-cost hopes grounded
Devraj, a Mumbai barber, flew for the first time last Diwali, boarding an Air Deccan flight to his hometown, Bangalore, for just Rs 2,500.
Updated on Oct 16, 2008 12:31 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
For tourists, India not so incredible
While terror continues to bleed India, nature, too, hasn’t been kind, flood fury in Bihar and Orissa, and the economic outlook is all but gloom. No wonder the tourism industry is expecting a rather moderate season, writes Soubhik Mitra.
Updated on Sep 26, 2008 12:04 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
Fines for littering on tarmac
“Offenders littering parking bays at Mumbai Airport are fined Rs 500 while those found dumping garbage on perimeter roads or the airfield have to pay Rs 200,” says a spokesperson, reports Soubhik Mitra.
Updated on Sep 06, 2008 12:25 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
Birds delay Praful Patel’s flight
The Air India flight carrying the minister to the city from Delhi lands safely, but takes more time that usual to vacate the runway due to the massive bird activity, reports Soubhik Mitra.
Updated on Aug 13, 2008 12:13 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
Your personal info is now public
Most of us apply for credit cards, banks loans etc, and in the process pass on personal information to the service provider which is not always safe, reports S Mitra.
Updated on Aug 04, 2008 11:58 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
80% of customer data unprotected
According to research by Seclore Technology, a data security firm that developes the Filesecure information protection software, 80 per cent of consumers’ personal information lies in unprotected files, reports Soubhik Mitra.
Updated on Aug 03, 2008 01:00 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
Expect more delays at Mumbai airport
Come October, flying in and out of Mumbai will not be a cakewalk for the next two years. Modernisation work at the airport will affect the normal operation of flights, reports Soubhik Mitra.
Updated on Aug 02, 2008 01:09 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
Cabs in the air, with cool fares, could soon be real
If you have been sharing a Cool Cab between Mumbai and Pune for Rs 300 per head, you could soon consider sharing a chartered flight for Rs 200 more. Soubhik Mitra, reports.
Updated on Aug 01, 2008 01:16 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
Cat out of bag, woman slaps airport worker
A Belgian woman was taken into custody for allegedly assaulting the Indian ground staff who had stopped her from taking her pet cat on a flight, reports Soubhik Mitra.
Updated on Jul 26, 2008 12:02 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
BA loses AB’s bags, for the 18th time
It’s not just the ordinary flier who has to deal with misplaced and lost bags. Even celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan are not spared. Soubhik Mitra reports.
Updated on Jul 18, 2008 02:14 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai,
When boom spells doom
Fake certificates, inflated salaries and designations, wrong claims about previous projects…the big boys in the boardroom are using them all to climb the corporate ladder, often at the company’s cost.
Updated on Jul 14, 2008 01:35 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Aditya Ghosh & Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
Background checks
With a rising number of frauds and rampant cases of lying on CVs, companies are putting their money in checking backgrounds while hiring than repenting later.
Updated on Jul 14, 2008 01:32 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Aditya Ghosh & Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
3 in 10 people lie to get a job: research
Such lying is one of the reasons India Inc loses about $40 billion annually through corporate frauds by firm insiders, report Aditya Ghosh & Soubhik Mitra.
Updated on Jul 14, 2008 08:36 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Aditya Ghosh & Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
Airfare hike grounds business travellers
According to industry estimates, business fliers comprise 60 per cent of the Rs 18,000 crore domestic air travel market. Corporates spend about Rs 5,400 crores on domestic travel per year.
Updated on Jun 23, 2008 02:11 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
Beware of Mumbai manholes, US mission tells citizens
The US Consulate in Mumbai has issued a travel advisory to its citizens informing them of the perils of visiting the city during the rains.
Updated on Jun 11, 2008 12:32 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
Dog on runway keeps flights in air
A dog on the runway at Mumbai’s airport caused much mayhem: 1,800 passengers held up, four flights forced to go-around, while five more were diverted, burning fuel worth Rs 8 lakh. Soubhik Mitra reports.
Updated on Jun 07, 2008 02:48 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
Dog on runway keeps flights in air
A dog on the runway at Mumbai's airport was the cause of much mayhem. Not only were 1,800 passengers held up, four flights were forced to go-around, reports Soubhik Mitra.
Updated on Jun 06, 2008 11:42 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
Passengers on budget carriers feel the heat
Several budget fliers don’t switch on the aircraft’s air-conditioner even till take-off, leaving passengers to sweat it out, claims Videsh Chawla, who had a harrowing experience on Spicejet. Soubhik Mitra finds out more.
Updated on May 31, 2008 01:47 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
Travel portals battle it out over low fares
Experts feel that soaring airfares — thanks to the hike in air turbine fuel cost and fuel wastage due to air congestion — have given rise to these gimmicks, reports Soubhik Mitra.
Updated on May 23, 2008 12:27 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
Budget fliers pay for added leg space
Are you a frequent flier often cramped for legroom on domestic flights? Low cost airlines can help improve your plight, for a price, reports Soubhik Mitra.
Updated on May 13, 2008 03:16 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
A handful of fliers in domestic skies
No-frills, budget airlines seem to have lost their lure. Many domestic airlines have had shorter check-in queues and empty seats between January and March. Soubhik Mitra reports.
Updated on Apr 28, 2008 02:34 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
Refer a friend to a job site, earn big bucks
Job referral portals are the latest in online recruitment, especially among IT and IT-enabled services. The concept that started as an experiment on corporate campuses has taken off with flying colours, reports Soubhik Mitra.
Updated on Apr 20, 2008 01:42 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
Corporates prefer no-frills flights
An increasing number of tie-ups between corporates and low cost carriers proves that corporate fliers prefer value to fringe services. A report by Soubhik Mitra.
Updated on Apr 06, 2008 02:55 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
No time for TV soaps? Log on for 3-min sitcoms
Now, busy professionals like Sachdev have another option — the micro sitcom. Launched on Rediffishare a month ago, Ram and Ria is ostensibly the first English micro sitcom, reports Soubhik Mitra.
Updated on Mar 17, 2008 03:30 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
Big bucks can’t keep execs back
In her resignation letter, IT professional, Shaheen Ansari (name changed on request) wrote that she quit because her abusive boss interfered with her work, reports Soubhik Mitra.
Updated on Mar 12, 2008 01:42 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
Airports strike won’t affect Mumbai
AAEU is protesting the closure of the Govt-run Hyderabad and B'lore airports. Two new airports managed by the private sector are set open soon in these cities, reports Soubhik Mitra.
Updated on Mar 11, 2008 01:18 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
Job growth in Hyd’bad, Pune faster than Delhi
'In percentage terms, Tier 2 cities like Hyderabad, Pune and Bhubaneswar are creating more white-collar jobs than the old employment hubs of Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore', reports Soubhik Mitra.
Updated on Mar 07, 2008 03:25 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai
Dogs on runways holding up flights
If your flight into Mumbai circles over the airport for a rather long while, you can perhaps blame it on the dogs, reports Soubhik Mitra.
Updated on Feb 19, 2008 01:48 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Soubhik Mitra, Mumbai