Fly Spicejet when flying with your own paid ticket out of Delhi.

Why?

IF you are getting late - just call the customer care and they will do all possible incl printing boarding pass, getting u a decent seat, ushering through security et al. Done that for self, and few friends multiple times.

No other low cost or full fare airline does that consistently and with as much success. Their meals are cheaper too (80 bucks sandwiches vs 125 in Indigo).

If its indigo, forget any sort of support - atleast at Delhi Airport. They don't even have the courtesy to send an autoresponder reply to a stinker about customer service. You call ANY of their airport office numbers and not ONE gets picked up - you can't even manage to get them to print your ticket and keep it ready for you.

Take that from someone who flew Indigo at least 30 times in FY09.

If you're wondering about Jetlite or KF Red - well they're somewhere in the middle. The fleet is nowhere as new (Jetlite) - and if you're traveling in a car at 900 kph, you'd jolly well ply the newest one, no?

PS: I have nothing but plaudits for Indigo's efficiency and service otherwise - but where it matters the most - getting me on the plane - they fail miserably. Their flight timings are by far the most convenient, second only to Jet.

In winters, come fog - your best bet will be IA, followed by Indigo, followed by Kingfisher and Jet. Simple reason:

a. IA has the best trained man/machine for fog.

b. Indigo does a smart thing. Being an LCC, they close doors and move out ASAP into the flight queue. So even if the first departure happens at 11:30 am - the 7am Indigo is like ten planes ahead in the takeoff queue of the 6am Jet (which stays on stand to make sure it takes on ALL its JetPrivilege members). Kingfisher is also good, but similar delays occur.

Here is some other information I wrote for friends recently:

Before planning your travel flight - kindly visit

http://121.241.116.157/dynamic/weather/fogforecast.html

This link is provided by the Met Department as a rolling 18 hour forecast updated every 6 hours. It has accurate data for the next 6 hours, and directional information for the next 12 hours. This link typically highlights the expected visibility during the period. Visibility is often defined in terms of RVR (Runway Visual Range).

Delhi Airport is CAT IIIb rated for two runways and CAT I for the third (oldest) one. What CAT ratings mean is explained below. Here's a brief summary of the optimum decisions to take under the foggy scenarios:

a. RVR > 550m. This is CAT I. All 3 runways will be operational. Minimum delays and no concern whatsoever.

b. RVR > 300m. This is CAT II. Happens very rarely (and often deteriorates into the next zone). Most aircraft except the likes of Jagson Airlines or old Jetlite planes or MDLR (possibly) should land just fine. I'll detail this further in the next section.

c. RVR >75m. This is CAT III. Happens a few days a year, but throws life out of gear. In my opinion, the following priority order should follow:

IA > KF > Jet = Indigo > Spicejet > KF Red = Jetlite > Go Air.

With Indigo and better airlines, you wouldn't go wrong. Spicejet is also decent. With other airlines, it'll be tougher.

All international flights are typically fine. They train and roster enough pilots on CATIIIb compared to Indian carriers (who need almost 80-100 or more)

The same is borne out of anecdotal evidence rather than a statistical survey so your mileage may vary.

d. RVR < 75m. Operations would be halted. Please cancel/rebook your flights - operations are worst hit during 0200 to 0700 hours with effects often lasting up till 1000-1100 hours (at times). Flights operating in Delhi noon or later should be fine. However, they may still be cancelled if the incoming aircraft is delayed. This particularly halts all international operations - so please plan well.

DISCLAIMER - I have no commercial affiliation and its entirely anecdotal evidence. I do not stand to gain anything from your choices - I'm not invested in any stocks either. And if you feel i'm wrong - feel free to share latest data to the contrary :)