@60276 and all others, i take this opportunity to explain the entire process of airtravel to Gilgit and also Skardu becuase to me this is the most important aspect which can make or destroy your travel. I know it inside out because i booked myself and family to travel to Skardu in August 2010 and after days of frustration, i could not make it. The airfare is for round trip (bothways) to Gilgit is around Rs. 7000 (inclusive of all the taxes) for adults and for Skardu it is about Rs. 7400. This is a subsidised rate but on top of bad weather there are a lot of problems which come with it. Some of the basic issues are as follows:
You are never issued with a confirm ticket. It is always wait listed. This is becuase the flights get cancelled due to bad weather and in such a situation the passengers travelling on the day (when the flight is cancelled) get priority for travel on the next day. So it is a roll over. If there are any seats left for the next day then the PIA staff starts calling the lucky ones whose seat is confirmed for the next day;
Even if the flight operates one day before your flight still it is possible that one is not confirmed that is because the flights are usually over booked or some big shot with high connections in PIA get it done for him instead of the ones who are entitled;
Another big issue is that the PIA staff starts calling you after 2 pm on the day when flights have been successfully reached back from Gilgit and Skardu. It is also possible that you receive the confirmation call at 9 pm in the evening for the travel at 6 am next morning. This may cause a lot of problems for people who are not in Islamabad because they have to travel all night to get to the airport next morning. (I am also based in Lahore so i was very worried of how i would manage the kids to travel all night, luckily my seats got confirmed well in time);
A small ATR aircraft with a passenger capacity of 50 passengers flies to Gilgit therefore chances for big group to confirm on the same day are very rare (Skardu may not have similar issues because Beoing flies to Skardu.
Since it is subsidised therefore the PIA staff does not wait for the weather to get better. Cancellation of the flight is announced after about half an hour of the scheduled time that is bacause they have to use aircraft on other routes.
Some days have two flights to Gilgit and Skadu, opt for these days because it open ups the window of opportunity to get confirmed.
In case the tickets are not confirmed or flight is cancelled then you are entitled to refund. Please note that it is not a full refund becuase they charge a ticket issuance government tax of Rs. 400 per ticket in Punjab. I am not sure about other places but please do check. The usual PIA assurance that you will have hundred percent refund is not entirely true at least in Punjab.
Points that may help in availing flight to Gilgit:
Get the tickets booked early so that in case of over booking you are first in the que;
Keep a check on the waether sites like "weatherexcite.uk.co" and "Accuweather.com". keep an eye on three stations ie Islamabad, Gilgit or Skardu and Nanga Parbat. Flight is subject to good weather conditions at Nanga Parbat as well therefore do not agnore that at all. Keep an eye not only on the travel day but also on the forecast for the return date. No one likes to get stuck in Gilgit or Skardu after the trip schedule is over.
Keep checking the flight status from Islamabad airport (051-114) of the flights two or even three days before your flights to Gilgit or Skardu. This will give you an idea of whether your flight will have a lot of roll over or not. The more consistent the flights the more chances of your travel.
If possible, try and get hold of some one from PIA who can at least let you know the actual positipon of how many passengers are wait listed so that you can assess your chances of confirm travel.
Guys i did not find this information anywhere and learnt it the hard way. Please pass it on to others who wish to travel to Gilgit or Skardu so that they know what can happen. A trip cancelled in Islamabad due to "No Flights" is a huge frustration especially for people who are working and plan their holidays in advance. Also note that one should have ample funds with them, getting stuck in Gilgit or Skardu for two three days for a return flight is an expensive affair because lodging costs goes up. Also travel options by road are difficult because of the bad road condition and time (approximately 24 hours from Gilgit and 26 hours from Skardu to Islamabad). A drop off at Islamabad is also expensive (usual charge is 18 to 20 thousand for drop off at Islamabad).
