Travelling Though India

[Digsy]

Been looking at flights and saw one that is 16-17 hours total travel time on both flights. This would be perfect except it is flying through India.

 

Now last time I flew through India, when I was going through security, I finally got to the end of the queue and was pushed out of the queue towards a desk to get a different paper ticket. and I remember having to meet a representitive on the return flight to get a different paper ticket.

 

Now because it's such a short stopover and been nearly two years since I last flew through India I was wondering is this still the case and is their much distance between the departures and arrivals in both Bombay and Delhi?

[Scumbag]

Checking with the airline would be a good idea. If you are using the same airline you should be checked in to your destination not requiring another ticket.

[Digsy]

Checking with the airline would be a good idea. If you are using the same airline you should be checked in to your destination not requiring another ticket.

That's what I thought last time, I was given the three boarding cards, one for the flight to the mainland flight, one to the Indian flight and one to Bangkok.

 

Flights I'm looking are with the same company as before but the replacement ticket I got wasn't much different from what I originally had. The desk I had to go to is just before security anyway so I'll check it out.

 

I can't remember if it takes a while to walk from arrivals to departures, anybody help?

[AdiLufc69]

been through India three times in the last couple of years its not far to departures but the amount of security checks is unbelievable.

Just follow the signs for transfer flights there is often someone around to guide you take care and have a good time.

[yocky]

been through india twice same for me too endless security checks

[arcouk]

I have done the UK India Thailand trip many times. Mumbai airport is a shithole no origination and security is an absolute Joke. The airport at De;hi is new not too overboard with the security but it can be a bit of a trek but its clearly marked. I am registered blind and find Delhi ok.

 

Last time I went through Mumbai I got a return flight for £300 through Jet Airways but it was a close thing if it was worth it

[semi-retired member]

I have done the UK India Thailand trip many times. Mumbai airport is a shithole no origination and security is an absolute Joke. The airport at De;hi is new not too overboard with the security but it can be a bit of a trek but its clearly marked. I am registered blind and find Delhi ok.

 

Last time I went through Mumbai I got a return flight for £300 through Jet Airways but it was a close thing if it was worth it

 

Just to say that the brand-new International-terminal at Mumbai/BOM finally opened a few months ago, so it may be an easier transfer, except for the unfriendly/slow security-checks.

 

I try to make it a game, to get a smile out of them, but they usually win !

 

I'm flying via BOM shortly, and will try to report back, on how much the experience has improved, the old terminal really was 4th-world ! 

 

Delhi/DEL is a fine modern airport, no worries at all, except for the security.

[Hedgecock]

I flew with Jet Airways once from London Heathrow to BKK and back. Never again. The stopover in Mumbai was horrendous with needless security checks up the arse carried out by humourless jobsworths in uniform.

Nowadays I am happy to pay extra and fly direct with Thai Airways or EVA. I much prefer to board the flight in London and disembark at my destination without undue hassle.

[Kmg33]

Totally agree with you. The Mumbai security checks are beyond the Joke. I traveled with them 2 years ago, and never will again. They were confiscating duty free items from people traveling from heathrow. Lost a bottle of Rum & perfume, just about let me have my fags....... Smh

[jojo90]

India transfer? Done it a few times but never again. Airport stinks, security is rude, and each time I've ended up with some food poisoning (even at the new terminal). Passengers on the plane are largely rude and ignorant, talking loudly, coughing into my face, blocking the aisles, and shitting all over the toilet. Last resort option for me now.

 

I spent about 2 months in India. Not a place I'm dying to return to. Maybe for a motorbike trip on a Royal Enfield but the concept of 'amazing India' was totally lost on me.

[jumpman233345]

India transfer? Done it a few times but never again. Airport stinks, security is rude, and each time I've ended up with some food poisoning (even at the new terminal). Passengers on the plane are largely rude and ignorant, talking loudly, coughing into my face, blocking the aisles, and shitting all over the toilet. Last resort option for me now.

 

I spent about 2 months in India. Not a place I'm dying to return to. Maybe for a motorbike trip on a Royal Enfield but the concept of 'amazing India' was totally lost on me.

 

I've just done it and had an experience very much like yours.... I didn't mind the airport, crazy that an International airport doesn't have a shitter to sit on tho !! tut-tut

 

As for my interaction and findings of people - On the plane - they are exactly like yours, one guy un-fastened his seatbelt and started walking about when the plane was on it's finals in to Heathrow (about 500ft above the ground!) Idiot  

 

Backup last resort plan also from now on 

[thawit77]

I would avoid traveling via India for the reasons noted above and issue of needing a visa to leave the airport.  Not something you would think of when transiting as you don't need one but had a friend who had some problems with a ticket and the staff on the transit side told him he would have to talk to the supervisor who was by the ticket counters.  Unfortunately getting to the ticket counters required going through immigration which he couldn't do since he didn't have a visa.  He missed his original connection and only after finding someone willing to help on the transit side was he able to make the next flight.

[semi-retired member]

Just to say that the brand-new International-terminal at Mumbai/BOM finally opened a few months ago, so it may be an easier transfer, except for the unfriendly/slow security-checks.

 

I try to make it a game, to get a smile out of them, but they usually win !

 

I'm flying via BOM shortly, and will try to report back, on how much the experience has improved, the old terminal really was 4th-world ! 

 

Delhi/DEL is a fine modern airport, no worries at all, except for the security.

 

The new BOM terminal is now open, and is every bit as good as DEL, although the security remains a pain-in-the-ar*e !

 

My Jet Airways flight from BKK parked at a remote-stand, so we still had to be bussed to the terminal.

 

Duty-Free prices looked to be higher than previously.

[oschkosch]

Delhi airport is ok. I do remember a funny experience there though. Upstairs in this littlle food court with Mc'D and all the rest, there's this shop that sold drinks. Had a sign saying "we accept Euros". Ok great, as I had no INR left anyway. Tried to pay a bottle of water (cost approx. 0,60 Euro) with a 5 Euro note. 

 

"oh no sir, not possible"

"look at the bloody sign, you accept Euros"

"Do you have smaller notes sir?" (after endless checking on his calculator how many INR that would be worth)

"This is the smallest note we have in Europe."

 

I tried giving him a coin, knowing it wouldn't be possible and of course he didn't accept it. Ended up paying by credit card lol.

 

When traveling via India remember that they often take away your firelight. They usually do when I pass security in Delhi. Always take a few boxes of matches just in case. 

[studboybkk]

Well do you guys going on and on about security realize that its for your safety and you don't end up being on a flight that lands in Afghanistan with Taliban buzzing all over you or worse still crashing into some high rise.

 

As far as rudeness goes ... Its bad everywhere ... I don't see the security folks being courteous in Heathrow, Chicago, Sfo , Paris, Frankfurt .. Pretty much any where I have been. The are not your welcome party so I don't blame them.

 

 

BTW which country let's u through immigration without a visa when u need one. As an Indian, I can't leave any airport in any western country without a visa ... So why should u feel so entitled ? I had my arse stranded in Frankfurt airport for a full day since UA and lufstansa screwed up.

 

If u prefer Thai .. Go right ahead ... No need to whine about airports .. News ... Its no better for others in your countries.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[googlechap]

Delhi is a decent airport for transit for international passengers. Depending where your gate it could be a long walk.

Mumbai used to be horrible for international transit, with a new international terminal opening earlier this year has also improved and is similar to Delhi.

 

Security checks at both Delhi and Mumbai still continue to be a hassle. 

 

In the end it comes down to the airline you are travelling - Jet airways has good staff/better service levels (You are likely to be traveling on 777 on LHR-DEL/BOM and 737-800 on DEL/BOM-BKK). Air-India has better planes (likely to be 787 on both LHR-DEL/BOM-BKK). 

 

Finally - avoid travel during winters (Dec-Jan) via Delhi due to fog disruptions.

[geezerrb]

Went Air India via short stop over in Delhi airport once never again, the flight was the worst out of 15 trips, the racism to preference of Indian passengers was blatant. the air crew were rude to me and other westerners as were the immigration staff in Delhi and picked on Caucasian single female travellers in particular. India has been removed from my "bucket list", the delays even though in transit at Delhi I nearly missed the connecting flight. At sometimes heavy cost penalty I always try to fly Thai Airways direct now, in fact I have cut down to 3 trips per year rather than my preferred 4 to afford the flight prices which continue to escalate.

[semi-retired member]

Well do you guys going on and on about security realize that its for your safety and you don't end up being on a flight that lands in Afghanistan with Taliban buzzing all over you or worse still crashing into some high rise.

 

As far as rudeness goes ... Its bad everywhere ... I don't see the security folks being courteous in Heathrow, Chicago, Sfo , Paris, Frankfurt .. Pretty much any where I have been. The are not your welcome party so I don't blame them.

 

 

BTW which country let's u through immigration without a visa when u need one. As an Indian, I can't leave any airport in any western country without a visa ... So why should u feel so entitled ? I had my arse stranded in Frankfurt airport for a full day since UA and lufstansa screwed up.

 

If u prefer Thai .. Go right ahead ... No need to whine about airports .. News ... Its no better for others in your countries.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

While I understand your sticking-up for your country, you must accept the overwhelming view that security-checks for transfer-passengers at BOM/DEL remain much more strict (and IME less-friendly) than in many other countries. LHR-T4 security isn't wonderful, but it is better than this, despite being so very much busier !

 

I don't know why that is, it's certainly easier when transiting via the Gulf, who have similar security-concerns. It just seems over-the-top and consistently badly-organised, perhaps you fly into/out-of India, and clear normal Immigration/Customs, hence don't share the experience of international-transit passengers ? Having a single queue, then splitting it into male/female, the understandable but constant fast-tracking by airline-staff of passengers whose flights are closing, never having enough scanners in-use, the need for frisking people after they've already just stepped through the metal-detector, the unsmiling behaviour of the bored military security-staff, the odd system of date-stamping every bag-tag & boarding-pass, these are all fixable, they're just management problems !

 

And they do irritate experienced international-passengers like ourselves (and yourself), who know that it doesn't have to be this bad.

 

The old Mumbai/BOM terminal was a smelly & unpleasant experience, and a bad advertisement for the country, however (as I already reported above) the new one is fine & fully up to normal international standards. It simply needed the new terminal to be built/opened.  The new terminal-3 at Delhi has been very good, for the past three years, IME. The guys driving the electric-carts are actually proactive, in offering older/heavily-laden passengers a lift, to the sometimes-distant gates.

 

I quite enjoy flying Jet Airways via India 2-3 times per year, the in-flight experience is fine & the price usually good, and I find my fellow-passengers good company. They remind me of the 70s in Europe, when we were all starting to travel internationally for the first time on holiday, the 'good old days' of holiday-charter flights with people determined to enjoy themselves !

[kansuwan]

Delhi airport also has a good track record in losing the baggage of transit passengers as well as that of disembarking passengers. 

 

Never, ever, again.