Airlines of India - BOM Int to Dom Transfer in 1hr 55mins - Any Chance of making it?

We are scheduled to land at BOM at 3:55am next Wednesday (October 28) from HKG; and scheduled to fly out on Jet Airways at 5:50am to Udaipur

Do you think we have any chance of making the connection?

I have read through the threads on this forum and have seen that Jet Airways has a check-in desk at the international terminal (turn left after leaving customs) and that there is a free bus over to the domestic terminal.

I'm just feeling a bit nervous about this (and to be honest I just didn't think about the minimum connection time when I booked the Jet Airways flight)

Easily doable if your inbound flight isn't delayed. I've done a couple of 1hr 50min connections to Kingfisher in the last few months and had about an hour to kill in the domestic lounge. Even with the swine flu checks it hasn't taken me more than 20 min from plane to customs, as priority baggage usually works at BOm. Drop off your bags and collect your boarding passes after passing through customs at the international terminal (you either turn left or right depending on which baggage claim you come out of) and take the shuttle to the domestic terminal - it leaves every 20 min and takes about 15 min to get to the domestic terminal.

We are scheduled to land at BOM at 3:55am next Wednesday (October 28) from HKG; and scheduled to fly out on Jet Airways at 5:50am to Udaipur

Do you think we have any chance of making the connection?

I have read through the threads on this forum and have seen that Jet Airways has a check-in desk at the international terminal (turn left after leaving customs) and that there is a free bus over to the domestic terminal.

I'm just feeling a bit nervous about this (and to be honest I just didn't think about the minimum connection time when I booked the Jet Airways flight)

I wont call it impossible but is quite tough. These days customs and other exit formalities in BOM are turning positive, which means you might get out faster provided your flight reaches in time and baggage delivered :confused::confused::confused: in time.

Bigger problem would be with the queues to these interterminal free busses. There is quite often very long queue for these busses and you will have to take tokens. You might have cleared the peak time transfers from all those european flights landing around midnight and so there might be lesser queue. Other experts can provide some inputs here.

So provided everything strikes the clock, you can make it but there is a good amount of risk. On a positive note, you are connecting to Jet Airways so they manage things a little better (the check in you mentioned in international terminal might help you giving priority in bus.. not sure.. check it). And in case you miss the flight, they would reroute without much hassles compared to AI.

As Stuttflyer says, the two key bottlenecks are likely to be the baggage claim at the international arrivals, and the shuttle bus (once every 30 mins) to the domestic terminal. Occasionally there have been very long queues at immigration, but there are quite a few counters, and a 3.55 am arrival should normally be pretty quiet.

if the queue at the free shuttle is long ... you can always opt for taking a cab .... that should not take more than 10 mts and that would be 100 rs well spent :)

...These days customs and other exit formalities in BOM are turning positive, which means you might get out faster...

Easily doable if your inbound flight isn't delayed. I've done a couple of 1hr 50min connections to Kingfisher in the last few months and had about an hour to kill in the domestic lounge. Even with the swine flu checks it hasn't taken me more than 20 min from plane to customs, as priority baggage usually works at BOm.Make *sure* you fill out the forms in full and don't start debating whether you need to fill it out if your country of origin is *not* listed - they now tell you that *everyone* has to fill out these Swine Flu forms, so better to follow procedure.

You have to first get them stamped on the right side as you come down the escalator from your flight (if you have docked with an aerobridge) or on the left side if you are bussed and brought in at tarmac level.

Then you proceed for immigration formalities, which is very speedy nowadays in BOM.

As Stuttflyer says, the two key bottlenecks are likely to be the baggage claim at the international arrivals, and the shuttle bus (once every 30 mins) to the domestic terminal. Occasionally there have been very long queues at immigration, but there are quite a few counters, and a 3.55 am arrival should normally be pretty quiet.Yep - do the taxi if the buses are running late...

But the buses used to go directly airside, and not out to the highway and back in, correct guys? Never done the shuttle bus thing for BOM, so maybe someone who has done it can comment if it would actually be faster if they go directly between terminals, on a special roadway.

At about 430-5am, taking a taxi will be breeze. No traffic at all!

See http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mileage-run-discussion/277938-mileage-runs-turnarounds-turnabouts-transits-experiences-please-8.html
Click here here index link (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/12334507-post314.html) and here (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/9244826-post257.html) for current index (post 257) .
Several on BOM

At about 430-5am, taking a taxi will be breeze. No traffic at all!True!

Stick with the inter terminal bus if you can. If you have to use the taxi, make sure that you get one from the taxi Q and ensure that the police writes down the license plate number.

I was once robbed while taking a taxi from dom. to intl at BOM at about 1 am.

Didn't know about this, but apparently there's now a new procedure. You must buy a prepaid voucher at the counter before heading to the taxi rank. This is actually a recently introduced safety measure, and a good one. At any cost, *do not* take any other cab particularly at night - daytime is fine, though...

Thanks to you all for your suggestions and past experiences

For us the transfer turned out to be a breeze:
our inbound flight was 13 mins late arriving at the gate, which had me worried
but it took us only 20 mins to get from the gate to the queue for the transfer bus - this entailed swine flu clearance, immigration, customs, Jet Airways baggage screening and Jet Airways check in
about 15mins wait for the bus and we were off to the domestic terminal and through its security just as our flight was called - i.e 30mins before the flight's departure

not bad, glad it worked out for you!

Thanks to you all for your suggestions and past experiences

For us the transfer turned out to be a breeze:
our inbound flight was 13 mins late arriving at the gate, which had me worried
but it took us only 20 mins to get from the gate to the queue for the transfer bus - this entailed swine flu clearance, immigration, customs, Jet Airways baggage screening and Jet Airways check in
about 15mins wait for the bus and we were off to the domestic terminal and through its security just as our flight was called - i.e 30mins before the flight's departure

Nice!

Thanks to you all for your suggestions and past experiences

For us the transfer turned out to be a breeze:
our inbound flight was 13 mins late arriving at the gate, which had me worried
but it took us only 20 mins to get from the gate to the queue for the transfer bus - this entailed swine flu clearance, immigration, customs, Jet Airways baggage screening and Jet Airways check in
about 15mins wait for the bus and we were off to the domestic terminal and through its security just as our flight was called - i.e 30mins before the flight's departure


no checked luggage?

no checked luggage?I think baggage screening was mentioned....

Yes, it *can* be quite quick in BOM - if you are not on AI! :p ;)

I think baggage screening was mentioned....

Yes, it *can* be quite quick in BOM - if you are not on AI! :p ;)

oh. i had assumed it was for carry-on luggage. that's rather impressive if they can transfer and screen the checked luggage so quickly!

oh. i had assumed it was for carry-on luggage. that's rather impressive if they can transfer and screen the checked luggage so quickly!Yes, quite! ^ (However, usually we aren't *as* lucky as pandaperth)

oh. i had assumed it was for carry-on luggage. that's rather impressive if they can transfer and screen the checked luggage so quickly!

Yes - we had suitcases. they came off the carousel quite quickly (we'd scored an upgrade to J on the inbound CX flight :D so the bags had priority stickers and that actually seemd to work this time)