Virgin flying club - What to do in DEL on a 6 hr layover?




lukeaa
Jan 16, 03, 6:32 pm
I have to go Bangalore and it looks like a six hour wait at the Delhi airport. Any suggestions as to time to kill? Are there showers, day rooms for rent, etc. I will be coming in on the Virgin flight.


Swanhunter
Jan 18, 03, 11:29 pm
Nasty! Not sure what time the VA fight gets in, but if it is similar to BA then you have a 6 hour wait in the early hours! It's not the greatest airport by any standards, and reflects the lack of investment in Indian airports generally.

There are 'retiring rooms' at the airport, and they are cheap but none to pleasant - they are second hand comments from Indian colleagues. The best bet is either

1. Take a room at the Radisson which is only a few km from the airport.

2. If you are flying business on to BLR, go and sit in the lounge. I've not done this in DEL, so you would need to check out with the airline concerned.

Hope that helps, and have fun in Bangalore!

GK
Jan 21, 03, 12:56 pm
It all depends on when you are travelling, but flight times into Delhi are not sticking to timetable at present - due to fog.

This is an annual event, when flights cannot land at Delhi, due to some technical part not being installed, that has supposedly been gathering dust at the side of the runway for years.

Anyhow, if that isn't enough, based on my last trip to India, the domestic flights will most likely leave from a different terminal - this is important to check and get your travel agent to book a car transfer for you.

If this is the case, then after dealing with the lines at immigration, the transfer, then checking in and security check at the domestic terminal, i dont think you'll have much time left to spend elsewhere.

The hassles of travel aside, enjoy India.


lukeaa
Jan 21, 03, 4:53 pm
I think I will just fly to Frankfurt and take the Lufthansa non-stop to Bangalore. Thanks for the replies.

kurshin
Jan 25, 03, 6:16 am
I have been thru DEL many times..from the plane-passed customs-retrieved bags-out to the street in no less than 30 minutes.
If the flight gets in during the day... hire a prepaid taxi at the booth...go to Connaught Place...have the best Milkshake on earth at Keventers...take the same cabby to the domestic terminal and board your flight to bangalore...total time APT-DWNTWN-APT...
about 4 hours....cost..25USD..

NickP 1K
Jan 25, 03, 10:09 am
The nonstop LH flight is the better option.... I would second that. Going through one Indian airport is bad enough going through three (Intl Delhi, Domestic Delhi, Bangalore - Yes I do consider Delhi's intl and domestic TWO airports due to the distance)

Lan Ding Gere
Jan 30, 03, 7:30 am
I too would recommend the direct flight with LH.

On my last trip to DEL, the return flight from DEL was something of a silly hour.

On another trip again about this time of the year, the flight was diverted to Bombay. What a nightmare that was. A whole day wa wasted.

Seriously, take the direct route, as customs and immigration is a joke

mikeinseattle
Jan 30, 03, 3:04 pm
Why all this India bashing! This is a board of frequent flyers who have experience traveling all across the globe and realize that customs/immigration can be very different in many different parts of the world.

1. The fog in Delhi really is awful(the worse I have ever seen) but the airport is not to blame for that.

2. Immigration needs to spend more time on incoming flights considering the hostile borders India faces.

I realize that the airport in Delhi is in need of a major upgrade but flight times, layovers, fog problems are problems beyond the control of the country or airport authority.

Mike



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