getagb

I need to fly ORD-BLR (Bangalore) and back on October 4 - October 7 of this year. I looked for info in the threads but didn't find anything very recent.

Here are my questions…

• Searing on ua.com shows pretty painful connections (ORD-LHR-FRA-BLR). Are there more direct partner flights I should be looking for / calling in about?
• If not, are there direct Chicago-to-India flights to other cities that I could complement with train/car service to get to Bangalore faster than 20 hours?
• I saw several posts from a few years ago suggesting to avoid Air India because the aircraft is very poorly maintained / dirty even in business/first. Is that still true or have they improved at all?

In general I am interested in ideas that would minimize travel time. This client will not pay for J so I really want to minimize time spent in the air. I have plenty of GPUs to burn if they happen to be usable.

LordHamster

United flies their actual aircraft into two indian cities directly from EWR.

EWR-DEL
EWR-BOM

I always fly CLE-EWR-BOM-TRV (or COK) depending on the trip.

As you already pointed out LH flies FRA-BLR, so you could do ORD-FRA-BLR on LH

Alternatively, you could fly Air India (Star Alliance) ORD-DEL-BLR

From Chicago, to be honest your least painful trip will be Etihad or Qatar (Not united partners, but more direct)

https://www.kayak.com/flights/ORD-BL...LIANCE;stops=1

steveo

When I used to fly to India from Chicago we always did ORD-FRA-XXX. The long layover on the way in sucked, but I remember the connections on the way home to be pretty tight. You can also GPU for atleast the long flight, or try to convince your client to pay for P.E.

On a side note, Ethihad economy out of chicago is the shittiest long hall I've ever been on. Checking into the flight will probably take one hour since everyone is bringing TV's, microwaves, minifridges, and god knows what else back home. The flight is a 777 with 3-4-3 seating, and its pretty tight. The entertainment runs out after about 7 hours into the flight, and it leaves at like 1 in the afternoon so you'll probably not fall asleep until over russia somewhere. The service is good, but if your a big guy like me you won't be feeling to good upon arrival.

If I was you too I would check to see how long it would be to do it via hong kong. You can GPU to HKG then slum it the rest of the way. Might not be too long of a flight.

cfischer

ORD-DEL-BLR on Air India is showing a reasonable $3.1k

If you want to book on 016 ticket ... that's more difficult and expensive. I usually take the FRA flights. That runs $7.7k for your dates

OOPS, sorry, just re-read that you have to buy whY. Any chance from prem Eco? On LH for example?

in coach LH is $1.1k. That's no upgradable though. Don't fly the 2 stop on UA via EWR, those are tough upgrades and you'd be buying up to W with uncertainty plus a 2-stop. If I really had to fly coach and wanted *A I would go with LH.

If you can fly back a day later you can get AC prem Eco for a good price ... $1.9k

aacharya

If OP is a 1K, it might be worth the long layovers in India to fly EWR-BOM/DEL to at least have E+ for the long haul.

Or take the LH flight for the PQMs and 100% bonus RDMs and short layovers.
https://goo.gl/flights/TXXo Note that this is the 3 am on the 8th, assuming you didn't want to fly out 3 am on the 7th.

getagb

Thanks for the help. Flying through HKG doesn’t look so bad. The connection is 3 hours so I might be able to grab dinner somewhere outside the airport. Also has the benefit of UA-operated PQDs towards potential GS.

EWR is an interesting option. I am 1K so E+ would be nice. How would I get from BOM/DEL to BLR?

I will see if I can swing PE for an LH flight from FRA.

PPM

Having decided to completely avoid paying United any more money this year, since I am already 1K and cannot use my GPUs whatsoever, I am making this same trip in November on Air Canada. I'm flying out of Chicago, so I don't know about EWR connections. And--I'm going to Delhi--not Bangalore. However, fare was amazingly low and it is on a 787 (business). If I weren't worried about miles or about my laptop on the flight with me, I'd do this trip through the middle east with Etihad or Qatar or Emirates.

emcampbe

To BLR, I always find connecting in FRA is easiest. Sometimes UA will offer via EWR-DEL/BOM, however, those arrive in India at night and then you need to take a flight at like 7am on the last leg, which sucks. I definitely prefer the daytime connection in FRA, then you arrive at final at night, even if it is late, and can go straight to sleep

Halo117

Pick your poison...do u plan on resting when arriving or need to go into work the same day?

The LH flight arrives BLR at 1:20am...the UA flights get into BOM/DEL at 9:20pm...if i need to need to be in secondary cities start of new day i take the UA flights...stay at transit hotel and take 9w or AI the next morning right into work. Both are good domestic. Transiting BOM is really easy and the niranta is perfect for sleep and a shower...no need to go outside of the terminal.

Secondary cities in india don't really have great options for arrival times departing the US unless taking AI.

jtkohl

This. Of the 3 trips to BLR I've taken (one via DEL with stopover, two direct to BLR via either FRA on LH or LHR on BA), the LH flights via FRA have the best timing. Arriving: you get an easy ride to your hotel, traffic is minimal overnight. Departing: you can leave your hotel late enough in the evening to avoid traffic in the city, so it's an easy ride to the airport. It's still a red-eye to FRA but if you stay up until the 3am departure, you'll fall asleep easily once airborne.

LH premium economy is decent enough for the trip (says this 6'3" traveler).

malgudi

https://www.google.com/flights/

symphonicman

No discount PE availability on LH for October 7....cheaper to fly J on AI booked at the moment.

I frequently fly ORD-FRA-NBO and back which is a similar length....don't forget as *G you have access to the Senator and AC lounges in FRA. They're very nice. After morning FRA arrival, take a shower, have some coffee, and surf FT. True, FRA is annoying in that you have to clear security every which way.....

OP, because of Saturday stay fare rules on this route, you will save hundreds if you can stay Saturday night and leave Sunday, which gives you either plenty of cheaper upgradeable fares into/out of FRA, or PE on AC for $1.9k as described upthread. If that's not ideal, I think your best bet is a roundtrip H fare via FRA (~$2K) and burn all the GPUs. You can also book PE on AC with no Saturday stay for $2.5k, if the client will pay and you don't want to play the GPU lottery.

LordHamster

I like the EWR-BOM or DEL routes as they are on United Metal and the spend helps with GS.

I fly CLE-EWR-BOM then BOM-End City in India
Since the EWR-BOM flight gets in at 8:50pm, I'll stay at the JW Marriott Sahar, which is right next to the international airport (5 min car ride in hotel car).
The next morning, I'll grab the first flight to my destination. I typically fly that leg on Jet Airways as they fly into my destination and they leave from the international airport (which happens to be right next to the Marriott Sahar). Once I land in my end city, I go straight to the office well rested.

The bad part of this routing:
1. Long layovers which require a hotel stay.
2. GPUs may be hard to use on the route as there are usually very few unfilled seats in BF

emcampbe

I've never done the overnight connection in BOM (or DEL), but aside from the overnight which is a pretty much non-starter for me, doesn't that require claiming bags on arrival in India, then re-checking in the morning (with, I'm pretty sure the anecdotal reports I've read that Jet seems to charge for checked bags when re-checking with them, without elite waivers/amounts?) And same baggage issue on the return when checking in with Jet?

Another option, which we've done before, is to go west with SQ. Not sure what the options are from ORD on a through fare with them (I've seen connecting with UA is very expensive but potentially a VX conection could be better), but potentially arrive at SFO, overnight there, then take the non-stop on SQ to SIN and connect to BLR (I think its like a 1.5 - 2 hour layover). I now realize this is a quick trip, though, so may not be ideal with the extra time this could take. SQ is pretty good in Y, though of course, no E+ if need to fly in regular economy (though PE of course, is available). But food/entertainment is much better than UA. Also, at least on the longer trips I've done, the pricing is very reasonable, I'm looking at doing something like this (SFO/LAX-BLR) in December, before peak holiday time, and I'm seeing fares in semi-flex for around $3,000 for 2 adults and a child (who pays 70 or 75%, I think) - cheaper if you do a saver fare that won't give MP credit, if you don't need that.

malgudi

Yes. Need to claim/recheck bags at first entry.

I do SFO-FRA-BLR 2-3x/year on UA/LH, but this is a lot easier from the west coast.

Looks like AI is the quickest *A option from ORD. Although the next option is only an additional 5 minutes, but has 2 stops. PE is approx $2k.