A bit of a trip report regarding BOM airside transfers...

So, the flight ATL-BOM on the 772LR was great (ATL Medallion ground staff were decidedly not great) - I did love the new BE seats - I was really able to properly sleep on the flight. IMHO, the seats are more comfortable than those in SQ C on the 772ER - although the display is nicer on SQ and it just feels more roomy somehow. But I digress.

Anyhow, I get off the plane and see a sign for "International Transfers". I get to the AI location which happily also gives service to SQ. They tell me to sit down and wait. Then more people come. Nothing. After a few minutes, I go to the new people and they start helping me. So I am assigned a transfer guy who takes my passport, luggage tag and itinerary and disappears (probably to the SQ counter to get my boarding pass). I was a bit worried at this stage, not being in possession of anything, but I tried to look cool, calm and collected.

Then he comes back, tells me to leave my hand luggage in the transit lounge (again - discomfort on my part, but I don't know that I really have any choice) and he takes me through the personnel area via an elevator to the baggage handling area - not the regular passenger side, but the actual baggage handling side (after passing a bunch of army types and various security apparatuses and him explaining in Hindi what it is he is doing with me). We find my bag which I identify. There is more talking going on between my transfer guy and the baggage handlers and then another police/army type person. At this stage my bag has not moved one cm and we leave. I do not know what the purpose of me going here is and I am doubtful at this stage that I will ever see my bag again (which looks sort of open). We go back to the transit lounge and get my hand luggage (yay - it is still there).

From there he takes me through security which went fine and he asks for a tip which I give (rule of thumb: always have a few dollars in ones to give out when traveling). He points me towards the lounge. I ask them if there is a shower. They say yes. Another guy comes to take me to the other side of the lounge where the shower is. He is also doing me a favor - or so he says. He gets me to the shower which is pretty rudimentary and then yet another guy gets me a towel. Lounge guy 1 asks for a tip. Given. Lounge guy 2 brings a towel and takes my hand luggage to the reception desk and tells me that he'll also expect a tip (at this stage, I've run out of ones). Finish showering. Lounge guy 2 is not at the desk happily, so I just take my stuff and leave for the other lounge. No internet, so I make a few calls. I leave for the SQ gate and Lounge guy 2 finds me - asks how the shower was and I tell him it was great (it wasn't all that in actuality - but it was better than nothing) and thank you very much and hastily make my departure from BOM.

Happily, I was indeed reunited with my luggage in SIN. SQ even added their own priority tag to my bag (DL didn't bother with it when I checked in in ATL).

All in all it was a bit comical and not painful at all. While I was supposed to make a return through BOM, I am probably going to not do this because of other issues (see:http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showp...0&postcount=18). I will miss traveling on that 772LR though...

Anyhow, hope my experience helps anyone else considering transiting through BOM.