FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - BOM Transfer time
View Single Post
Old Jan 29, 2011 | 2:00 am
  #8  
CAlex
10 Countries Visited20 Countries Visited30 Countries Visited15 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: TK Gold, AA peasant, HH Lifetime Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 1,683
If you're planning on transiting this &^%$& airport without a printed itinerary for your next flight, you'd better stay home! I had a bad experience this mornign, don't want other peopel to get the same!

9w fligth BLR-BOM, arriving at 01:10. Online checkin + luggage drop-off in BLR, lugagge pick-up in BOM without any issue.
TK flight BOM-IST, leaving at 05:15 (plenty of time). online checkin, but boarding pass from BOM-IST could not be printed as TK does nto allow it from BOM (no idea why, not really relevant). I forgot to print the itinerary, and on the online checkin page there was no reminder.

At BOM the police woul not let me get on the free bus that connects the domestic and international terminals, and after 15 minutes of explanations, of showing the IST-BOM boarding pass and trying to reason with the guys, I gave up. Being the last shuttle I had to take a taxi, and that's where the fun begins. I prepaid a taxi in the airport for 170Rs to take me to the other terminal.

Once outside, I got picked-up by 2 guys who were suspiciously willing to cary my luggage, the 2 taxi receipts I got from the desk and to get me in a cab. I carried my own luggage and did not give them both tickets, smartest thing.

I get in a cab and next to the driver there is another getting in. After existing the domestic terminal they pul-over and start showing me in the dark a plastified piece of paper saying that the transfer costs 2100 Rs, and that what I paid was just parking tax. Having seen that before, I started to laugh (nervously) and tell them that I don't have cash, and that I will pay them either at destination or at Police. After 10 minutes of discussions and price reduction (price came down to 200 rs) they start driving and stop after just 200m next to another taxi. Without any discussion one of them takes my luggae out of the car and move it into another cab who was waiting roadside. The other guy tried to explain that the new cab will take me to the in. terminal with no other charges required, everybody was smilinig, which only made me feel more nervous. After another coupe of minutes I agreed to move on and try my luck with the new cab based on their word .

Luckily on the way we crossed 2 police blocks, and after waving at the first block to the policemen the driver stopped. Policeman confirmed that I will have no issues, I asked him to take down the car number, and from there all went smooth.

To put an end to this, if you don't hve the time or the ability to stay (relatively) calm in situations like this, do print out everything in advance, you will avoid a lot of stress when transiting BOM and maybe any other Indian airport.
CAlex is offline