HNL

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sinanju

I agree. I just did ORD-DEL-ORD last week (and some internal hopping on Jet). Arrival was a non-event (which is a huge improvement). Departure was quite pleasant. I was flying in 1st, so adjust my comments accordingly for your own expectations, but...

• I received an email from the ground staff the day of the flight with some handy advice about getting to the check-in desk.
• Staff responded to questions via email.
• No lines outside the terminal since there is no longer bag screening before check-in.
• The terminal has had a face-lift and is now much more pleasant.
• Ground staff escorted me and my colleagues to the lounge, then fetched us at boarding time.
• Security screening lines were only about 5 people deep in each lane. Even so, we were escorted through an empty crew lane.
• Our premium services escort provided us with her business card when she left us at the jetway, should we return to India on AA.

The only complaint I had about the whole experience is that the meal timing on the flight is kinda weird. Dinner is served after the 12:15AM departure. I decided to sleep and have one of the in-flight snacks advertised on the menu. When I woke up 8 hours later, the snack were gone and all that was left to munch on until breakfast was served was a packet of Goldfish from the business class service. If you're going to want a chicken sandwich halfway through the flight, you'd better claim it the second you board.

Generally, I was pretty happy with the difference from my previous experience with DEL.

aktchi

My wife and I are AA platinums. After flying AA to Brussels and 9W-operated AA codeshare, we'd land in Delhi at 10:30PM, probably out of the customs by 12:00 midnight. Our domestic connection is at 5:45AM.

So we are looking at killing about 4 hours, too short for hotels etc. (Earlier I had thought about catching some good sleep and a later flight, but we are going to a wedding and the schedule is such that we must take the 5:45AM flight.)

Does AA have any lounge agreements in DEL, at International Arrivals or Domestic departures, to spend 4 hours? Any other ideas? Can't find any info on those much rumored "retiring rooms" at that airport.

HNL

Nada.

It'll take ~90 to 120 minutes to clear immigration, claim your bags (like the US this is required), clear customs, then take the transfer bus to the domestic terminal.

The lounge options land side are minimal at best. Many people here recommend taking a cab to the Radison hotel and hanging around the coffee shop for a few hours - trust me it's far better than the domestic terminal.

There is another hotel that offers shower suites - if you search Delhi Hotels on the AA forum it will surface (orchard ?? orchid??). IME the were disorganized during eh middle of the night, but I got in an had a nice restful experience and shower!

HNL

Well the place I was thinking of is shut down for the moment
http://www.uppalsorchidhotel.com/

I think the Radisson coffee shop is the place to go.

zakami

The Orchid is closed. Sign outside says closed for renovations but the MCD (Metropolitan Corporation of Delhi) has ordered for it to be demolished since it was built on land zoned for agriculture.

I would recommend the Radisson as well. Depends on who you are flying domestically. The 9W terminal is not very pleasant however the Indian terminal is not bad at all to kill four hours.

Also the days of it taking 90-120 mins to clear immigration & customs are now gone. You should be out in about 30 to 60 mins.

HNL

I included the 30 to 45 minute bus transfer experience (wait + actual ride) from the international terminal to domestic terminal in my calculations.

aktchi

Thanks guys. The following is what I just received from AA in resposne to an inquiry:

I don't think arriving passengers can enter the international departure area. So the options include the arrivals lounge, domestic terminal departure area, and the Radisson coffee shop.

I'll try to find an "Uppal sustitute", ie, a place with shower facilities etc for a discounted charge. If you come across anything, please post. I'll do the same.

GUWonder

I would say get a reliable hire car/taxi, take a nighttime tour around central Delhi, have a stop for dinner of sorts at the 24-hour restaurant at the Taj Mahal Hotel on Mansingh Road (over near Khan Market) and then head again to the airport. It's easy to burn time that way and much cheaper than wasting money on an expensive Delhi hotel for what would probably not be much of a restful night anyway.

Showers are going to be a problem. Perhaps one of the rather cheap hotels alongside the Radisson may work out for just doing that and/or baggage storage (if keeping them at the international airport doesn't make sense).

hillrider

I am impressed by AA's response -- not the usual form letter. Kudos.

aktchi

hillrider: I agree. I had not expected such a prompt as well as personal response. I wrote back with a few suggestions on how they might handle this lack of facilities in DEL and the same person responded very promptly once again saying that he had forwarded my suggestions to appropriate AA people here as well as in DEL. Good job. ^

astanley

Yes, yes, yes. The rooms in the Taj are like a late 1980's Sheraton (dated, but clean and nice for the area), but the restaurants are great. I love the Taj Mansingh in Delhi. I'm back for a 9 hour layover enroute to BLR in 3 weeks...

Cheers,

-Andrew

theblakefish

I have a trip coming up with a 7+ hour layover at DEL from my KTM-DEL flight and my DEL-EWR flight and I see that CO is in cahoots with the Clipper Lounge, which I see is not the best lounge in the world! HA! I have quite some time available, and I am staying in DEL for 2 days on the front end of my trip.....so I table the question to those with more knowledge than I: What would be your game plan for this long layover? At the end of a vacation? I might be happy just to table up to a bar and drink the night away before my 16-hour flight back to the states! Or, perhaps a quick dip in a pool would do the trick? Maybe a transit room at the Radisson/Taj/etc? Any pointers would be appreciated!! ^

dstan

In addition to the info in this thread, you may find some useful information in these two (note that some of the info on wait times is outdated - start from the end):

<deleted link to current thread post-merge>

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/india...8-present.html

aktchi

I recently flew DEL-ORD on AA 293, affectionately also known as "AA's longest flight" (no kidding about that).

For those with older memories, DEL airport has improved a lot recently, and the construction continues and the facility should continue to improve.

AA's check-in process at DEL was thorough but perhaps a bit over-bureaucratized. Upon approaching, I was met by Person1 who led me to Person2 who, after examining my e-ticket printout, sent Person3 to get a hard ticket printed. Then Person4 came along to say "Please wait here. When we have your ticket, we'll direct you." The ticket came and I was directed back to Person2, who looked at everything more seriously and asked the usual security questions, then took some paper to Person5 (possibly a supervisor figure) to sign something. Only then could the passenger go to Person6 who actually checks you in (issues BP) and Person7 who fixes luggage tags on the luggage.

The security at the boarding was pretty thorough, with hand-luggage screening and body frisking all over again. It also had one odd touch that confused many travelers: Usually, Priority Access (FC, elites etc) means you can board first. However, AA staff at DEL were actively sending Priority Access people back to sit and wait to be called; instead they were letting Economy passengers board first. They must have their reasons, and it really was no big deal to me, but many pax seemed somewhere between confused and annoyed.

Finally the best part. As I was sitting in my carefully-chosen exit-row-but-still-economy seat, an AA person (from airport's ground staff, not crew) walked up to me, asked my name, looked at my bc and told me I was upgraded to Business!

I am a mere Gold now, so I am not sure what qualified me for this. I was traveling alone, perhaps all the Plats and Ex Plats in Y had large families with them. Maybe AA needed my precise seat for some reason. I have no idea, but I was most pleasantly surprised.

Back at ORD, I found a few changes. Previously citizens and permanent residents used to be in one line and temporary visitors in another; now permanent residents and visitors were together. AA also decided to use two luggage belts, making people run back and forth everytime they thought they saw something resembling their bag - keeps you alert and awake! Otherwise the airport was pleasantly peaceful at that early-morning hour.