golfmad

Has anyone done this recently?

Options seem to include:

1. Flying west with Cathay via HKG perhaps (from ORD or LAX).
2. Flying west with Malaysian via KL
3. BA via London.

Will be travelling in J. Probably July timeframe.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Jenbel

My rule of thumb is that Asian airlines are better than European airlines, so I'd go west. How much longer would that make the journey, and is that important to you?

nux

BA doesn't fly to Calcutta.

CX would be a single change at HKG, although I think HKG-CCU is on a regional config aircraft.

baggageinhall

I'm afraid there's been a bit of an exodus from Kolkata of late.

1. CX: The HK-Kolkata flights are served by Dragonair on an A320. Business Class seats are the old recliner style. Seat pitch is 42" which is okay for a 4 hour flight. Dragonair A320 seats

2. Malaysian Airlines don't fly to Kolkata anymore

3. BA don't fly to Kolkata anymore. The BA site offers connections via LHR and BOM/DEL/BLR with the domestic leg on Air India. The AI flight doesn't appear to be a BA codeshare so no miles or tier points for that short flight. While I'd connect in Delhi, I wouldn't in Mumbai (different terminals). AI can charitably be described as having 'mixed' reviews.

4. The AA website comes up with two options, CX via ORD or BA via LHR and BLR with the BLR-CCU flight on JetKonnect (Economy only)

5. The best non OW options appear to be Emirates or Qatar. EK fly DXB-CCU on their A330's so it's an old cradle seat for 4 hours. QR fly an A320 DOH-CCU so again, a cradle seat for 4 hours.

Depending on price / miles / tier points, I'd either take CX via HKG or Emirates via DXB

golfmad

Thanks all. Very useful info.

corporate-wage-slave

Well I hope you enjoy Calcutta, it's an amazing if somewhat crazy place. It was one of the bases of the East India Company and the legacy is very much there in terms of the colonial buildings. If you get the opportunity, take the Darjeeling Mail Train from Calcutta to NJP or Silliguri and then the so-called Toy Train to Darjeeling itself. Quite an unforgettable experience, the highest point is 7,500 feet above sea level, so you''ll need some aspirins! When I go to Calcutta I find it difficult to avoid Delhi. I am hoping direct services will return, there's been a change of regional government there and the place is very much open for business now.

golfmad

Thanks CWS, I'll try to do that.

In terms of routing, it looks like London is my only practical option as I'm going to have to stop off at the Indian Embassy to obtain a fast-track business visa. It doesn't look like I can obtain a visa (as a UK citizen) from here

lcyguy

Don't know where you got that information from, but if you are resident in the US you will be able to pay an additional referral fee on top of the visa fee to have your visa issued in the US.

golfmad

Information has been very sketchy so far. Attempts to contact the Indian Embassy by all means at my disposal (telephone, email, web contact form) have all failed so I'm just going on what I read on the website and I may have come to the wrong conclusion. We are domiciled here and are resident aliens but not permanent residents. I'll check into it further, thanks for the tip.

BenSenise

you're talking about july next year, right?

golfmad

Erm... no, about 40 days time. Can't be that hard to get a business visa surely?

BenSenise

i know nothing about the visa. i do know about award availability and it is bad. really bad. have you checked it out lately?

China Clipper

Did he say he's looking for an award ticket?

Separately, is Calcutta the largest city in a Commonwealth or ex-Commonwealth country not served by BA? I keep track of random trivia like this

miles_navigator

You may find award availability via US West Coast to BKK. If you have AA miles, than it is only 110K RT from USA to BKK round trip in J.

BKK to CCU is a reasonable priced ticket to purchase either on 9W or TK to line up the award flights.

BTW, I hope you mean travel for July 2014, good luck getting seats for next month.

golfmad

Steady on people. I'm happy to pay for a revenue ticket and not looking for awards.

I can get MIA-LHR-BOM return in CW for around $4,000 including the Chase 10% discount and $400 off using AARP (even though I'm younger than 50!)

I'd say that's a pretty decent price and if I'm lucky I can use miles for upgrades to F which may or may not appear closer to the time.