GavT_london

Hello All,

Wondered if regular india travellers can offer some advice. I've been reading the mumbai airport is undergoing some refurb and this is making the usual crappy experience even worse (i read a few threads on here about the bom experience)

Am planning to fly in for xmas break and spend most time in Goa, but can fly into and out of most BA served indian airports (with tweaks to class and dates) with a domestic to get to goa and back.
My current pref is to use BOM for both inbound and out in FIRST, as its a short hop down to goa and most domestic flights seem to use BOM as their hub. Since yesterday my original return date has just been taken by someone else so i can come back a day early thru BOM or can go up to DEL on my original date.
Is there a lesser of two evils where indian airports are concerned as they all sound pretty horrid experiences with indian security and the levels of checks, xrays, rudeness etc. 3 years ago they wouldnt let us into DEL intl terminal until 2hours before flight because it was too busy (even though we were flying first!)
Any advice appreciated.
thanks
GavT

stickyfingers85

You could try MAA if the new International Terminal is working by then. There are a few domestic flights to Goa from Chennai.

Last flight i took it wasn't, but for the flight from MAA to LHR you go through the new terminal but then have to take a bus to the old terminal for the actual flight...

I think when it comes to Indian airports, expect the worst, and then be surprised when things go right

EDIT: New terminal expected to open in "July"
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/...cle4831134.ece

Camflyer

If BOM is "worse than usual" then I dread to think how bad it is. Some of my worst airport experiences have been at BOM.

The new T3 at DEL is fantastic so that would be my first choice assuming you can get a connection to Goa without changing terminals.

manuc

while delhi has the advantage of intl-dom in the same physical terminal if connecting to 9W or AI, it is fog prone in the winter so flights can be delayed specially early morning flights

bombay airport is nowhere as good as delhi T3 but no fog in the winter
in bombay a new terminal is being built so it does not effect existing operations - the experience will not be any crappier than what is was - though you will have to do a painful transfer from international to domestic - terminals are not co-located

other options for you are MAA and BLR - both have international and domestic co-located so transfer will be less painful

btw QR also flies to Goa - you can fly 1st all the way and avoid the india domestic - international transfer (though i am not sure Doha is a great place to transfer)

enjoy Goa!

ancientflyer

If you don't plan or need to spend any time in DEL or BOM, have you looked at flying via Sri Lanka ? It's a damn site closer to Goa than Delhi, though not as close as BOM.

Camflyer

BLR is a good option. The facilities are fairly basic but it's well organised and efficient. The main problem is that the connection times between international and domestic can be awkward.

manuc

AFAIK not workable - there are no direct flights from CMB to GOI - will have to transit through BOM or MAA if routing through CMB - adding an additional stop

golfmad

I'm not a regular but am going to India in a couple of weeks. Final destination is on the east but I chose to fly to BOM to maximise the chance of New First. DEL has a good recent record (since April 2013) but BLR and HYD (recently 763) do not.

See here:

BOM
DEL
HYD
BLR

amargrossa

I would suggest BOM - it has the most connections to GOI and if you get in on the morning flight (which might be running again by dec) you can get to GOI before sunset.

BA235

Transferring from domestic to international airport at BOM is a pain full stop.

However, I have twice taken the lunchtime flight to LHR and the airport has been quiet on both occasions. That certainly reduced the unpleasantness of the experience. And the new(ish) lounge is a reasonable place to wait for the flight.

Hobbes01

No fog in Bombay, but if the BOM-GOI aircraft happens to be one that is coming off a DEL-BOM run - as has happened to me in the past and would not be unusual - the effect can be the same!

fripperies

I've done LHR-BOM-GOI several times, most recently in February, connecting to 9W flights. I've never found the transfer a problem. Unless you are very inexperienced or seriously traumatised by a bit of chaos, I frankly don't see the issue with BOM. Connectivity with GOI is excellent.But take heed of the comment that some 9W flights originate in DEL and are subject to weather delays.

As said above, BLR is a nice easy airport to negotiate if the connection times work for you. Likewise HYD (the new airport is really nice, of one the best in the world IMO).

DEL would be my last resort.

manuc

you are right about that

however i do believe that the early morning flights to GOI (around 5AM) originate from BOM - if the OP arrives by the early morning LHR flight (around 100 AM) - it should be doable

Wozza2404

Why not book BOM whilst there's availability, and then if QR joins OW in time, switch to a QR LHR-DOH-COK redemption?

QR's F product is great. There is a separate transfer terminal at DOH for F and J pax, which is pretty much new, and flying into and out of COK is so easy.

d3vski

BOM is in the middle of a massive refurbishment program but it over the last 8 years, it has improved by leaps and bounds. Even with the refurb, I would not call it crappy and if travelling in F, you should get better ground service than T5 (BA have a very good special services team at BOM and escort F passengers from curb side to checking to lounge to aircraft).

With the final destination of GOA in mind, I would do the following (assuming your a true FTer with luxury and relaxation in mind):

BA199 LHR to BOM
arrives BOM at around 11am.
Check in at the ITC Maratha for one night (or any other 5* hotel near the airport).
Leisurely breakfast. (25 mins drive to domestic terminal)
Fly to GOA on 9W J class at around 12:30 hrs (check in 60 mins previous - dont expect much of a lounge)
Arrive in GOA at 13:30 hrs
Check in at whichever hotel at 1400hrs
X amounts of nights in GOA.
Fly back to BOM at around 1200 hrs
Arrive at 1300 hrs
Check in for one night at aforementioned BOM hotels
Leisurely breakfast (5 minutes drive to international terminal)
BA198 BOM to LHR (check in about 75 mins before flight - galleries club is available but I would rather spend more time in hotel the airport )
Nice long day flight in F home
Arrive LHR at 1830 hrs
Work next day
Voila!

If your happy to overnight in BOM in each direction, hen BA199/198 combo works brilliantly with hotel check in / check out times. No early morning or late night flights and BOM is quiet during those times.

You can forego the overnight in BOM but the transfer from international to domestic is a bit of a pain. You pick up luggage and schlep it over in the airport run transfer busses (not very premium) or take a taxi (not very premium either!).