Guide to arriving and departing BOM (Mumbai/Bombay) on BA
Feb 8, 2008, 2:00 pm
#1
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Guide to arriving and departing BOM (Mumbai/Bombay) on BA
Having done 3 round trips in the last 7 weeks (and been a reasonably regular visitor for the last 5 years), a few notes on the experience. Any comments from other BOM travellers welcomed!
Arriving
• Invariably BA arrive on a jet bridge gate, disembarkation is always through door 2.
• If immigration cards haven’t been given out on board there will be people waiting at the top of the bridge to hand them out. Note that there are two pieces to the form. The main part is retained at immigration, but the small slip at the bottom is for customs – keep it handy.
• It is a short walk along and down to immigration. At the time both BA flights arrive you normally avoid a queue, however coinciding with an Air India flight from the Gulf might lead to a modest wait. There are normally plenty of officers so things should move fast. There is an F/J line, which is sporadically open.
• Baggage reclaim is off to the left. Before you get there, you will need to show your passport stamp to a bloke stood at a checkpoint.
• Reclaim is normally pretty swift (around 10 mins) and the bags normally make it off in some form of priority order. You can also be pretty certain the crew bags will be the off very rapidly.
• Walk on to Customs (there are also loos here, the only ones airside on arrivals). Passengers with a small quantity of luggage often now get waved through. Those with more – or looking like a good shakedown opportunity – will have the bags x-rayed. In the unlikely event of an issue with Customs, don’t let them take you out of the main customs hall.
• Once past x-ray, you’ll need your little slip from the immigration form to get out of the customs area.
• There is now a long corridor. On the right are hotel and car desks, plus a couple of airline counters. If you haven’t booked a pick up you can arrange either a car (expensive) or pre-paid cab (quite cheap). Cabs come in a/c and non a/c version.
• On the left towards the end is the doorway for transfer to the domestic terminal. This can be a monumental pain to use, so consider taking a cab there instead for a few hundred Rupees and 30mins max of your time
• You exit the terminal on the right, where there is a long line of name cards from the various hotels and companies collecting people. If you can’t see yours, go back into the terminal to either call the hotel or arrange a car from the aforementioned desks. The policeman might say no, just ignore him.
• From here, it is a short walk through a crowd of people to the car park. This can look a little daunting, but is normally fine. Keep your stuff with you and observe normal big city rules. There may be people hanging around to either help with your bags or just look at you. Ignore them, and if anyone tried it on tell them ‘no’. Invariably they will shuffle off.
• It’s worth getting the drivers card so you get into the right card. It’s dark in the car park and it can be difficult to see through a tinted windscreen.
• Welcome to Mumbai!
Arriving
• Invariably BA arrive on a jet bridge gate, disembarkation is always through door 2.
• If immigration cards haven’t been given out on board there will be people waiting at the top of the bridge to hand them out. Note that there are two pieces to the form. The main part is retained at immigration, but the small slip at the bottom is for customs – keep it handy.
• It is a short walk along and down to immigration. At the time both BA flights arrive you normally avoid a queue, however coinciding with an Air India flight from the Gulf might lead to a modest wait. There are normally plenty of officers so things should move fast. There is an F/J line, which is sporadically open.
• Baggage reclaim is off to the left. Before you get there, you will need to show your passport stamp to a bloke stood at a checkpoint.
• Reclaim is normally pretty swift (around 10 mins) and the bags normally make it off in some form of priority order. You can also be pretty certain the crew bags will be the off very rapidly.
• Walk on to Customs (there are also loos here, the only ones airside on arrivals). Passengers with a small quantity of luggage often now get waved through. Those with more – or looking like a good shakedown opportunity – will have the bags x-rayed. In the unlikely event of an issue with Customs, don’t let them take you out of the main customs hall.
• Once past x-ray, you’ll need your little slip from the immigration form to get out of the customs area.
• There is now a long corridor. On the right are hotel and car desks, plus a couple of airline counters. If you haven’t booked a pick up you can arrange either a car (expensive) or pre-paid cab (quite cheap). Cabs come in a/c and non a/c version.
• On the left towards the end is the doorway for transfer to the domestic terminal. This can be a monumental pain to use, so consider taking a cab there instead for a few hundred Rupees and 30mins max of your time
• You exit the terminal on the right, where there is a long line of name cards from the various hotels and companies collecting people. If you can’t see yours, go back into the terminal to either call the hotel or arrange a car from the aforementioned desks. The policeman might say no, just ignore him.
• From here, it is a short walk through a crowd of people to the car park. This can look a little daunting, but is normally fine. Keep your stuff with you and observe normal big city rules. There may be people hanging around to either help with your bags or just look at you. Ignore them, and if anyone tried it on tell them ‘no’. Invariably they will shuffle off.
• It’s worth getting the drivers card so you get into the right card. It’s dark in the car park and it can be difficult to see through a tinted windscreen.
• Welcome to Mumbai!
Feb 8, 2008, 2:01 pm
#2
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Join Date: Jul 2002
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Departing
• The process is slightly different for F/J/Silver/Gold or the normals in WT+/WT.
• If travelling with hand baggage only, and you OLCI, no need to get there more than 75mins before departure. If checking bags, I’d recommend an extra 15mins or so. Both of those would be comfortable.
• BA flights go from Terminal 2A. 2A is to the right as your car goes up the ramp, and you should get your driver to drop you at the far end door.
• Normals should have a copy of their e ticket with then. Show this to the guard, and proceed into the terminal for x-ray and check in.
• F/J/Gold/Silver should track down a member of contract staff (normally wearing a BA sash). They will escort you into the terminal (no need for a ticket normally) and ensure your bags get put through the x-ray as quickly as possible. All bags need to x-rayed, but tell them what is to be checked in as a sticker and cable tie is needed for hold bags. N.B Cricket balls are not eligible for hand baggage.
• You also get baggage tags at this point, keep the one/s for your hand baggage as they are important for later.
• The Premium check is in a room around the corner. It often has a big queue while Y can be deserted, so feel free to confuse your escort and check in at the Y counter. They have all the relevant tags and lounge invites, saving you standing in a queue. The staff are often nicer too, less DKYWIA’s I guess.
• Fill in the departure card while checking in. Eligible pax get a lounge invite, as well as their BP.
• Immigration is down to the right. Those in F/ Prem or GGL get another escort through and will be invited to use the F/J line at immigration. This is normally closed off, but it seems that anyone in an airline uniform can lift the rope and wave you through. To enter the regular line you will need to show your BP.
• Immigration will want to see your BP, passport and card. Like arrivals, there is a passport stamp check after the counters.
• Turn right, walking past the old lounges. Down the escalator and to the right is the now exclusive to BA lounge. It’s big – though gets full on a Friday night with a 70J 747 and assorted elites down the back and is for all pax.
• In the lounge there is a reasonable selection of hot and cold snacks (if you are feeling brave) plus self serve beer, water and soft drinks along with a small bar selection. Excitingly there are dedicated loos and a choice of two slightly erratic wifi providers. Smokers will need to head next door to the Clipper Bar (used by all other airlines) for a smoke, noting that drinks are not free here. Cricket will often be playing on the plasma screen, a welcome change from the global standard of CNN.
• Boarding is normally called in the lounge. Resist the temptation to head straight off. There is invariable a whopping queue at security. Instead wait until they evict you as the queue will have shrunk
• Security does not need laptops out, but will need to see liquid bags. Everyone gets frisked, your BP is stamped and so is the tag on your bags. In theory only one bag is allowed, but many get away with two.
• If you have come through securiy early, it is worth fighting to the front as F/J/Gold/Silver do get priority boarding. If boarding has already started when you reach the gate, hang back. The crowd is normally dense and pushing through is not easy.
• Before leaving the gate lounge your BP will be checked, as will the stamp on the bag tag. There is then a secondary security check for lucky selected people (travelling in F does not exempt you from this) followed by another BP check, then 10 paces on your BP is ripped in half. You then saunter down the jet bridge (often another queue) and stop onto the plane.
• After 3 security stations and 6 checks of your BP, you’ve made it.
• The process is slightly different for F/J/Silver/Gold or the normals in WT+/WT.
• If travelling with hand baggage only, and you OLCI, no need to get there more than 75mins before departure. If checking bags, I’d recommend an extra 15mins or so. Both of those would be comfortable.
• BA flights go from Terminal 2A. 2A is to the right as your car goes up the ramp, and you should get your driver to drop you at the far end door.
• Normals should have a copy of their e ticket with then. Show this to the guard, and proceed into the terminal for x-ray and check in.
• F/J/Gold/Silver should track down a member of contract staff (normally wearing a BA sash). They will escort you into the terminal (no need for a ticket normally) and ensure your bags get put through the x-ray as quickly as possible. All bags need to x-rayed, but tell them what is to be checked in as a sticker and cable tie is needed for hold bags. N.B Cricket balls are not eligible for hand baggage.
• You also get baggage tags at this point, keep the one/s for your hand baggage as they are important for later.
• The Premium check is in a room around the corner. It often has a big queue while Y can be deserted, so feel free to confuse your escort and check in at the Y counter. They have all the relevant tags and lounge invites, saving you standing in a queue. The staff are often nicer too, less DKYWIA’s I guess.
• Fill in the departure card while checking in. Eligible pax get a lounge invite, as well as their BP.
• Immigration is down to the right. Those in F/ Prem or GGL get another escort through and will be invited to use the F/J line at immigration. This is normally closed off, but it seems that anyone in an airline uniform can lift the rope and wave you through. To enter the regular line you will need to show your BP.
• Immigration will want to see your BP, passport and card. Like arrivals, there is a passport stamp check after the counters.
• Turn right, walking past the old lounges. Down the escalator and to the right is the now exclusive to BA lounge. It’s big – though gets full on a Friday night with a 70J 747 and assorted elites down the back and is for all pax.
• In the lounge there is a reasonable selection of hot and cold snacks (if you are feeling brave) plus self serve beer, water and soft drinks along with a small bar selection. Excitingly there are dedicated loos and a choice of two slightly erratic wifi providers. Smokers will need to head next door to the Clipper Bar (used by all other airlines) for a smoke, noting that drinks are not free here. Cricket will often be playing on the plasma screen, a welcome change from the global standard of CNN.
• Boarding is normally called in the lounge. Resist the temptation to head straight off. There is invariable a whopping queue at security. Instead wait until they evict you as the queue will have shrunk
• Security does not need laptops out, but will need to see liquid bags. Everyone gets frisked, your BP is stamped and so is the tag on your bags. In theory only one bag is allowed, but many get away with two.
• If you have come through securiy early, it is worth fighting to the front as F/J/Gold/Silver do get priority boarding. If boarding has already started when you reach the gate, hang back. The crowd is normally dense and pushing through is not easy.
• Before leaving the gate lounge your BP will be checked, as will the stamp on the bag tag. There is then a secondary security check for lucky selected people (travelling in F does not exempt you from this) followed by another BP check, then 10 paces on your BP is ripped in half. You then saunter down the jet bridge (often another queue) and stop onto the plane.
• After 3 security stations and 6 checks of your BP, you’ve made it.
Feb 8, 2008, 2:02 pm
#3
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SE1, London
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Transfers
• The International and Domestic terminals are a few kilometres apart.
• There are two main options to transfer between the terminals, the transfer bus or a cab.
• The transfer bus is free, but hopeless unreliable, infrequent and crowded.
• A cab will cost anything from Rs200 to 750 depending on who you arrange it through.
• However a car will be more predictable, comfortable and unless travelling at the height of the monsoon rains when the city really floods, will not take longer than 30mins
• The International and Domestic terminals are a few kilometres apart.
• There are two main options to transfer between the terminals, the transfer bus or a cab.
• The transfer bus is free, but hopeless unreliable, infrequent and crowded.
• A cab will cost anything from Rs200 to 750 depending on who you arrange it through.
• However a car will be more predictable, comfortable and unless travelling at the height of the monsoon rains when the city really floods, will not take longer than 30mins
Feb 8, 2008, 4:33 pm
#4
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: DCA
Programs: AA EXP, BA Silver, UA 1P, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Platinum
Posts: 201
Two points:
1. Baggage claim isn't always that efficient. I recently flew there in December and my bags (with my Silver tags attached) came out 30-40 minutes later. I've heard of similar experiences. Depending on air traffic (there was an LH, KQ, and an AI arrival at the same time) you may be delayed a little with baggage and overall arrival.
2. The Terraces lounge will be closed indefinitely, according with the ground staff and BA office staff I have talked to. This is because Mumbai International Airport Limited has requested the lounge be closed so that they can proceed with modernization and expansion plans. Inevitably the Clipper lounge should serve as the default lounge for a while.
Kudos to the excellent BOM Guide! ^
1. Baggage claim isn't always that efficient. I recently flew there in December and my bags (with my Silver tags attached) came out 30-40 minutes later. I've heard of similar experiences. Depending on air traffic (there was an LH, KQ, and an AI arrival at the same time) you may be delayed a little with baggage and overall arrival.
2. The Terraces lounge will be closed indefinitely, according with the ground staff and BA office staff I have talked to. This is because Mumbai International Airport Limited has requested the lounge be closed so that they can proceed with modernization and expansion plans. Inevitably the Clipper lounge should serve as the default lounge for a while.
Kudos to the excellent BOM Guide! ^
Feb 9, 2008, 3:09 am
#5
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Scotland & India
Programs: BAEC, LH M&Ms, Flying(KLM makes me)Blue, KM FlyPass, Marriott
Posts: 20
Well done, Swanhunter that's a great guide!
Here are some of my additions:
Arrival - although the BA flight does disembark at a jet bridge, it seems to get further away from Immigration each time, so you can have a good 10 minutes walk. Which is quite handy as you can give your legs a stretch after the 8 hour flight.
I haven't seen the landing cards being given out at the top of the jet bridge - I usually arrive on the BA199 and there are usually just a handful of porters waiting with wheelchairs. However, all is not lost, there are usually stacks of cards on the writing desks when you get down to the Immigration hall.
Luggage retrieval time is patchy, mine has taken less than 10 minutes on one occasion and more than an hour on another.
That's an important point about keeping the little tear-off strip at the bottom of the landing card. Once you pass through the baggage screening, you will see a little knot of people frantically searching through pockets and bags to find it. I doubt if you can go much further without it.
If you do need a taxi, go to the prepaid taxi desk and get a "Cool Cab". These have airconditioning and seat belts (both usually functioning). They seem to have chased most of the taxi touts and beggars away from the car park these days, but as Swanhunter says, be aware, especially in the early hours.
Departing - (Following applies to WT+ and WT pax only) For the overnight flight, the check in opens about 22:30. OLCI is strongly recommended - not many people are aware of it in India and you can get a good pick of the seats. I generally aim to be at the airport between 23:00 & 23:30. This avoids the first rush at check in and also allows some of the earlier European flights to clear out. If you don't have lounge access, you can bag one of the couches to stretch out on. The quietest place is past the duty free shop on the right, just by the door for Transit passengers. Talking of duty free - don't bother! There is rarely much choice and what there is is overpriced anyway. Facilities are not great, but they seem to be working on it as there always seems to be construction going on.
Keep your eyes and ears open for when the BA flight is called for "Security Check" around 00:30 and get there before the rush. The security points are at either end of the lower level and in the middle. the middle is the worst one as there are invariably 2 other flights leaving from these gates and the queue snakes back to the escalators. Patience is a virtue in this case (and if you have spent much time in India, you will have this virtue well practiced). Even if you have been shuffling in the queue for 1/2 hour, let the aircraft crew in before you - they use the same x-ray machines - especially the BA crew. Ladies and gents have to go through different portals either side of the machine. Put your mobile, keys, loose change etc. in your bag for x-ray.
Once you are at the gate, hopefully you will be early enough to get a seat near the door because as soon as anyone with a BA uniform shows up, people start to gravitate around the door. As soon as the priority boarding is announced, herd mentality takes over and the door gets bunged up, with a small path reluctantly cleared for the premium pax, along with a few chancers trying to get on before everyone else. Boarding by seat row number is usually attempted, but they generally give up in the face of overwhelming odds.
Here are some of my additions:
Arrival - although the BA flight does disembark at a jet bridge, it seems to get further away from Immigration each time, so you can have a good 10 minutes walk. Which is quite handy as you can give your legs a stretch after the 8 hour flight.
I haven't seen the landing cards being given out at the top of the jet bridge - I usually arrive on the BA199 and there are usually just a handful of porters waiting with wheelchairs. However, all is not lost, there are usually stacks of cards on the writing desks when you get down to the Immigration hall.
Luggage retrieval time is patchy, mine has taken less than 10 minutes on one occasion and more than an hour on another.
That's an important point about keeping the little tear-off strip at the bottom of the landing card. Once you pass through the baggage screening, you will see a little knot of people frantically searching through pockets and bags to find it. I doubt if you can go much further without it.
If you do need a taxi, go to the prepaid taxi desk and get a "Cool Cab". These have airconditioning and seat belts (both usually functioning). They seem to have chased most of the taxi touts and beggars away from the car park these days, but as Swanhunter says, be aware, especially in the early hours.
Departing - (Following applies to WT+ and WT pax only) For the overnight flight, the check in opens about 22:30. OLCI is strongly recommended - not many people are aware of it in India and you can get a good pick of the seats. I generally aim to be at the airport between 23:00 & 23:30. This avoids the first rush at check in and also allows some of the earlier European flights to clear out. If you don't have lounge access, you can bag one of the couches to stretch out on. The quietest place is past the duty free shop on the right, just by the door for Transit passengers. Talking of duty free - don't bother! There is rarely much choice and what there is is overpriced anyway. Facilities are not great, but they seem to be working on it as there always seems to be construction going on.
Keep your eyes and ears open for when the BA flight is called for "Security Check" around 00:30 and get there before the rush. The security points are at either end of the lower level and in the middle. the middle is the worst one as there are invariably 2 other flights leaving from these gates and the queue snakes back to the escalators. Patience is a virtue in this case (and if you have spent much time in India, you will have this virtue well practiced). Even if you have been shuffling in the queue for 1/2 hour, let the aircraft crew in before you - they use the same x-ray machines - especially the BA crew. Ladies and gents have to go through different portals either side of the machine. Put your mobile, keys, loose change etc. in your bag for x-ray.
Once you are at the gate, hopefully you will be early enough to get a seat near the door because as soon as anyone with a BA uniform shows up, people start to gravitate around the door. As soon as the priority boarding is announced, herd mentality takes over and the door gets bunged up, with a small path reluctantly cleared for the premium pax, along with a few chancers trying to get on before everyone else. Boarding by seat row number is usually attempted, but they generally give up in the face of overwhelming odds.
Feb 9, 2008, 4:38 am
#6
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Join Date: Jul 2002
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Just to explain why the crew bags are often off before the majority of passenger bags (we do notice the look on your faces as we make a quick exit)
The crew bags are loaded in what is known as hold 5 which is the loose load hold at the rear of the aircraft. All gate checked items are also loaded there along with any pushchairs. A separate truck is used for this and it normally arrives quickly.
All change when we move into T5 as the crew bags will be loaded in the same canister as the First bags. This is because the crew checkin is behind First checkin. On arrival into T5 we will pick our bags up from the same carousel as the passengers.
CIHY
The crew bags are loaded in what is known as hold 5 which is the loose load hold at the rear of the aircraft. All gate checked items are also loaded there along with any pushchairs. A separate truck is used for this and it normally arrives quickly.
All change when we move into T5 as the crew bags will be loaded in the same canister as the First bags. This is because the crew checkin is behind First checkin. On arrival into T5 we will pick our bags up from the same carousel as the passengers.
CIHY
Feb 19, 2008, 2:08 pm
#8
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 1
A couple more questions re Mumbai
Hi Guys, thank you for such informative posts...really helpful..
I will be travelling to the Maldives via Mumbai... it is a bit of a trek as we are travelling BA to Mumbai then UL (Sri Lankan) from Mumbai to Colombo and on to Male..
Doing it this way as we had an amex voucher and miles to use, and managed to get First..(so excited) to Mumbai...
Anyway, my questions are :
We will have 3 1/2 hours in Mumbai between the BA and the UL flight.. does anyone know if we can check our bags at Heathrow all the way through? to Male? BA are being very uncooperative and will just not give me an answer..
If (as i suspect) it is the worst case scenario and we have to collect our bags, then i assume we have to go through all the rigmarole of immigration and customs and then go and check in again.. Does anyone know about doing that? Has anyone done it? We managed to get a good deal on UL and we are business with them so am hoping that even if we do have to we have enough time...
Any comments or advice?
Regarding the BA lounge .. is it definitely closed?
Also, we are doing the same routing on the way back except because of flight schedules we are staying overnight in Mumbai .. so will have to collect our bags and then check in again as normal next day...
We are doing this trip in April, so any advice before then would be great.
Thank you so much
Jess
I will be travelling to the Maldives via Mumbai... it is a bit of a trek as we are travelling BA to Mumbai then UL (Sri Lankan) from Mumbai to Colombo and on to Male..
Doing it this way as we had an amex voucher and miles to use, and managed to get First..(so excited) to Mumbai...
Anyway, my questions are :
We will have 3 1/2 hours in Mumbai between the BA and the UL flight.. does anyone know if we can check our bags at Heathrow all the way through? to Male? BA are being very uncooperative and will just not give me an answer..
If (as i suspect) it is the worst case scenario and we have to collect our bags, then i assume we have to go through all the rigmarole of immigration and customs and then go and check in again.. Does anyone know about doing that? Has anyone done it? We managed to get a good deal on UL and we are business with them so am hoping that even if we do have to we have enough time...
Any comments or advice?
Regarding the BA lounge .. is it definitely closed?
Also, we are doing the same routing on the way back except because of flight schedules we are staying overnight in Mumbai .. so will have to collect our bags and then check in again as normal next day...
We are doing this trip in April, so any advice before then would be great.
Thank you so much
Jess
Feb 19, 2008, 2:38 pm
#9
Join Date: Jan 2006
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, HHonours Diamond, BA AMEX PremPlus
Posts: 5,140
Yes, the BA lounge is definately closed. However, you really aren't missing much. The F lounge especially was really tiny.
For your return, there are plenty of decent hotels close to the airport - seeing as you're overnighting anyway, they're a much nicer place to spend the time - I assume you're on the 198? If so, you can have a leisurely morning at your hotel before a lateish arrival at the airport.
Feb 19, 2008, 2:55 pm
#10
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SE1, London
Posts: 23,512
Welcome PrincessJessie
1. BA will not through check your bags. You will need to claim your bags and recheck...and you will therefore need to get an Indian visa. It has never taken me more than an hour from arrival to being fully landside, so you should have time even if BA are an hour late. The one thing I am not sure is how you get to departures from arrival. When you are travelling in April? I'm likely to be there sometime early in the month so can have a scout around.
2. The old BA lounge is closed, but there is the new 'sort of' BA lounge I referred to in my original post. It's certainly no worse than the old lounges.
3. Yes, you will have to do it in reverse. So get a double entry visa! The 198 is dead boring, but F at least gives you plenty of space and time to enjoy the booze.
I'd suggest the Marriott in Juhu for your overnight - nicer than the airport area. If you don't want the short trip, Hyatt, Royal Meridien and Sheraton are all good.
Have a great honeymoon.
1. BA will not through check your bags. You will need to claim your bags and recheck...and you will therefore need to get an Indian visa. It has never taken me more than an hour from arrival to being fully landside, so you should have time even if BA are an hour late. The one thing I am not sure is how you get to departures from arrival. When you are travelling in April? I'm likely to be there sometime early in the month so can have a scout around.
2. The old BA lounge is closed, but there is the new 'sort of' BA lounge I referred to in my original post. It's certainly no worse than the old lounges.
3. Yes, you will have to do it in reverse. So get a double entry visa! The 198 is dead boring, but F at least gives you plenty of space and time to enjoy the booze.
I'd suggest the Marriott in Juhu for your overnight - nicer than the airport area. If you don't want the short trip, Hyatt, Royal Meridien and Sheraton are all good.
Have a great honeymoon.
Feb 20, 2008, 3:52 pm
#12
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: UK
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold, Hilton Silver
Posts: 623
Very good write ups.^
On immigration forms, pick up a couple of spares if you're a regular visitor. And carry one with you in case they haven't been loaded on your flight. Same goes for other countries, too, I guess.
On immigration forms, pick up a couple of spares if you're a regular visitor. And carry one with you in case they haven't been loaded on your flight. Same goes for other countries, too, I guess.
Feb 20, 2008, 11:37 pm
#13
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Iowa, USA
Posts: 95
[QUOTE=Princess Jessie;9278260]I will be travelling to the Maldives via Mumbai... it is a bit of a trek as we are travelling BA to Mumbai then UL (Sri Lankan) from Mumbai to Colombo and on to Male..
Welcome to FT. I just got back from the Maldives a couple of months ago, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it very much. Amazing waters...
You'll need to go through the whole immigration/baggage claim/check-in again/security protocol.
When you finish with customs and get past the officer who collects the last bit of paper from you (at the bottom of the immigration form), ask for an elevator to take you to departures level. In the past, I had to go outside, and walk towards the end of the terminal, and go up a couple of flights of stairs b/c the elevator was not working.
The elevators are not readily apparent. There is one somewhere in the bowels of the airport, just inside the hall where the taxi/hotel 'stalls' are located.
Also, if you do find the elevator, you'll have to ask someone which button to push. They just had numbers, without any explanation of which level corresponds to departures. It's not very obvious that you have reached the correct floor, since the elevator is in an out-of-the way area; you don't really "see" the departures hall. There are several floors of offices above the airport, and non-airport people are not allowed in some of those areas, as I found out.
Finally, I don't recall if UL and BA use the same side of the terminal. If not, you could have a nice long walk to the opposite end of the terminal. Do this walk on the departures level. It's a bit more open. On the arrivals level, crossing from one end of the terminal to the other there are some areas that can be quite isolated.
Good luck with the connection. Enjoy.
Welcome to FT. I just got back from the Maldives a couple of months ago, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it very much. Amazing waters...
You'll need to go through the whole immigration/baggage claim/check-in again/security protocol.
When you finish with customs and get past the officer who collects the last bit of paper from you (at the bottom of the immigration form), ask for an elevator to take you to departures level. In the past, I had to go outside, and walk towards the end of the terminal, and go up a couple of flights of stairs b/c the elevator was not working.
The elevators are not readily apparent. There is one somewhere in the bowels of the airport, just inside the hall where the taxi/hotel 'stalls' are located.
Also, if you do find the elevator, you'll have to ask someone which button to push. They just had numbers, without any explanation of which level corresponds to departures. It's not very obvious that you have reached the correct floor, since the elevator is in an out-of-the way area; you don't really "see" the departures hall. There are several floors of offices above the airport, and non-airport people are not allowed in some of those areas, as I found out.
Finally, I don't recall if UL and BA use the same side of the terminal. If not, you could have a nice long walk to the opposite end of the terminal. Do this walk on the departures level. It's a bit more open. On the arrivals level, crossing from one end of the terminal to the other there are some areas that can be quite isolated.
Good luck with the connection. Enjoy.
Feb 21, 2008, 9:53 am
#15
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 277
Should this seed a sticky?
This is a very helpful guide and exactly the kind of thing that (sadly) gives web 2.0 intelligence of crowds yada yada a good name. Does anybody else think that it might put some idle FT hands to useful work if there was a project to compile a sticky for all BA destinations along the same lines: arrival experience, customs & immigration; lounges; local transport, parking and car hire etc?