Greetings:

We will be flying into DEL at 2:10 AM (CX #753, HKG-DEL in J) We will be flying out at 11:30AM same day to KTM on a non Oneworld carrier. Our return to DEL is on CX in J.

My question is....will I be able to use the CX club when it opens? If that is a no no, will a smile and a tap dance do me any good? Next...any suggestions on other clubs.....or what to do with the old bones until our flight to KTM?

A hotel was my first thought....but, say 3:30AM to the hotel, check in, calm down, get to sleep, wake up for drive back to airport...3 hours sleep +/-???

We both are AA Plat./Oneworld Sapphire.

Any enlightement would be appreciated.

Thanks...............

CX doesn't have a lounge at DEL... if you are in business class for your flight to KTM, then you might be able to use one of the 2 shared lounges at DEL... sounds like you never been to DEL before... if at all possible, I wouldn't want to stay in that airport for longer than an hour or 2! dunno what to suggest, but I think other Indian experts on this board will be better equipped to answer you regarding transit options in DEL....

none of the clubs are open at that time when you land...nor do they open that early in the morning when you fly out....

plus the club is terrible...and of no use...

go to the hotel...hot shower...catch a nap...breakfast and then go back to the airport...DEL has nothing open at that time...not even coffee shops...

A reservation at the SAS Radisson (approx 8 mins from the airport) is the way to go. Assuming your KTM flight is on Jet Airways (9W), no need to be back at the airport before 10am earliest. That gives you 6 hours for sleep. You DO NOT want to spend 9 hours at the airport. Really, you don't.

100% agree there....unless you are like Rainman and want to count the tiles on the floor, cieling, walls.....so forth...

Spot on! Agree 1000%! ^

Well, that takes care of that!!

I sort of thought that the airport was no place to hang around....we landed here one other time on the 2:10 flight, took us an hour or more for our bags and I thought I remembered it being the pits, but, that time we were heading right for the Sheraton and on ward.

I will take your advise aqnd seek the Radison.

As always thanks to all....FT comes through again!!!!! ^

TomT

PS: Any other hotels in the area....Radisson is $350.00....I know I am going hear from Mrs T on that since the flights were my brain storm!

TT

I'm guessing you will be there during the winter months? Any decent internationally branded hotel in Delhi are all going to be quite expensive during the high seasons...

Decent hotels in Delhi are expensive. $300 or more is not at all unusual. Too much demand, too few options. Demand is also impacted by people like you who don't want to sit up all night in the airport. You have to decide how much being comfortable is worth to you.

There is the Uppals' Orchid Hotel, quite close to the airport. I think the hotel is priced much less and though i haven't stayed at the Orchid Hotels in Delhi, their Mumbai property was fine. Also, there is the Centaur Hotel, which is literally attached to the airport - but I have yet to see a good comment about it at all. You may also want to look at some of the newer hotels coming up on the Gurgaon side - the Park Plaza Hotel was really nice and about 20 minutes from the airport.

BTW, if i were you, i would take a full stopover in Delhi. I have stopped doing transit in Delhi for a few years now, after having gone through your situation a few times. It's quite a pain. If i do have to do transit in DEL, i stay there a day or more anyway.

Hi!

First of all my sincere sympathies to your wife and you. Transiting DEL! Wow! I guess Hell wasn't available as an option.

Regarding Hotels, do me a favor and go online to Expedia or Travelocity and find a cheaper option. Just sort by price. The main hotels are ridiculously expensive. You can easily find so called business hotels for about $125. Now, keep in mind they all have chauffer pick up and drop off so you dont care if it is 8 minutes away or 18. Just make sure that when you book it you ensure that the option for pick-up and drop-off is picked and you give them the flight details. Then on the day before travel, call them on the phone and confirm the airport pickup. As soon as you exit the customs, you will enter a hallway and then you will see these chauffers on each side of the railing holding boards with names. Find your chauffer and you should be good to go. An acceptable tip is $2 which equates to Rupees 100.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks,

Panjabi