Is BusinessFirst to Bombay super special?
Oct 11, 2007, 1:55 pm
#31
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Hah! For that to be true in Bombay, or any other airport in India, is wishful thinking ... you're lucky if there is a roof on the airport, paint on the walls, semi-orderly security, and anything less than total chaos inside the airport. BOM is one of the few to have a handful of jetways. Most Indian airports have little to no duty-free shopping or restaurants, and what few shops and restaurants there are (and lounges) are of Fifth World quality.
Oct 11, 2007, 4:44 pm
#32
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Would love to find a sub 3000 dollar fare in business class to fly india.
Oct 11, 2007, 11:22 pm
#33
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Thanks!
Oct 11, 2007, 11:26 pm
#34
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Hah! For that to be true in Bombay, or any other airport in India, is wishful thinking ... you're lucky if there is a roof on the airport, paint on the walls, semi-orderly security, and anything less than total chaos inside the airport. BOM is one of the few to have a handful of jetways. Most Indian airports have little to no duty-free shopping or restaurants, and what few shops and restaurants there are (and lounges) are of Fifth World quality.
I have to spend the night at the BOM airport as I land at 8:40 p.m. and my next flight to Goa does not leave until 5:20 a.m. I would get a hotel but I don't think it would be worth the time and energy to haul all my stuff in and out of the airport and hotel just for a few hours (after I clear customs). Also, I can't sleep when there is the pressure of having to get up in a couple of hours to catch a flight. I am already freaked about having to spend those hours at the BOM airport because from what I recall, when I went there in the mid 90's, it was terrible. Any experience with hanging out at BOM airports? Thanks!! 
Oct 12, 2007, 1:29 am
#35
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And not to be too pedantic, but the EWR-BOM flight is in J, not F. Trust me, there is no comparison between genuine international F (like you get on BA or and many other foreign carriers) and CO's BF product. This isn't to say that F is worth the premium it usually commands over J (I don't think it is), but the difference is substantial to some.
Oct 12, 2007, 8:15 am
#36
Join Date: Sep 2007
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I have to spend the night at the BOM airport as I land at 8:40 p.m. and my next flight to Goa does not leave until 5:20 a.m. I would get a hotel but I don't think it would be worth the time and energy to haul all my stuff in and out of the airport and hotel just for a few hours (after I clear customs). Also, I can't sleep when there is the pressure of having to get up in a couple of hours to catch a flight. I am already freaked about having to spend those hours at the BOM airport because from what I recall, when I went there in the mid 90's, it was terrible. Any experience with hanging out at BOM airports? Thanks!! Note that the "domestic" terminal and the "international" terminal are, for all practical purposes, two separate airports that share common runways and are a 20 minute drive from each other!! Then, to add to the confusion, various domestic airlines operate out of two separate unconnected terminals (unconnected - last I checked - that said, the airports are under new management now and things might have changed in the last 6 months....anyone else with more/better info????
)If you are connecting to Jet Airways or Kingfisher, they have a pretty good courtesey shuttle, with baggage check in immediately after you get out of customs at the international terminal. If it is Indian Airlines, service ranges from spotty to horrible.
However, the domestic airports are dumps - although in this case, the Indian airlines one is better than the Jet Airways one (don't know if Kingfisher is still in the Indian Airlines terminal or Jet terminal - when I flew it 3 months ago it was operating "temporarily" out of the Indian airlines terminal, nor do I know where other airlines in India operate out of amongst the two domestic terminals)- no decent food (there might be one restaurant inside that MIGHT be open
) and nothing else is open. Seats are usually overfull 
- with other people who are connecting from international to domestic flights.I would go get a room in one of the airport hotels........but the better ones tend to be expensive........
Oct 12, 2007, 9:11 am
#38
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Cost of the hotel: Thanks, I should have said "decent ones are expensive"
Oct 12, 2007, 9:52 am
#40
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Oct 12, 2007, 10:08 am
#41
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Malpensa is an utter disaster as well. Probably the worst airport i've been to.
Oct 12, 2007, 10:32 am
#42
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Oct 12, 2007, 10:50 am
#43
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Oct 12, 2007, 11:03 am
#44
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Another example of a similar syndrome is taking a cab to the Mandalay Bay Hotel from LAS. The Mandalay Bay is by the edge of runway 1L-19R, but it's a 15 minute cab ride from the terminal that will easily set you back $15...