The worst they can do is that the agent who checks you in thinks your carry on is too heavy and forces you to remove stuff until it weighs less than the limit. They can be quite strict about this like not giving you your boarding pass unless the carry on satisfies the requirements.

Need to go and see my mother for a few days in CCU in Jan (16-20)... what would you guys do:

Route:
MUC-DEL-CCU-BOM-MUC, since most convenient night flights, and I need to get status miles on LH. UA SWUs available for free from friends. Handluggage on the way back, so BOM no biggie.

Options:
V fare on LH, domestic on 9W, slightly open jawed and booked for fuel efficiency. cost about 900-1000€, 9488 status miles, short layover in DEL, long layover in BOM (2110 to 0140+1)

B fare on AI codeshare, domestic AI, cost 1250€, 13284 status miles, long layover in DEL (0740-1320), nicer layover in BOM (2235-)

I'm tending toward the latter... also because of the possible fog in DEL. How congested is the BOM air traffic in the evenings?

I would do the former option.

T3 in DEL, enough time in BOM on the way back - no problem.

BOM is not that congested any longer, although the lines for the domestic to international bus service were pretty long a few days ago - but I think that was due to Divali and many pax connecting...

I agree as well. Do the LH V fare. I'd also be vary of trying to use UA Swu's on the AI codeshare.

Plus it doesn't make sense to pay circa 300 euros for about 4k m&m status miles IMHO.

Hmm... UA SWUs work fine on LH metal and AI codeshare and 098 stock, been there, done that.

I agree too. And those four hours will pass before you realise it.

I haven't ever connected in Bombay (thank God for small mercies) but it really isn't that bad by most accounts. The terminals are tiny, compared to other hubs, so that's one big saving grace.

I will recommend that you look into just taking your own cab between one terminal and the other, instead of attempting the bus (unless you're feeling patient and adventurous and masochistic.

Done the BOM D/I xfer a few times, its quite a show, especially the bus :p

Still know a bit of Marathi to give the rickshaw driver an earful if he tries to gauge me if I choose to skip the bus experience :) I remember hailing a rickshaw in T2 and after we were off, I told him where we were going (a friends place just on the spot where the connector joins the W Exp Highway). The dude just freaked on me :eek: After listening to 5 mins of his tirade I gave back, and he gladly took me to where I wanted to go.

Back on topic: checked the fares once more, LH V and 9W domestic is 910€ plus 5006INR (or 88€) (depending on which 9W website you book the one domestic DEL-CCU leg separately, to create the OJ for the fuel), so now in reality I'm looking at a 250€ difference.

It likely won't help; you best brush up on your Bihari skills! :mad:

A few months ago, we got in a cab at Fountain. And I told the cabbie "Colaba".

He looked at me. Then said something we didn't understand.

I said "Colaba" again.

Yet more of something we didn't understand. :mad:

We concluded that he either didn't know the way (a straight road, basically) or, worse, didn't know where Colaba was. :mad::mad:

So we got off and get into another cab. This one didn't speak any Marathi either :mad: but at least ke knew where Colaba was!

Since I spent some years in Calcutta, Bihari is in there too, yet a bit rusty. Its been nearly 20 years. And I know only the bad stuff about mother/sister/son relationships. Which may or may not help when settling the fare.

Fountain? You mean Hutatma Chowk? ;) :p

Thanks man!

Just curious, will these AI jets will have wifi for the flight? EWR-BOM?

And is someone else heading out on that jet on the 29th? 16.30hrs?

Don't think so.

And that is me knackered then.... Melatonin overdose here I come!

I've used UA SWUs on LH-operated AC codeshare on AI ticket stock, and LH-operated AI codeshare on US ticket stock. It really shouldn't be a problem...

As for the choice, the extra miles which would come from flying AI come out to ~1.126 cpm. I value miles between 1.2 cpm (A3) to 1.6 cpm (UA), so I'd consider that a good deal.

All you need is LH metal - nothing else!

AI and wifi? The only thing that goes together there is that they both rhyme! :D

+1! :p