Hello - I am travelling EWR-BOM on CO then connecting to 9W, BOM-HYD.

I am returning on 9W, MAA-BOM connecting to CO, BOM-EWR.

How difficult will this transfer be? How much time should I allow? How many security checkpoints will I pass through?

When I check my luggage in MAA, will it automatically be transferred to my CO flight in BOM?

Thank you for any answers you may have.

Is this one ticket or two tickets (one for CO, one for 9w)?

Anyways, for EWR-BOM-HYD:
Ask CO at EWR to tag your luggage till HYD. Have your ticket details ready if its two tickets.
You will clear passport control at BOM, collect your bag at BOM, then clear customs at BOM. Then you have to take a bus to transfer to the domestic airport at BOM (its the same terminal technically, but you cannot walk to the other terminal). In order to get on that bus, you need to keep your 9W tickets in printed form (it can simply be an itinerary....but something in print is required).
If you dont know where the bus leaves from, ask the information desk.

You can also take a taxi or a rickshaw for this transfer. I highly suggest the bus if you are a BOM newbie.

You have to clear security at EWR and BOM (domestic airport). Remember, liquid restrictions will apply at BOM domestic security. So, if buy bottles of alcohol, etc..put it in your checked bag.

Deposit your luggage at 9w BOM check-in.


For MAA-BOM-EWR: Ask 9W to tag your bag all the way. If they tag it, your bag will eventually come to the international airport. CO will however not let you check-in without your ID-ing your luggage. If the bag is getting delayed in transfer, you can ask for a BP, clear passport/security and get a bag tag later.

If 9W does not tag it all the way, you need to collect bag at BOM airport, lug it with you on the transfer bus; re-check-in with CO at BOM international.

You will clear domestic security at MAA; then, clear passport control and security at BOM.
Again remember to keep your printed tickets....in order to get into the airport at MAA and on the bus at BOM.


For this transfer 3-hours will be barely sufficient. Less than that, you are pushing your luck. Some people have done it under 3 hours.

Good luck. Keep us posted.

I would avoid the BOM connection if at all possible. 9W->LH connection, I had to claim my bag, then queue for 45 minutes to get on the shuttle bus to the int'l terminal. Then a 20 minute bus ride, which drops you off in the mayhem on the departures level of the terminal. Queue to enter the terminal, then again to check in, then for immigration and security. With about a 4 hour connection, I only had about 30 minutes to spare.

Save yourself the hassle and connect in FRA or DXB instead.

Or at least use DEL for the transfer...its a lot easier than BOM.

I think the OP is already ticketed?

If not, LH flies FRA-HYD / FRA-MAA

Well it seems I've made a rookie mistake and booked prior to posting on FT.

My flight to HYD has me landing in BOM at 9 PM and leaving for the 9W flight at 2:30 AM to HYD. It will be a Tuesday night. So based on your responses I think I should be ok for that connection (5.5 hours).

However on the way back my flight from Chennai arrives in BOM at 7:35 PM and the connection to EWR leaves at 11:10. It will be a Saturday night.

It seems my way back may be a tight connection (3.5 hours).

All these flights are on a single ticket / itinerary if that helps at all. I may be able to swing not checking any luggage if you think that would help?

Do you think it may be worth trying to get an earlier flight from MAA to BOM on the way back?

I'm of course a BOM (and India) newbie.

Thank you all for your advice.

Yes, you will make it fine on the HYD sector.

If possible you can try to get on an earlier flight from MAA-BOM. In India, you will have to pay the fare difference for getting on an earlier flight. There is no free standby such as those offered by some US based airlines.

That said, 3.5 hours may be ok, as long as your flight gets to BOM on time.
Not checking luggage will definitely be in your favor.

jumpgate, there are many threads here about connecting in bom....a simple search should get you a bunch of results & should answer all your questions....

3.5 hours on the return should be just fine, no issues .. if there's no inter-terminal shuttle leaving within 5 minutes of your reaching the domestic terminal, just exit the airport and catch a taxi - there's prepaid options available in the departure terminal. Dont fall for touts there.

I wld recommend the airport transfer bus if possible for a number of reasons
If u take a taxi you are leaving the airport at a fairly crowded time 8 pm saturday does see traffic specially due to the construction work along the route from 9w domestic terminal to the international terminal.
Additionally, it is a short distance and though the prepaid taxi counter will process your fare, in my experience there is no taxi alloted at the counter so when you come to the taxi stand most drivers when they see the short fare pretty much refuse (i know its illegal but its happened to me many times) or demand extra (that is if you manage to corner someone) -being a mumbai you want to avoid this hassle

I recall that the airport transfer bus on the other hand keeps you airside avoiding the mumbai traffic - though the distance is short, it is a congested route

If you are worried abt the time and if u have an earlier opton from maa it is defintely worth making the change - the change fee can be as little as rs 750 ($17) - that is how much i paid this dec for a IT change del-bom sector

I'm now in HYD. With no checked luggage, the transfer from CO to 9W in BOM wasn't terrible.

It took about 8 minutes to get from the gate through passport control and to the waiting area for the shuttle. I waited for the shuttle for about 10 minutes, and it was about a 10 minute ride. Security in the domestic terminal was also brief ... so all in all the transfer was done in maybe 45 minutes or so.

Granted I was there late at night and had no checked luggage and the fortune of short lines ... so I can see how this could take substantially longer.

Yes agree 100% - the short stretch between DOM and INTL on the Western Express Highway has major construction works going on all the time causing problematic bottle necks at all ours of the day, as does the approach to Sahar (the INTL terminal).

The biggest benefit of the bus is that being airside the actual travel time is fairly consistent. Also - lately with privatization it is operating with more reliable frequency and there is actually a proper queuing system in place at peak hours.

Thank you for updating. Glad you made it easily.

awesome.... glad you had a trouble free transit.... enjoy your stay in Hyderabad!

I completed the MAA-BOM-EWR connection over the weekend. It wasn't as easy as the connection on the way over.

My original layover was 4 hours. The 9W flight from MAA-BOM was delayed, so my connection shrunk to 2.5 hours already. I was nervous but hopeful.

We landed in BOM and it was a good 40 minute queue to get to the international connections bus. The ride itself was long - maybe 15 or 20 minutes. Note: The bus ride from domestic --> international is longer than the bus ride from international --> domestic.

After arriving in the international terminal and checking in with CO, and going through the multiple security checks, I got to the gate *just* as boarding was beginning. I hustled the entire time and did not stop for food, shopping, restroom etc.

If I had checked luggage and did not familiarize myself in advance with the way around, I don't think I would have made my connection.

So I must concur with everything else shared in this forum: You need at least 3 hours to do a connection from international to domestic in BOM. This is even with no checked luggage.

Also, I have to say that the security in BOM is *insane*. You probably all know this, but I thought nothing could beat Tel Aviv ... BOM definitely does.

Here is a run down of the security checks I went through (no exaggeration or embellishment):

1. Passport & itinerary check to enter the domestic terminal
2. Full baggage screening, pat down, and passport check to get on the international transfer bus
3. Passport & itinerary check to enter international terminal
4. Security questioning, passport, and itinerary check before getting in line at the Continental counter
5. Passport & BP check to enter passport control line
6. Passport & BP check at passport control (this one isn't surprising)
7. Full baggage screening, pat down, and passport/BP check after passport control before entering general gate area
8. Passport & BP check & immigration questioning before entering US flights gate area
9. Full baggage, pat down, and passport/BP check immediately before getting to the US flight gate area

Security can be crazy in BOM but its especially worse if you are on a US bound flight.