sam007

guys

is there any hope that other airlines will fly this route? Also, does anybody know why AI decided to do BOM-EWR and DEL-JFK and not the other way around?

Thanks

ashishp

AI's EWR flight is popular with the large Gujarati community.

Infact there is a domestic connector to AMD operated by A321 with the same flight number. Passengers can do customs and immigration formalities in AMD!

AI does serve the JFK market with a same plane service - their DEL-JFK flight originates in BOM.

Bioflyer

Second that - AI191/144 combo is very popular among the large Gujarati Community in Ahmedabad and around.. mainly Anand/Baroda - who prefer to opt for this flight for their US travels.

One correction - Connector's to Ahmedabad are also operated by B77W itself and not A321 - Usually at the time of booking EWR-AMD (via BOM), AI gives multiple options to that of either a through AI-191 to AMD or a break journey as AI-191 (EWR-BOM) + AI-331 (BOM-AMD) (which is A321) and if you are in no hurry to reach AMD - the later option does save some bucks too!

Even there are some throwaway fares for AMD-BOM-AMD on this B77W - as I had got a r/t for as low as 2800 INR.

Also, as mentioned by ashish - DEL-JFK originates and terminates in BOM with B77W throughout so that serves the purpose for flying BOM-JFK!

sam007

well a BOM-DEL-JFK flight defeats the purpose of a non-stop and to me, it's in the same boat as a BOM-AUH-JFK on etihad. Of course, business on etihad is much better service overall, chauffeur drive, lounge massage, etc

Any other carriers looking to fly this non-stop apart from United? Is there a chance emirates or etihad would or they very unlikely that they'll byp[... their hubs?

Thanks

ashishp

Is that still the case? I have taken AI191 couple of times BOM-AMD and it was A321 both times. I was told the switch to narrowbody for domestic took place around the time the JFK flight was switched from 77L to 77W.

highflier86

Not quite the same, as it's "almost" similar to the hop on hop off service you see in domestic flights here. So basically you land in DEL, might get out of the plane (not sure of that), but immigration is all done in BOM, and the turnaround time is minimal, very unlike a true connection.

Keyser

they are not quite the same thing....with bom-del-jfk you complete the immigration formalities in bom & don't get off the flight in del....with etihad you have to change flights in auh....