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Transit travel to/from India under the 'air bubble' agreements [ends 27 March 2022]

Transit travel to/from India under the 'air bubble' agreements [ends 27 March 2022]

Old Feb 21, 2021, 8:14 pm
  #751  
 
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Originally Posted by Grmaht
you don’t need to wait for a result for ME and Europe. You test and exit as per the SOP. For UK, Brazil and South Africa you have to wait for a result and then exit upon receiving a negative result. Big difference in terms of waiting at the airport
No you need to wait at the airport ONLY IF you're taking a connecting flight. So you have to plan your connection accordingly (or the airline has to do so). Otherwise you can exit the airport immediately after the test.

For UK, Brazil & South Africa you have to home quarantine for 7 days and then retest. For middle east you have to "monitor" your health conditions.
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Old Feb 21, 2021, 11:50 pm
  #752  
 
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Originally Posted by xobile
I think it's important to note that it is not always the first carrier's allowance that applies, but if applicable, the marketing carrier. In this case, if you are buying on the UA website and the ticket comes from UA, the UA baggage allowance would apply, as they are the marketing carrier.
No in the quoted instances the ticket is being booked on the United website and issued by UA. The difference is that UK is a codeshare and AI is interline. In both cases UA is the marketing carrier but the allowances are different (UA's allowance for UK, AI's allowance for AI).
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Old Feb 22, 2021, 4:47 am
  #753  
 
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Originally Posted by PiperAtGatesofDawn

Now that's one easy way of stopping people from taking the ME3!
Now they will allow 6th degree freedom bookings on all EU3 and ME3 - and pat themselves on the back for "opening up the sector"
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Old Feb 22, 2021, 7:10 am
  #754  
 
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International transit

Is international transit allowed for non Indian passport holder?
EU-INDIA-MALDIVES - A negative PCR test will of course need to be presented, but can I transit at all?
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Old Feb 22, 2021, 8:50 am
  #755  
 
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Originally Posted by Atlantico
Is international transit allowed for non Indian passport holder?
EU-INDIA-MALDIVES - A negative PCR test will of course need to be presented, but can I transit at all?
Not permitted at present under air bubble regulations. Also see discussion on this thread: Transit through New Delhi to Maldives - March 2021 COVID-19
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Last edited by superboi; Feb 22, 2021 at 8:57 am
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Old Feb 22, 2021, 9:21 am
  #756  
 
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Flew ATL-JFK-AMS-BOM three weeks ago and BOM-AMS-ATL yesterday, I am a US citizen with an OCI card. Here are some points of interest,

On check-in at ATL for ATL-JFK leg, they checked my OCI and negative PCR Covid test result.

Upon landing in JFK, I was told that to fly thru AMS I need a rapid antibody Covid test (conveniently available next door to the gate for US $200). DL or KLM did not inform me of any such requirements in advance..

At AMS before boarding for BOM,, there was a local (Netherlands) Indian embassy web page that I had to go to and sign some attestation form - again no prior disclosure of any such things. I was also given some printed forms to fill out that I would need in BOM.

Upon landing at BOM, I was told that there was a mandatory one week institutional (i.e. hotel) quarantine despite negative PCR Covid test. Only way to avoid the quarantine was to leave the airport by another flight. So I booked BOM-HYD-STV flight on the spot - despite my car waiting outside the BOM airport to drive me to Surat (STV). Another Rs. 9000 ($120) unexpected cost and eight hours delay to reach my final destination.

On return journey, at BOM airport,, I had negative PCR Covid test done 72 hours in advance. Now I knew that to board BOM-AMS flight, I would need a rapid test at BOM airport. At BOM airport, before getting to the check-in counter,, there were chaos, with people moving me from one line to the other, asking to fill out multiple paper forms as well as online forms before I could get my rapid test. The cost of the rapid test was Rs.600 ($9) - but only local currency cards and cash were accepted. The whole process took two hours. Once at the check-in counter, things were smooth. They gave me some more papers/declarations to sign.

Upon landing at AMS, they checked my PCR and rapid test - but it was quick.

AMS-ATL leg was uneventful - with just a check of my PCR test before boarding..

Upon landing at ATL, there were no checks of any kind - just straight to immigration and customs.
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Old Feb 22, 2021, 12:39 pm
  #757  
 
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Originally Posted by xobile
I think it's important to note that it is not always the first carrier's allowance that applies, but if applicable, the marketing carrier. In this case, if you are buying on the UA website and the ticket comes from UA, the UA baggage allowance would apply, as they are the marketing carrier.
Superboi's response is correct.. booked on UA and other than domestic connection airline being different, everything was the same including even the miles and taxes that UA charged.

Originally Posted by superboi
No in the quoted instances the ticket is being booked on the United website and issued by UA. The difference is that UK is a codeshare and AI is interline. In both cases UA is the marketing carrier but the allowances are different (UA's allowance for UK, AI's allowance for AI).
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Old Feb 22, 2021, 2:02 pm
  #758  
 
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I'm okay with that. means we are not tied to taking terrible AI.
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Old Feb 22, 2021, 9:57 pm
  #759  
 
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Originally Posted by shukar
Flew ATL-JFK-AMS-BOM three weeks ago and BOM-AMS-ATL yesterday, I am a US citizen with an OCI card. Here are some points of interest.
Thanks for the insight. I had plans of using up some Delta vouchers but it does not look like a good idea to transit via Europe.

The flights via AI/UA look like a walk in the park in comparison.
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Old Feb 22, 2021, 9:59 pm
  #760  
 
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Originally Posted by PiperAtGatesofDawn
New testing rules effective from 23rd Feb - everybody arriving in India has to mandatory have a Covid test. Only exception - emergency travel due to death in the family. UK, EU & ME countries have additional hurdles....
What is there to stop them from extending it to all locations (read US) what they have for EU and ME? Matter of time IMO.
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Old Feb 22, 2021, 10:45 pm
  #761  
 
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Originally Posted by TravellingMan
What is there to stop them from extending it to all locations (read US) what they have for EU and ME? Matter of time IMO.
The rationale behind it would be - trying to contain the new strains. Now the US has finally started on a fairly aggressive vaccination plan... so it's really a race between the vaccine & the spread of the new strains.
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Old Feb 23, 2021, 1:04 am
  #762  
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Originally Posted by PiperAtGatesofDawn
No you need to wait at the airport ONLY IF you're taking a connecting flight. So you have to plan your connection accordingly (or the airline has to do so). Otherwise you can exit the airport immediately after the test.

For UK, Brazil & South Africa you have to home quarantine for 7 days and then retest. For middle east you have to "monitor" your health conditions.
that's not what my contact at the civil aviation ministry told me....he said you have to wait for your results if traveling from the uk, brazil or south africa....you can go home if traveling from the middle east or europe after getting the test at the airport....

attaching a screenshot of our conversation below:

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Old Feb 23, 2021, 2:38 am
  #763  
 
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Originally Posted by Keyser
that's not what my contact at the civil aviation ministry told me....he said you have to wait for your results if traveling from the uk, brazil or south africa....you can go home if traveling from the middle east or europe after getting the test at the airport....
Everyone is interpreting this in their own way I guess... here's what the rules clearly say (and it's underlined by them too).


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Old Feb 23, 2021, 2:53 am
  #764  
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Originally Posted by PiperAtGatesofDawn
Everyone is interpreting this in their own way I guess... here's what the rules clearly say (and it's underlined by them too).
i can sense a lot of confusion over the first few days with no one really knowing what needs to be done....i still have over 2 weeks before my return flight from dxb....hopefully they would have gotten their act together by then....
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Old Feb 23, 2021, 7:56 am
  #765  
 
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Originally Posted by Keyser
i can sense a lot of confusion over the first few days with no one really knowing what needs to be done....i still have over 2 weeks before my return flight from dxb....hopefully they would have gotten their act together by then....
That's what GOI is good at, making it confusing for common man and one with contacts will get around using the same ambiguity.
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