Transit travel to/from India under the 'air bubble' agreements [ends 27 March 2022]
Dec 3, 2021, 12:21 am
#1546
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,182
Since bubbles are back in vogue, the MoCA is now negotiating bubbles again:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com...w/88049553.cms
One would assume Australia is one of them as operations are to start shortly.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com...w/88049553.cms
One would assume Australia is one of them as operations are to start shortly.
Dec 3, 2021, 2:47 pm
#1547
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,656
In my personal case, I had an ET ticket ADD-DXB-BOM under air bubble which was then rebooked to ADD-BOM direct when the bubbles reopened but now the ADD-BOM is once again cancelled on my day of travel and the DXB-BOM on AI is full, so I have to be rerouted yet again.
Very annoying especially as prices continue to rise as travel dates come closer.
Dec 3, 2021, 7:11 pm
#1548
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,632
What's crazy is the on-again off-again bubble announcements which leads to flight cancellations just a few weeks out from travel.
In my personal case, I had an ET ticket ADD-DXB-BOM under air bubble which was then rebooked to ADD-BOM direct when the bubbles reopened but now the ADD-BOM is once again cancelled on my day of travel and the DXB-BOM on AI is full, so I have to be rerouted yet again.
Very annoying especially as prices continue to rise as travel dates come closer.
In my personal case, I had an ET ticket ADD-DXB-BOM under air bubble which was then rebooked to ADD-BOM direct when the bubbles reopened but now the ADD-BOM is once again cancelled on my day of travel and the DXB-BOM on AI is full, so I have to be rerouted yet again.
Very annoying especially as prices continue to rise as travel dates come closer.
If they canceled your flights, shouldn't they rebook you for free? They did for us, although I had to insist ("flight is full" "No, it is only fully booked in the same booking class, but this is an involuntary reschedule so please open up seats"---and they did.)
PS Funny how QR's 'unscheduled' bubble flights follow a specific schedule.
Dec 4, 2021, 9:51 pm
#1549
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,656
Turkish Airlines offered to rebook me to April, which is when they are next planning to operate scheduled flights.
Ethiopian offered a rebooking to the one day per week that they are allowed to fly to Mumbai, but there is no connecting flight from my origin point on that day.
Not always that easy to just "rebook for free".
Ethiopian offered a rebooking to the one day per week that they are allowed to fly to Mumbai, but there is no connecting flight from my origin point on that day.
Not always that easy to just "rebook for free".
Dec 6, 2021, 5:34 am
#1550
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,182
Dec 6, 2021, 6:36 am
#1551
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 1,018
Dec 6, 2021, 7:52 am
#1552
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: Free checked in bag on UA & DL. Free icecream at Marriott checkin.
Posts: 2,862
BTW does anyone have recent experience in traversing DEL/BOM/BLR airports after the Omicron changes? News reports are quite caustic about the multi-hour delays to get out of the airport.
Dec 6, 2021, 7:53 am
#1553
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: Free checked in bag on UA & DL. Free icecream at Marriott checkin.
Posts: 2,862
Dec 6, 2021, 8:25 am
#1554
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,182
United usually rebooks onto a *A alternative that has award space open (which, considering the full flights to India is a very smal subset).
Dec 6, 2021, 1:24 pm
#1555
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,656
If you're looking at the week before Christmas, the subset is pretty much zero right now. I had to rebook my flights for the 6th time on the weekend and am very thankful that I'm using AC miles so have access to Etihad inventory as well. But that only works for travelers from the UAE, Africa and South America as the air bubble rules do not permit transiting the UAE from Europe or North America in most cases.
Dec 7, 2021, 11:43 am
#1556
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: New York, New York
Programs: AA Gold, Alaska MVP; Free Agent Super Duper Diamond Treasure Chest ;)
Posts: 4,682
Turkish is selling flights to DEL in January. That is what brought me here to see if it was possible to fly TK from JFK to DEL and back. Business awards are 36,800 miles O/W albeit with a hefty tax bill.
Dec 7, 2021, 1:36 pm
#1557
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: NYC
Programs: BA Gold, HH Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,260
I was able to fly BOM-LHR-JFK on Virgin Atlantic last week (IND citizen, US LPR). No one checked CDC vaccine card or RT-PCR test at either BOM or LHR.
VS is fine, BA is not via LHR. None of this makes any sense.
VS is fine, BA is not via LHR. None of this makes any sense.
Dec 7, 2021, 2:56 pm
#1558
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,656
They were selling these flights until November. Then they cancelled and refunded everyone. Then they reinstated the flights at end of November. Then they cancelled them again. Then they started selling again in the last few days. Expect another cancellation by the 15th due to lack of air bubble.
Dec 7, 2021, 3:25 pm
#1559
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 567
Was it after the new rules in India? When you got off the flight from LHR at BOM - did they ask you to do a test? Or classify you as non high risk since LHR was a layover. I am flying DL/VS on JFK-LHR-DEL next week.
Dec 7, 2021, 4:15 pm
#1560
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: New York, New York
Programs: AA Gold, Alaska MVP; Free Agent Super Duper Diamond Treasure Chest ;)
Posts: 4,682
They were selling these flights until November. Then they cancelled and refunded everyone. Then they reinstated the flights at end of November. Then they cancelled them again. Then they started selling again in the last few days. Expect another cancellation by the 15th due to lack of air bubble.
That TK redemption was very enticing though. Not sure why the taxes and fees have gotten so high, don't remember them that way.