Transit travel to/from India under the 'air bubble' agreements [ends 27 March 2022]
Mar 7, 2022, 11:47 pm
#1816
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: India
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Just completed a DEL-SHJ-DEL trip & it feels like we are almost back to pre-Covid times.
No RT-PCR test required at check-in in DEL. They just asked to see the vaccine certificate. There was no arrival testing in SHJ when I landed. I was out of the airport in 15 minutes from the time I landed.
On the way back there was no testing required & the Air Suvidha website approved the vaccine certificate immediately when I uploaded it. At check-in in SHJ they just asked to see the Air Suvidha form & vaccine certificate. There was no testing upon landing in DEL & once again I was out of the airport in under 15 minutes.
Just waiting now for the announcement on resumption of regular scheduled international flights. That should happen over the next 7-10 days.
No RT-PCR test required at check-in in DEL. They just asked to see the vaccine certificate. There was no arrival testing in SHJ when I landed. I was out of the airport in 15 minutes from the time I landed.
On the way back there was no testing required & the Air Suvidha website approved the vaccine certificate immediately when I uploaded it. At check-in in SHJ they just asked to see the Air Suvidha form & vaccine certificate. There was no testing upon landing in DEL & once again I was out of the airport in under 15 minutes.
Just waiting now for the announcement on resumption of regular scheduled international flights. That should happen over the next 7-10 days.
Mar 8, 2022, 1:30 am
#1817
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,182
Right now the Minister is busy flying to Romania and rescuing students for PR, no time to sign announcements.
Mar 8, 2022, 2:45 am
#1818
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Location: India
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The PR exercise was because there were ongoing elections in 5 states, including UP, which is the biggest. Voting came to an end yesterday so I expect the PR exercise to be over very soon.
Mar 8, 2022, 5:36 am
#1819
Join Date: Jun 2004
Programs: BD, DL, UA, AA, Marriott, SPG
Posts: 1,131
Mar 8, 2022, 7:08 am
#1820
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 1,018
Mar 8, 2022, 9:38 am
#1822
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 1,018
ve these phrases:Competent Authority
Amended from time to time
Well, overall we are heading in the right direction. Thats good.
Mar 14, 2022, 6:29 am
#1824
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 5,748
This ls like Nov 2021 before Omicron. Bubble babus must be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of extended ban.
I guess we won’t know until Mar 28th whether the ban will be lifted or continued. Need to watch India infection numbers.
I guess we won’t know until Mar 28th whether the ban will be lifted or continued. Need to watch India infection numbers.
Mar 14, 2022, 7:12 am
#1825
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,182
ET came out with a weird survey today 🤦♂️
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com...w/90189775.cms
About three out of every four Indians are against a full-fledged reopening of international flights from later this month, as several countries are experiencing a surge in Covid-19 cases, showed a survey by a social media platform. The Localcircles survey received 12,618 responses from citizens residing in 294 districts. Of the respondents, 44% were from the country's top cities. The survey was conducted after the government said regular international flights from India would resume on March 27.
Mar 14, 2022, 7:27 am
#1826
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: India
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From the look of things now, three out of every four Indians have probably forgotten that Covid ever existed.
Mar 14, 2022, 9:09 am
#1827
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: Free checked in bag on UA & DL. Free icecream at Marriott checkin.
Posts: 2,862
But if you do wear a mask, I have not come across a single person objecting to it or making fun of it. (That is a US phenomenon)
Mar 14, 2022, 10:02 am
#1828
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: ORD
Posts: 870
Mar 14, 2022, 10:23 am
#1829
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 5,748
They should have correlated with respondants that have never flown internationally and it will likely show a majority of the 75% that want the ban in that group.
1. People always choose to prefer restrictions on others or on things that don’t affect them personally if they believe such restrictions has the slightest chance of benefitting them. It is like asking people who have never done general aviation if they support a ban on general aviation planes anywhere near their cities. Of course, they do.
2. Looking at some of the social media groups discussing travel ban, there are a lot of people in the above group that believe international flights are taken only by the rich or primarily by NRIs and support the ban with a feeling of schadenfreude.
3. The survey may have been “sponsored” by the Bubble Babus who want it back or by Air India.
The timing and the way the article is phrased is curious in that there may be some lobbying going on to scuttle the opening up at end of month. A populist administration is always sensitive to such opinion polls. Several groups come to mind as to who might be lobbying.
The current surge in BA.2 across Europe (that most people in the survey are probably unaware of) might become the plausible reason. The administration, so far, has shown little concern for the tourism industry that is on life support.
Mar 14, 2022, 10:32 am
#1830
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 5,748
BA has also put up an explicit notice of bubble enforcement on their India home page. I don’t remember seeing this before.
https://www.britishairways.com/trave.../public/en_in/
https://www.britishairways.com/trave.../public/en_in/