Best Connection to Hyderabad
 

Hello all,

I have to go from Europe to Hyderabad, and can indifferently start from Paris, Brussels, London, Frankfurt etc...

Given the appalling state of Indian airports which lag far behind the excellent new conditions of flying itself, which will be the least painful connection ? There are no direct flights to Hyderabad except from the Middle East and I do not wish to transit there. Aside from the choice of Indian connecting airport, the time of arrival and availability of a same day connection will be a factor.

Thanks in advance.

LH is flying daily from Frankfurt to Hyderabad (LH752/753).

KLM also flies to Hyderabad (not daily though).

I do LH FRA-HYD a good bit on LH. It's nice in C but Y on LH is painful. Also, the return leaves at 2:15AM, which is no fun. (And, even then, the HYD airport will be overcrowded... otherwise, it's actually pretty nice.)

Another option is to do 9W via BOM to BRU. I don't think you have to switch terminals at BOM, nor do you have to checkout your luggage when going from HYD->BRU.

I would stick to a nonstop. That said, the 2 options are KLM (AMS-HYD) or LH (FRA-HYD). Both arrive/ depart from HYD at ungodly hours as do most international flights in and out of India.

Thanks all.

I just found that BA has a daily flight from and to LHR which arrives/departs BOM at off-peak daytime hours (11 AM and 1 PM), and that both Jet Airways and Kingfisher have a meet and assist service that will pick up passengers outside customs and transfer them on their own minibus to their domestic departures. Apparently they do it on the way back too, both on advance notice. I am checking this (9W does not provide an email address for customer service, IT does) and may select that option. The advantages would be a same day connection to/from HYD at civilized times, and no middle of the night transfers too short for a hotel and too long to be comfortable.

Any comment will be appreciated.

Yes but on the flip side you have to transfer through LHR.

As for HYD - flying direct would be the best .. KL is an old MD11, LH is a 330 so you might just fly LH. Or if you want a stopover in Dubai - EK would be decent (in C, their Y product is horrible)

If you are keen to do BA, you could also do BA to MAA or Blr - both flights reach India around 5 AM or so and have their domestic terminals next door - ie a small short walk away. And are well connected to Hyd in the morning - so you could land in at 5 AM in Blr or MAA and catch a 7:00 AM or so flight to Hyd.
Alternately 9W all the way through from Bru to BOM and onto Hyd - with through check in and transfer etc as their hassle - I think you land in Bom around 1:40 AM and there is a 3:20 AM onward flight on Bom-hyd.

If I am not doing AMS-HYD or FRA-HYD, I am doing LHR/MUC-DEL or LHR-BOM so that I arrive into DEL or BOM during daylight hours and then connect onwards to HYD.

Strangely enough, I have absolutely no problem navigating LHR, where I find my way around well and where I usually transfer landside with baggage (yes, I collect and recheck it) allowing enough time. I do not share the world's hatred towards Heathrow.

As to using EK, in spite of all the hype on the new oil rich carriers and their amenities (I usually fly J) I do not support these airlines or their home states more than I would have gone to Bayreuth in 1938 ( and I love Wagner...). The posts on the Emirates board about the little French boy who was raped and then accused by the police of "seducing" his attackers contribute to keep the civilization gap wide open.

Well, I'd have thought FTers would have rather more sense than to believe or post nonsense like that and I hope the moderators jumped hard on whoever did post that stuff.

But then if I keep extending that concept, I wouldnt fly on a US airline, or a mainland chinese airline, or ... and really, if you dont want to fly direct, a stopover in the middle east is probably your best bet. And EK flies 2x daily to HYD where other airlines fly at the most daily or some days in the week.

Try: [email protected].

Tell them their "Platinum Member From Hell (TM)" gave you this e-mail address! ;)

BA also have a nice service for premium pax at BOM, where they meet you outside the terminal and sort out the baggage xray for you, good premium checkin area away from the main terminal and sometimes an escort to Immigration and to the lounge. ^

Agreed...

I pass by their premium check-in on the way to the SEN lounge, and it looks awesome - they even commandeered part of the Clipper Lounge section down below to create their own lounge - blowing away 9w's efforts (which are really good, considering they just started flying intercontinental (BRU, etc.))

....almost makes one want to switch alliances!

Well, if your favorite 9W joins oneworld you will just have to switch :)