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Delhi IGI [DEL] connection/departure experience reports

Old Jan 6, 2022, 1:47 am
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Last edit by: TheBagman
Terminal 3 at DEL handles all international flights as well as domestic flights of Air India, Vistara and Air Asia India.You can transit D-I, I-D, I-I and D-D.

I-I transfer desks are open as of August 2022.

Below are the details for transit within T3.

A. Domestic to international transit at T3:

If both your domestic and international flights are on a single ticket, your baggage will be checked through at the origin airport itself and you should get your onward boarding passes there as well.
At DEL there are 5 ways to get from arrivals to departures (one level up), listed here in order of least walking to most walking.


1. Domestic - intl transfer gate: After you deplane from your domestic flight (or get off the bus) and go down the escalator (or stay on the same level coming from a bus) there is a special facility for transit passengers in the hall with the copper hands on the wall (red gate in the image below). It leads directly to immigration counters and security check after which you can access departure gates, lounges etc. Service on this entry point are hit or miss, but will save you a lot of walking. There are AI and AF-KL agents roaming the queues and will fast track you if running late. However, this only works if you already have your boarding pass for your International flight, have checked your luggage through from your point of origin, and have less than 4 hours between your domestic and international flights. If you are on separate tickets, have more than 4 hours for your international flight, or the lines are too long try one of the other options below.


2. Transfer desk in the middle of the arrivals concourse: always crowded. Here you could theoretically drop your bags and take the lift up to the security or checkin desks. Its a night mare, never used it due to crowding.

3. The escalator & lift on the international end: collect your bags, turn LEFT when you exit the first set of doors after the baggage belt. At the complete end of the concourse a lonely CISF jawan polices that way up. S/he will check if you have a international onward ticket/BP or send you packing to the other ways. Once you go up you get into a glass walled holding pen with yet another CISF checkpoint that will only let you nto the checkin area if your flight is in 4h or less.
4. Escalator & lift on the domestic end: collect your bags, turn right when you exit the first set of doors after the baggage belt. At the complete end of the concourse a lonely CISF jawan polices that way up. S/he will check if you have a domestic onward ticket/BP or send you packing to the other ways. Once you go up everything is cordoned off and you are shown out the terminal by the CISF guy sitting at the glass door to the checkin area you end up curbside and have to enter the terminal again.

5. Just walking out as if you want to go to Delhi: here you exit the terminal and pretend to be a regular pax arriving in Delhi. Once you exit there are walk escalators where you push your cart on and get transported to the departure level. Select one of the many gates where there are no major lines and enter the checkin area.

B. International to domestic transit at T3:

For Air India I-D flights where your domestic flight is from AI 010-399 or 900-999, you will follow the procedure for I-I transfers (see this for details). Otherwise follow the procedure given below.

For all other flights, you will go through immigration in Delhi. After immigration you have to collect your bags and go through customs. Then follow steps 3, 4 or 5 in the section above.

Security will generally not allow entry into the domestic terminal until T-4 (four hours before the departure of your flight).

Transit hotel: For overnight transit (int'l flight arriving at night and domestic connection departing following morning), the transit hotel within Terminal 3 (IHG Holiday Inn Express) is perfectly acceptable. And the views of the tarmac when having the included breakfast aren't bad. You need to have a domestic flight departing from T3 in order to use it. The T-4 restriction does not apply to use the transit hotel. But it goes for quite a premium in rates over what the other hotels in the area cost (if willing to exit the terminal building for overnight stays). To reach, turn right after Customs and look for the Holiday Inn Express help desk inside the terminal. Staff will escort you to the hotel and help with other formalities.

For other terminals:
T2 is a (long) walk from T3. Exit the terminal, turn left and follow the signs.
T1 is ~8km by road and takes about 15 minutes by taxi. There is also a shuttle bus outside the terminal which is free if you are a woman or have a boarding pass for an onward flight, and costs INR 25 otherwise. There are no airside connections.


C. International to International transfer

After landing look for the board saying "International Transfers" (DO NOT go through immigration).

1. If you are on a single ticket and already have boarding pass in hand with "DT" (Direct Transfer) printed on it, walk past the transfer desks and go through transit security. Then you can proceed to the departure lounges and gates. Note: if your boarding pass does not have "DT" printed on it, you need to talk to the transfer desk, otherwise the I-I security checkpoint will likely not let you through and send you back to the transfer desk.

2. If you have separate tickets or don't have your onward boarding pass in hand, you have to go to the transfer desk where the airline staff will check documents and issue your onward boarding pass. You cannot check-in online or get an e-Boarding Passes for international flights out of India. Check-in generally opens 4 hours before and closes 60-75 minutes before departure. Then go through transit security as in point 1.

3. There are no priority security lanes in transit security so it is advisable to keep adequate time (>2 hrs) between connecting flights even if you are in F or J.

4. If you have separate tickets, in addition it is advisable to hold an Indian visa or e-visa as you may be denied boarding at origin otherwise.

5. A transit hotel for overnight stays (up to 24 hours) is available after transit security.



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Delhi IGI [DEL] connection/departure experience reports

Old Sep 16, 2012, 1:59 pm
  #61  
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Originally Posted by yp20
Hi, I'll be flying CCU-DEL on AI 23 and DEL-LHR on BA 142.

My question is this.

Will I be allowed to check in bags from CCU straight to LHR or will I have to re-check them in DEL.?

More info: The CCU-DEL and DEL-LHR tickets are on different PNR's.

Thanks.
You will need to pick them up and check them in again.
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Old Sep 17, 2012, 7:49 pm
  #62  
 
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Originally Posted by yp20
Hi, I'll be flying CCU-DEL on AI 23 and DEL-LHR on BA 142.

My question is this.

Will I be allowed to check in bags from CCU straight to LHR or will I have to re-check them in DEL.?

More info: The CCU-DEL and DEL-LHR tickets are on different PNR's.

Thanks.
If it is all on a single ticket, the bags can be checked through. Since the flight is an international connector (flight number starts with 0), customs and immigration would happen at CCU.

Since they are on seperate tickets, it's up to the agent. It can be done, but you have to pray for a competent and helpful agent, and you need to have your ticket number handy...
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Old Oct 5, 2012, 7:45 am
  #63  
 
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Any recent experience - International to Domestic - DEL?

I will be toting kids, a husband and luggage through the numerous airports in a week, and arriving at the international airport in DEL at 4am in the morning. Our final flight to Kolkata is through Jet Lite at 9am.

Questions - is it an easy transfer from the international to domestic terminal? Is there anything I should be aware of - or any tip that will make this easier?

Thanks in advance,

D
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Old Oct 5, 2012, 8:02 am
  #64  
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In DEL its all in the same building since late 2010, so no worries at all.
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Old Oct 5, 2012, 8:06 am
  #65  
 
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Originally Posted by oliver2002
In DEL its all in the same building since late 2010, so no worries at all.
Really??? That is great news...so all I do is get them through customs/immigration and walk over to the Jet Counter? This is fantastic. Stress quotient went down .5
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Old Oct 5, 2012, 8:46 am
  #66  
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See post #11 onwards here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/india...t3-report.html

The thread title is misleading it also covers Intl-Domestic transfers. You just have to navigate a few stairs and ticket inspections by CISF guards.
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Old Oct 5, 2012, 2:13 pm
  #67  
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Originally Posted by Desirees
I will be toting kids, a husband and luggage through the numerous airports in a week, and arriving at the international airport in DEL at 4am in the morning. Our final flight to Kolkata is through Jet Lite at 9am.

Questions - is it an easy transfer from the international to domestic terminal? Is there anything I should be aware of - or any tip that will make this easier?

Thanks in advance,

D
international to domestic connection in del is very easy if you are flying either jet or ai on the domestic leg....there is lots of good info here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/india...-airports.html
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Old Oct 6, 2012, 6:21 am
  #68  
 
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Thank you.

Another question...are you aware of Jet letting us change our tickets to the earlier flight at 6:40am if we get to the check in counter ahead of time? It seems like there should be plenty of time if we can get through customs/immigration by 5:30am

D
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Old Oct 6, 2012, 8:23 am
  #69  
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Originally Posted by Desirees
Thank you.

Another question...are you aware of Jet letting us change our tickets to the earlier flight at 6:40am if we get to the check in counter ahead of time? It seems like there should be plenty of time if we can get through customs/immigration by 5:30am

D
they will probably charge you a change fee & the fare difference (if any) between the 2 flights....not worth it in my opinion....
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Old Nov 17, 2012, 8:59 am
  #70  
 
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Connecting at DEL Arriving from CDG

I have a trip coming up. i will be flying IAD-DEL (Business) on AF and DEL-AMD (Economy) both are separate ticket. My flight is arriving at 11:00 PM at DEL and my Flight for AMD is 6:00 AM. i will have 2x32 kg bags,

would AI allow me to checkin two bags without any excess baggage charge? what is the excess baggage charge?

what is the transfer procedure at DEL T3 from INT-DOM?
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Old Nov 17, 2012, 2:11 pm
  #71  
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Originally Posted by awesome75
what is the transfer procedure at DEL T3 from INT-DOM?
transfers in del are pretty easy....lots of good info here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/india...-airports.html
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Old Nov 17, 2012, 7:18 pm
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Originally Posted by awesome75
I have a trip coming up. i will be flying IAD-DEL (Business) on AF and DEL-AMD (Economy) both are separate ticket. My flight is arriving at 11:00 PM at DEL and my Flight for AMD is 6:00 AM. i will have 2x32 kg bags,

would AI allow me to checkin two bags without any excess baggage charge? what is the excess baggage charge?

what is the transfer procedure at DEL T3 from INT-DOM?
Your allowance with AI is 25kgs. The checkin agent usually will give you 3-5kgs of leeway, but you will definitely have to pay for any weight additional to that.

Transfer is easy - Air India domestic departs from the same terminal as Air France arrivals.
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Old Nov 19, 2012, 8:04 am
  #73  
 
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Connecting at DEL Arriving from CDG

Thank you. Any idea how much AI charges for Excess Baggage? BTW This is award ticket. also, i am thinking of getting a business class ticket using Miles so that i can get 40+ kg and also the lounge access. i am not sure if its a good idea to use another 7500 K miles to get DEL-AMD in business and also get Lounge access for my almost 6 hours layover in delhi. any idea?
somehow this thread is appearing in asia forum. can someone please move it to India-Based Airlines forum?

Last edited by awesome75; Nov 19, 2012 at 2:43 pm
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Old Nov 19, 2012, 3:10 pm
  #74  
 
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Originally Posted by awesome75
Thank you. Any idea how much AI charges for Excess Baggage?
On DEL-AMD, excess baggage will be around 200 Rs. per Kg.
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Old Nov 19, 2012, 3:18 pm
  #75  
 
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Thank you PVDtoDEL. Does it makes sense to Get Business Class so that i get 35 Kg instead of 25kg? and also the lounge access. i am wondering if they will be lenient with excess baggage if i have Business Class ticket.
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