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Old Apr 10, 2011, 9:45 pm
  #1  
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Airport Departure Tax At Bombay

I am going to India next month in CO BusinessFirst. Two years ago when I was there, when we were flying out of Bombay, at the check in desk they made us pay a $50 per a person User Development Fee, for what I assume was to pay for the expansion of the airport. Does anyone know if they are still charging this fee, and if it is a flat fee or varies based on class of service? Thanks
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Old Apr 11, 2011, 5:12 am
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I haven't had to pay a separate UDF at BOM in years now. They used to collect something called a "departure tax" until several years ago but now all such charges should be collected with your ticket fare and not separately at the airport.
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Old Apr 12, 2011, 12:55 pm
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Originally Posted by compuser1973
I haven't had to pay a separate UDF at BOM in years now. They used to collect something called a "departure tax" until several years ago but now all such charges should be collected with your ticket fare and not separately at the airport.
Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mangelore are some of the newer airports which charge UDF .
Mumbai didnt charge earlier but am not sure now..
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Old Apr 12, 2011, 6:01 pm
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Mumbai airport has been charging UDF since 2009, but the fee is only INR 600 (about $14) per person for an international flight, and its normally included in your ticket price.

If you were charged $50 per person, that sounds a bit dodgy!
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Old Apr 14, 2011, 12:05 pm
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Originally Posted by abfab
Mumbai airport has been charging UDF since 2009, but the fee is only INR 600 (about $14) per person for an international flight, and its normally included in your ticket price.

If you were charged $50 per person, that sounds a bit dodgy!
i agree....
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Old Apr 15, 2011, 1:27 pm
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It is a pretty common scam among the check-in staff at Mumbai airport. You probably got a fake receipt too with lots of rubber stamps.
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Old Apr 15, 2011, 2:16 pm
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Originally Posted by abfab
Mumbai airport has been charging UDF since 2009, but the fee is only INR 600 (about $14) per person for an international flight, and its normally included in your ticket price.

If you were charged $50 per person, that sounds a bit dodgy!
Yup. Sounds like a scam. I have flown CO BF out of BOM in 2008/9. Did not pay anything extra at check-in.


I suggest the OP should call CO and tell them about their experience.
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Old Apr 16, 2011, 3:50 pm
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Originally Posted by B747-437B
It is a pretty common scam among the check-in staff at Mumbai airport. You probably got a fake receipt too with lots of rubber stamps.
What's the best way to defuse this scam in your experience? Presumably they could just refuse to check you in without a bribe...
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Old Apr 17, 2011, 3:44 am
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Originally Posted by ttjoseph
What's the best way to defuse this scam in your experience? Presumably they could just refuse to check you in without a bribe...
they can't refuse to check you in because they would have to justify that action....
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Old Apr 17, 2011, 10:28 pm
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Hmmm i wish we had someone who has flown recently because I know for a fact we paid the fee in Aug 2008 and I did think it sounded like a scam because $50 USD in india is alot of money but it was at the check in desk and they charged it on the credit card. I dunno what would happen if you just refused to pay it, or if you simply checked in online before your flight and by passed the airport check in. Any ideas?
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Old Apr 20, 2011, 5:30 pm
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Originally Posted by Keyser
they can't refuse to check you in because they would have to justify that action....
They can delay you until after the check-in deadline and then pretend you showed up late.

Be assertive and insist on speaking to an airline manager. The less likely it seems that you will fall for the scam, the more likely they will concede sooner rather than later and check you in.
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Old Apr 21, 2011, 3:26 am
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Originally Posted by B747-437B
They can delay you until after the check-in deadline and then pretend you showed up late.
again, that's not something they can do or would risk doing....
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Old Apr 22, 2011, 1:11 am
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Originally Posted by Keyser
again, that's not something they can do or would risk doing....
+1..

Originally Posted by onesweetworld
Hmmm i wish we had someone who has flown recently because I know for a fact we paid the fee in Aug 2008 and I did think it sounded like a scam because $50 USD in india is alot of money but it was at the check in desk and they charged it on the credit card. I dunno what would happen if you just refused to pay it, or if you simply checked in online before your flight and by passed the airport check in. Any ideas?
Hmm.. if they charged it on a CC then its something else IMO.. I have travelled frequently thru BOM in earlier years and never faced this kinda scam.. Its too risky for check in staff to resort to this. Have sometimes heard them allowing xx kilos of excess check in baggage without a receipt and some underhand money but this is something new I have heard..
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Old Apr 26, 2011, 5:31 am
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Originally Posted by Keyser
again, that's not something they can do or would risk doing....
Not to you who is clearly a well traveled Indian, but this is the kind of scam they pull on flustered goras all the time in third world countries.
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Old Apr 26, 2011, 7:39 am
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Originally Posted by B747-437B
Not to you who is clearly a well traveled Indian, but this is the kind of scam they pull on flustered goras all the time in third world countries.
i have 'gora' clients coming into india all the time....i have never heard any one of them complain about something like this....
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