May 18, 2016, 11:19 pm
Last edit by: oliver2002
Please add/correct as appropriate. (Need postcount of 90 to be able to edit)
(Note that information change dynamically and hence best to double check)
Thanks
desi
PLEASE NOTE that CERTAIN DOMESTIC FLIGHTS OF Air India (#010-399 and 900-999) are ACTUALLY segments of INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT and hence for the following discussion should be considered INTL flights.
TRANSFER at BOM
Air India and Vistara operate all of their international and domestic flights out of the same NEW terminal (T2). There is no need to change terminal or take any bus/taxi.
Low-cost airlines operate out of legacy Santacruz domestic terminal (T1) and you need to continue to follow the usual practice of changing terminal.
(For those not familiar with Santacruz Airport - CSIA - while both T1 and T2 uses same airfield and runaways, they are quite apart landside and can be 25-45 min by taxi depending on the traffic)
If first time in BOM then it is advisable to book connection with AI or Vistara to avoid this transfer between terminals.
INTL-to-INTL connections (suspended as of Jan 2022 due to COVID):
If both legs are on the same airline or on airlines that have interlined agreement, then your bags will be tagged to your final destination. But verify this fact when you actually check your bags at your origination and reconfirm by inspecting the bag tags.
Otherwise you have to go through immigration, collect bags and check-in again. This may need appropriate Visa too. If you have to do this, provide for 3 to 4 hours layover to be safe.
INTL-to-DOM transfer
Practice is similar to what you may find at major airports in the world such as JFK, LHR, etc. You have to go through immigration, collect bags, go through customs and then TURN LEFT upon exit from customs towards transfer area. DO NOT GO STRAIGHT into Semi-controlled reception area.
It is best to have entire reservation on single PNR to avail of better baggage allowance. Otherwise expect to pay high tarrifs of excess baggage. Also in case of delayed incoming flight, you will be most likely accomodated on the domestic portion.
Note that certain domestic looking segments of AI are actually onward leg of continuing International flight (#010-399 and 900-999). When connecting to/from these flights, treat them as INTL segments.
DOM-to-INTL transfer
It is best to have entire reservation on single PNR to avail of better baggage allowance. Otherwise expect to pay high tariffs of excess baggage. Your bags will be most likely tagged to your final destination when it is same airline or when airlines have interline agreement. Again, best to double check and reconfirm by looking at the bag tags. Otherwise, you have to collect bags at BOM and check-in again. Please check with your airline for the current process. Posts on this thread that are more than couple of months old, should be in "Trust but Verify" category.
If you are travelling by Air India and your incoming flight to BOM has been classified as international flight (currently applicable to certain AI flights only) then you would have already completed immigration process at your origin and you will simply follow INTL-to-INTL connection at BOM.
Otherwise, you will go through immigration at BOM airport even when your bags are checked to your final destination directly.
Please add/correct as appropriate. (Need postcount of 90 to be able to edit)
(Note that information change dynamically and hence best to double check)
Thanks
desi
TRANSFER at BOM
Air India, Jet Airways and Vistara operate all of their international and domestic flights out of the same NEW terminal (T2). There is no need to change terminal or take any bus/taxi.
Low-cost airlines operate out of legacy Santacruz domestic terminal and you need to continue to follow the usual practice of changing terminal.
INTL-to-INTL connections:
NOTE: Air-India operates some domestic flight segments as extension of an oversees flight (Typically flight numbers <400 - Double check routing on AI website to confirm example: AI 144 EWR_BOM_DEL). They should be treated as INTL flights for immigration/rechek/customs purpose.
If both legs are on the same airline or on airlines that have interlined agreement, then your bags will be tagged to your final destination. But verify this fact when you actually check your bags at your origination and reconfirm by inspecting the bag tags.
Otherwise you have to go through immigration, collect bags and check-in again. This may need appropriate Visa too. If you have to do this, provide for 3 to 4 hours layover to be safe.
INTL-to-DOM transfer
Practice is similar to what you may find at major airports in the world such as JFK, LHR, etc. You have to go through immigration, collect bags, go through customs and then TURN LEFT upon exit from customs towards transfer area. DO NOT GO STRAIGHT into Semi-controlled reception area.
It is best to have entire reservation on single PNR to avail of better baggage allowance. Otherwise expect to pay high tarrifs of excess baggage. Also in case of delayed incoming flight, you will be most likely accomodated on the domestic portion.
Note that certain dometic looking segments of AI are actually onward leg of continuing International flight such as EWR-BOM-AMD flight. When connecting to/from these flights, treat them as INTL segments.
DOM-to-INTL transfer
It is best to have entire reservation on single PNR to avail of better baggage allowance. Otherwise expect to pay high tarrifs of excess baggage. Your bags will be most likely tagged to your final destination when it is same airline or when airlines have interline agreement. Again, best to double check and reconfirm by looking at the bag tags. Otherwise, you have to collect bags at BOM and check-in again. Please check with your airline for the current process. Posts on this thread that are more than couple of months old, should be in "Trust but Verify" category.
If your incoming flight to BOM has been classified as international flight then you would have already completed emmigration (exit from India) process at your origination and you will simply follow INTL-to-INTL connection at BOM.
Otherwise, you will go through emmigration process at BOM airport even when your bags are checked to your final destination directly.
(Note that information change dynamically and hence best to double check)
Thanks
desi
PLEASE NOTE that CERTAIN DOMESTIC FLIGHTS OF Air India (#010-399 and 900-999) are ACTUALLY segments of INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT and hence for the following discussion should be considered INTL flights.
TRANSFER at BOM
Air India and Vistara operate all of their international and domestic flights out of the same NEW terminal (T2). There is no need to change terminal or take any bus/taxi.
Low-cost airlines operate out of legacy Santacruz domestic terminal (T1) and you need to continue to follow the usual practice of changing terminal.
(For those not familiar with Santacruz Airport - CSIA - while both T1 and T2 uses same airfield and runaways, they are quite apart landside and can be 25-45 min by taxi depending on the traffic)
If first time in BOM then it is advisable to book connection with AI or Vistara to avoid this transfer between terminals.
INTL-to-INTL connections (suspended as of Jan 2022 due to COVID):
If both legs are on the same airline or on airlines that have interlined agreement, then your bags will be tagged to your final destination. But verify this fact when you actually check your bags at your origination and reconfirm by inspecting the bag tags.
Otherwise you have to go through immigration, collect bags and check-in again. This may need appropriate Visa too. If you have to do this, provide for 3 to 4 hours layover to be safe.
INTL-to-DOM transfer
Practice is similar to what you may find at major airports in the world such as JFK, LHR, etc. You have to go through immigration, collect bags, go through customs and then TURN LEFT upon exit from customs towards transfer area. DO NOT GO STRAIGHT into Semi-controlled reception area.
It is best to have entire reservation on single PNR to avail of better baggage allowance. Otherwise expect to pay high tarrifs of excess baggage. Also in case of delayed incoming flight, you will be most likely accomodated on the domestic portion.
Note that certain domestic looking segments of AI are actually onward leg of continuing International flight (#010-399 and 900-999). When connecting to/from these flights, treat them as INTL segments.
DOM-to-INTL transfer
It is best to have entire reservation on single PNR to avail of better baggage allowance. Otherwise expect to pay high tariffs of excess baggage. Your bags will be most likely tagged to your final destination when it is same airline or when airlines have interline agreement. Again, best to double check and reconfirm by looking at the bag tags. Otherwise, you have to collect bags at BOM and check-in again. Please check with your airline for the current process. Posts on this thread that are more than couple of months old, should be in "Trust but Verify" category.
If you are travelling by Air India and your incoming flight to BOM has been classified as international flight (currently applicable to certain AI flights only) then you would have already completed immigration process at your origin and you will simply follow INTL-to-INTL connection at BOM.
Otherwise, you will go through immigration at BOM airport even when your bags are checked to your final destination directly.
Please add/correct as appropriate. (Need postcount of 90 to be able to edit)
(Note that information change dynamically and hence best to double check)
Thanks
desi
TRANSFER at BOM
Air India, Jet Airways and Vistara operate all of their international and domestic flights out of the same NEW terminal (T2). There is no need to change terminal or take any bus/taxi.
Low-cost airlines operate out of legacy Santacruz domestic terminal and you need to continue to follow the usual practice of changing terminal.
INTL-to-INTL connections:
NOTE: Air-India operates some domestic flight segments as extension of an oversees flight (Typically flight numbers <400 - Double check routing on AI website to confirm example: AI 144 EWR_BOM_DEL). They should be treated as INTL flights for immigration/rechek/customs purpose.
If both legs are on the same airline or on airlines that have interlined agreement, then your bags will be tagged to your final destination. But verify this fact when you actually check your bags at your origination and reconfirm by inspecting the bag tags.
Otherwise you have to go through immigration, collect bags and check-in again. This may need appropriate Visa too. If you have to do this, provide for 3 to 4 hours layover to be safe.
INTL-to-DOM transfer
Practice is similar to what you may find at major airports in the world such as JFK, LHR, etc. You have to go through immigration, collect bags, go through customs and then TURN LEFT upon exit from customs towards transfer area. DO NOT GO STRAIGHT into Semi-controlled reception area.
It is best to have entire reservation on single PNR to avail of better baggage allowance. Otherwise expect to pay high tarrifs of excess baggage. Also in case of delayed incoming flight, you will be most likely accomodated on the domestic portion.
Note that certain dometic looking segments of AI are actually onward leg of continuing International flight such as EWR-BOM-AMD flight. When connecting to/from these flights, treat them as INTL segments.
DOM-to-INTL transfer
It is best to have entire reservation on single PNR to avail of better baggage allowance. Otherwise expect to pay high tarrifs of excess baggage. Your bags will be most likely tagged to your final destination when it is same airline or when airlines have interline agreement. Again, best to double check and reconfirm by looking at the bag tags. Otherwise, you have to collect bags at BOM and check-in again. Please check with your airline for the current process. Posts on this thread that are more than couple of months old, should be in "Trust but Verify" category.
If your incoming flight to BOM has been classified as international flight then you would have already completed emmigration (exit from India) process at your origination and you will simply follow INTL-to-INTL connection at BOM.
Otherwise, you will go through emmigration process at BOM airport even when your bags are checked to your final destination directly.
Mumbai CSIA [BOM] connection/departure experience reports
Oct 4, 2023, 3:43 am
#1516
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,198
If you have a visa you should be fine, no one will question your activities. Online checkin for international flights is not possible in India so all you will get is a confirmation and you have to collect a physical boarding pass. When you deplane in BOM you will be led to the immigration counters. Don't follow the crowds, but be on the look out for the Intl transfer desk, which looks like this:
The agents there will try to get in touch with your next airline and print a boarding pass for you. 90 min for the entire process should be OK, (it took me 54 mins last week to go thru immigration, collect my bags and check in with AI for a domestic flight at 1am) but I would plan for a bit more, you never know.
The agents there will try to get in touch with your next airline and print a boarding pass for you. 90 min for the entire process should be OK, (it took me 54 mins last week to go thru immigration, collect my bags and check in with AI for a domestic flight at 1am) but I would plan for a bit more, you never know.
Oct 5, 2023, 6:33 am
#1518
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,198
This part of the airport is always empty... however it seems the intl-intl transit is not so uncommon: last December and last week the LH arrival was met by two agents holding up signs with names and yelling ' UL transit pax to CMB!'
Oct 7, 2023, 9:59 pm
#1519
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 158
Looks like I will be flying BKK-BOM on a one-way ticket arriving around 2200, and transiting to AF flight at 0210 next day. AF phone agent told me to let them know my BKK-BOM PNR once booked, and they would note in my AF PNR that I will OLCI in Thailand and transit through BOM. Fortunately, there is enough time in case of problem in transit area for me to enter India and leave again; the walking and standing in lines is good exercise! 
Oct 11, 2023, 8:36 am
#1520
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York
Programs: AA Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 77
I'm considering flying in on a domestic flight (Vistara) 2hrs and 10min before my international flight (air India) on a self transfer. Both flights are in terminal 2. I will have a check-in. I'm flying business for the international flight which will hopefully speed things up. Even so, is this enough time to make the transfer? I know obviously if the flight is delayed, I will miss my flight. I'm more curious about if I'll be able to make it as scheduled.
I see lots of comments about INTL -> INTL, but curious about DOM -> INTL.
I see lots of comments about INTL -> INTL, but curious about DOM -> INTL.
Oct 11, 2023, 8:46 am
#1521
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,198
I did AI coming from CCU and transfer to LH in BOM this January. Worst case it will take you 20 min from deplaning to AI checkin. The security for all departures in BOM has been centralised so it gets very crowded but moves fast. There are separate domestic and international security checkpoints at each end of the checkin area. Head to the extreme right hand side of the checkin area (with your back to the street/curb) for the international business/first security checkpoint (the domestic is to the left). You should be able to be airside with 50-60 min of landing.
Oct 12, 2023, 2:51 am
#1523
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,198
Vistara at checkin can interline your baggage to AI but it requires quite a bit of effort which they may not be willing to do.
Oct 12, 2023, 12:56 pm
#1524
Join Date: Nov 2021
Posts: 36
We have an evisa expiring on 11th November.
We are arriving from MLE on 11th November at around 4pm local time.
We then leave for DOH at 4am the next day. We don't plan on leaving the airport and probably will stay in the lounge.
Will we have to go through immigration and customs?
We are arriving from MLE on 11th November at around 4pm local time.
We then leave for DOH at 4am the next day. We don't plan on leaving the airport and probably will stay in the lounge.
Will we have to go through immigration and customs?
Nov 10, 2023, 2:56 am
#1526
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 78
I'm flying JFK BOM DEL on a single ticket later this month. AI 116 connecting to AI 442. I'm assuming I would have to go through immigration in BOM and then drop off my bags for the domestic flight. Is this correct?
I have 4 hours to connect in BOM which should be plenty if my flight is on time but I'm wondering if AI would let me switch to an earlier flight in case I have time in hand. AI 677 leaves at 1PM so if my international flight lands on time or even earlier then I would have over an hour and a half to make the connection. Does anyone have experience in a situation like this?
I have 4 hours to connect in BOM which should be plenty if my flight is on time but I'm wondering if AI would let me switch to an earlier flight in case I have time in hand. AI 677 leaves at 1PM so if my international flight lands on time or even earlier then I would have over an hour and a half to make the connection. Does anyone have experience in a situation like this?
Nov 10, 2023, 4:30 am
#1527
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,198
Im September it took me 52 min from deplaning, immigration, pickup luggage, customs, re-checkin at AI domestic and security to the domestic departure concourse at BOM. This was because there were no lines anywhere. You need to budget a minimum of 2 hours for such a transit in BOM.
Nov 19, 2023, 6:46 pm
#1528
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: New jersey
Posts: 7
I'm traveling with AI on the JFK - BOM - AMD route next month. AI116 -> AI637 on a same PNR. I have a few questions related to this.
1. Can the check in agents at JFK change my AI637 flight as to an earlier flight to AMD on AI631(a couple of hours earlier) for free if there is space available? I have a 8 hour layover and changing the flight would save 2-3 hours in layover.
2. Once I have the boarding pass at JFK for my BOM - AMD flight, I can walk out of BOM with my luggage after clearing customs and immigration, correct? (I have a 8 hour layover). I can walk back in as a domestic passenger a few hours later with the boarding pass issues from JFK. I did this 2 years ago but wanted to make sure nothing has changed at BOM
3. Regarding immigration lines at BOM. My wife is an Indian passport holder and I have a US passport with an OCI ( will be traveling to India first time with OCI) Can I use the regular Indian citizen lanes with my wife or would I have to use the foreigner/OCI specific queue at the airport ?
4. Do paid AI seats in economy open up at checkin for free? I've got some really bad seats at the back of the plane and wondering if I can select a paid seat towards the middle of the aircraft at check in without any additional fees
Thanks in advance!
1. Can the check in agents at JFK change my AI637 flight as to an earlier flight to AMD on AI631(a couple of hours earlier) for free if there is space available? I have a 8 hour layover and changing the flight would save 2-3 hours in layover.
2. Once I have the boarding pass at JFK for my BOM - AMD flight, I can walk out of BOM with my luggage after clearing customs and immigration, correct? (I have a 8 hour layover). I can walk back in as a domestic passenger a few hours later with the boarding pass issues from JFK. I did this 2 years ago but wanted to make sure nothing has changed at BOM
3. Regarding immigration lines at BOM. My wife is an Indian passport holder and I have a US passport with an OCI ( will be traveling to India first time with OCI) Can I use the regular Indian citizen lanes with my wife or would I have to use the foreigner/OCI specific queue at the airport ?
4. Do paid AI seats in economy open up at checkin for free? I've got some really bad seats at the back of the plane and wondering if I can select a paid seat towards the middle of the aircraft at check in without any additional fees
Thanks in advance!
Nov 20, 2023, 8:16 am
#1529
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,198
1. No. They will not touch your reservation.
2. Yes. Only if you check your bags at the transfer desk you can't leave.
3. Indian desks at BOM can handle OCIs, see comments in the OCI fingerprint thread.
4. They opened up for me on a domestic flight last month in the app around T-2h
2. Yes. Only if you check your bags at the transfer desk you can't leave.
3. Indian desks at BOM can handle OCIs, see comments in the OCI fingerprint thread.
4. They opened up for me on a domestic flight last month in the app around T-2h
Nov 20, 2023, 12:09 pm
#1530
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: New jersey
Posts: 7
1. No. They will not touch your reservation.
2. Yes. Only if you check your bags at the transfer desk you can't leave.
3. Indian desks at BOM can handle OCIs, see comments in the OCI fingerprint thread.
4. They opened up for me on a domestic flight last month in the app around T-2h
2. Yes. Only if you check your bags at the transfer desk you can't leave.
3. Indian desks at BOM can handle OCIs, see comments in the OCI fingerprint thread.
4. They opened up for me on a domestic flight last month in the app around T-2h