Hey guys, I'm wondering if someone could help. Am flying off cheaply between AUH to Rome and the best option I've had was to fly AUH-BOM on Etihad and then fly back two hours later on the same plane from BOM-FCO. Do I need a transit visa? Both flights will be on Etihad but separate ticket. Also I might check a luggage. Malaysian passport btw. Thanks!

Highly unlikely that you would make it with checked baggage.

Better chances without baggage, but then you may be denied boarding at AUH for your 1st flight to BOM if you aren't eligible for Visa on Arrival!

If you are anyways booking a seperate ticket, might as well space it apart a bit more and get an Indian transit visa.

Thanks very much GuyFromBOM! Am going to skip this - don't have enough time to get e-visa and book direct with Etihad.

Does anyone know up to what time is dinner offered at the GVK lounge in Mumbai T2?

It all depends on your expectations and requirements.

Personally, I was underwhelmed by Turkish lounge. But quite likely because it was hyped up so much. It is definitely a great lounge but when expectations are set very high...

Also, to each his own.

Virgin lounge at LHR, Emirates at JFK, JAL at NRT, SQ lounge at SIN were all great. There are people who cant stop admiring GVK lounge at BOM and there are others who were complaining about mosquitoes and strong smell of spices...

I think overall new BOM airport is great. Now if only they fix the 30+ year old problem with pre-paid taxis (and now same with prepaid private cabs)...

(pain to find license plate number written on your receipt - wish they just use the taxi rank model used everywhere else in the world)

Typically, when traveling in Business class, you are given access to the Mumbai GVK Business lounge. But yesterday I was given access to the Business Premium lounge, which is a bit better than the Business lounge. Any idea why the lounge upgrade?

Business Premium lounge is now for people travelling in Business/First and the Business section on level 3 is for airline elites flying economy.

I'm planning to fly via BOM on a INTL-to-INTL connection using two separate tickets.

I have one Ticket with EY form AUH-BOM connecting then to SQ on BOM-SIN. I saw that EY has interlining agreement with SQ, however who can I be sure they will check bags through? If they don't what is my choice? Do a transit Visa I guess is the only one?

Thanks

You have to get a visa to be sure. If you are a citizen of one of the countries eligible for ETA, its 60$ and some time figuring out the ETA application website. If not then a transit visa needs to be obtained the painful manual way. SQ is very unlikely to send someone down to retrieve your luggage from the arrivals belt.

Just to be 1000% sure, if going from EY to 9W (international to domestic), I stay in the terminal but have to pick up bags, clear customs and immigration, and recheck my bags, right?

I'll have plenty of time, just want to be 1000% sure (as I might decide not to continue on to Goa on the 5:30 am flight as I arrive at 2:30 am).

Now scheduled onto Jet Airways 336 (DEL-BOM) to 475 (BOM-GOI) with a 1h,5 min layover in BOM.

Is that more than enough time to make the T2 domestic connection and checked bags onto plane? Thanks all!!

Yes it is. Your bags will go through to GOI, you just need to clear transit security and head to the gate.

AI 191 from DEL to EWR via BOM
 

I just booked a ticket for a relative from Delhi to Newark on AI. It appears that AI 191 is the flight number both the DEL to BOM leg as well as the BOM to EWR. I'm assuming that this means it's one of those flights that uses the same plane and where some of the DEL to BOM passengers are only on it for the domestic leg, while others (like my relative) will be on it all the way through. Does anyone know if that's the case, and if so, if he'll stay on the plane during the stop-over? If not, what is the lounge access situation for the short stop-over in BOM for Business class?

Everyone deplanes in BOM and the continuing pax go into the international concourse after a security check. You can use the lounge there.

The DEL to BOM flight takes off at terminal 3 lands at terminal 2. I've flow then domestic leg of these international flights before - you fly through the international terminals/gates but you get a ticket with a big D on it, and that lets you skip the regular counters at immigration (and prevents you from buying stuff at duty free or getting liquor at the AI departures lounge). So I thought that, if he was going all the way, he'd just get a ticket without the D, and go through immigration in Delhi and so wouldn't need to in BOM. Is that not how AI 191 works?