Chennai [MAA] connection/departure experience reports
Jan 16, 2023, 3:42 am
#61
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I used Airalo recently during a trip to the UK & it worked very well.
The fingerprint problem seems to be common at all international airports in India so this is not unique to MAA.
Having said that, MAA is definitely very low on my list of airports to arrive in. I would avoid it unless I had no other viable option.
The fingerprint problem seems to be common at all international airports in India so this is not unique to MAA.
Having said that, MAA is definitely very low on my list of airports to arrive in. I would avoid it unless I had no other viable option.
Jan 23, 2023, 2:40 pm
#62
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Hmmm. I also had the same issue on a recent trip late last year via DEL. Had to press the fingerprint scanner several times. This appears to be a new requirement, since this was not required on an earlier visit last year. But other than that, DEL arrival appears to be far more pleasant than MAA.
Jan 24, 2023, 4:25 am
#63
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Jan 25, 2023, 7:28 am
#64
Join Date: Oct 2009
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JAN 12 2023 - sharing my experience at MAA so you are prepared - My advice AVOID THIS airport and fly into BOM/DEL/BLR and connect domestically.
1. This airport 's international arrival has not changed in 20 years - same tired corridors from the planes to the international arrival hall.
2. You need to pickup a paper "arrival" entry document - no one tells you need this, they don't distribute this inflight, and there are no signs informing you to fill this out.
3. YOU CANNOT BUY A SIM CARD AT THE AIRPORT!!!! more on this below....
4. For foreign passport holders and OCI card holders, you will see 2 lines forming. There are 3-4 officers working. 3 officers work the right hand line.
ONLY ONE OFFICER works the left hand line. In other words you will wait thrice as long if you pick the left hand line because they have no single line Queuing system.
5. Fingerprint scanners don't work well, you will have to clean your hands multiple times with the immigration provided solution and press your fingers on the dirty glass multiple times before the system accepts your prints. I had to scan 8 (EIGHT!) times (and rinse my fingers in between attempts) before my prints were accepted.
6. Before entering the luggage area, your carry on has to be X-rayed for smuggling gold. Of course, there is only one lane and most PAX are behaving like the already are in India (that is, no lining up - just muscling your way to the front regardless of the number of toes you step on)!
7. Get your book and sit down. You will wait ONE HOUR for your luggage, especially business class and those marked with priority tags (Star Alliance).
After 3/4 of the passengers had claimed their luggage and 45 elapsed minutes after arrival, along arrives ALL the priority tagged luggage.
These were the last bags to be unloaded when arriving on my connecting TG flight from BKK.
8. You will see a whole bunch of passengers crawling into the area below/behind the conveyor belt exit from the wall. This is because they are literally lifting luggage piece by piece on the Xray machine belt, and only then do they drop it on the main conveyor belt to the carousel. Avoid the temptation to see what is going on. I just described it.
9. Use this time to visit the ONE AND ONLY ATM machine and currency exchange counter in the entire arrival area. THERE ARE NO ATMs or money changers once you exit the customs area.
10. The only thing good I can say about this place is the the GREEN channel works as design and Customs does not hassle you.
Why would they? Your bags have been Xrayed, you have been Xrayed (artistic liberty here!), and your patience has been X-frayed!
11. Now you pass though the doors and out. IF you miss the hole in the wall Airport Taxi Stand at the far end and exit, you are dumped into a sea of waiting faces who leave you little room to move out, and the guard won't let you back in.
12. If you exited with a taxi ticket, hawk eyed men will approach to snatch your pre-paid taxi ticket. They will literally try to take the ticket from your hand and you have to tighten your grip at the risk of tearing the ticket in the struggle to hang on to your ticket.
13. Crossing the main roadway (I did not see any lights for pedestrians while fighting off the hawk-eyed ticket snatchers), there are no signs informing you that THE MAN in a khaki uniform with a tattered and torn notebook with hawkers surrounding him is the taxi dispatcher who tells you your taxi number and writes it down in his tattered notebook.That's when you realize that the would be ticket snatchers are just drivers trying to corral your ride.
14. Did I mention, no ATMs, no tourist counters, no money changers, no place to get a bottle of water, no currency exchange, NOTHING except 10,000 people waiting to greet their loved ones.
15. WELCOME TO CHENNAI and the multitudes of India, 10 feet from the exit door!
16. Lastly, you will need to visit an AIRTEL office to get a SIM card.
Bring your passport and visa AND a have local contact who will be called during the process to state the OTP that AIRTEL sends to him/her.
You will get a kick out of how smart young Indians, both men and women, navigate the entire process quickly and efficiently on their cell phones to provide you with a working SIM in about 30 minutes. I was quite impressed with the AIRTEL staff.
They will also take your picture, so I wasted $25 taking passport pictures in the US.
None of the above was revealed through my extensive research before my departure, so I am putting this out there to help fellow travelers.
Bon Voyage and Welcome to India!
AVOID CHENNAI AIRPORT INTERNATIONAL ARRIVALS!
1. This airport 's international arrival has not changed in 20 years - same tired corridors from the planes to the international arrival hall.
2. You need to pickup a paper "arrival" entry document - no one tells you need this, they don't distribute this inflight, and there are no signs informing you to fill this out.
3. YOU CANNOT BUY A SIM CARD AT THE AIRPORT!!!! more on this below....
4. For foreign passport holders and OCI card holders, you will see 2 lines forming. There are 3-4 officers working. 3 officers work the right hand line.
ONLY ONE OFFICER works the left hand line. In other words you will wait thrice as long if you pick the left hand line because they have no single line Queuing system.
5. Fingerprint scanners don't work well, you will have to clean your hands multiple times with the immigration provided solution and press your fingers on the dirty glass multiple times before the system accepts your prints. I had to scan 8 (EIGHT!) times (and rinse my fingers in between attempts) before my prints were accepted.
6. Before entering the luggage area, your carry on has to be X-rayed for smuggling gold. Of course, there is only one lane and most PAX are behaving like the already are in India (that is, no lining up - just muscling your way to the front regardless of the number of toes you step on)!
7. Get your book and sit down. You will wait ONE HOUR for your luggage, especially business class and those marked with priority tags (Star Alliance).
After 3/4 of the passengers had claimed their luggage and 45 elapsed minutes after arrival, along arrives ALL the priority tagged luggage.
These were the last bags to be unloaded when arriving on my connecting TG flight from BKK.
8. You will see a whole bunch of passengers crawling into the area below/behind the conveyor belt exit from the wall. This is because they are literally lifting luggage piece by piece on the Xray machine belt, and only then do they drop it on the main conveyor belt to the carousel. Avoid the temptation to see what is going on. I just described it.
9. Use this time to visit the ONE AND ONLY ATM machine and currency exchange counter in the entire arrival area. THERE ARE NO ATMs or money changers once you exit the customs area.
10. The only thing good I can say about this place is the the GREEN channel works as design and Customs does not hassle you.
Why would they? Your bags have been Xrayed, you have been Xrayed (artistic liberty here!), and your patience has been X-frayed!
11. Now you pass though the doors and out. IF you miss the hole in the wall Airport Taxi Stand at the far end and exit, you are dumped into a sea of waiting faces who leave you little room to move out, and the guard won't let you back in.
12. If you exited with a taxi ticket, hawk eyed men will approach to snatch your pre-paid taxi ticket. They will literally try to take the ticket from your hand and you have to tighten your grip at the risk of tearing the ticket in the struggle to hang on to your ticket.
13. Crossing the main roadway (I did not see any lights for pedestrians while fighting off the hawk-eyed ticket snatchers), there are no signs informing you that THE MAN in a khaki uniform with a tattered and torn notebook with hawkers surrounding him is the taxi dispatcher who tells you your taxi number and writes it down in his tattered notebook.That's when you realize that the would be ticket snatchers are just drivers trying to corral your ride.
14. Did I mention, no ATMs, no tourist counters, no money changers, no place to get a bottle of water, no currency exchange, NOTHING except 10,000 people waiting to greet their loved ones.
15. WELCOME TO CHENNAI and the multitudes of India, 10 feet from the exit door!
16. Lastly, you will need to visit an AIRTEL office to get a SIM card.
Bring your passport and visa AND a have local contact who will be called during the process to state the OTP that AIRTEL sends to him/her.
You will get a kick out of how smart young Indians, both men and women, navigate the entire process quickly and efficiently on their cell phones to provide you with a working SIM in about 30 minutes. I was quite impressed with the AIRTEL staff.
They will also take your picture, so I wasted $25 taking passport pictures in the US.
None of the above was revealed through my extensive research before my departure, so I am putting this out there to help fellow travelers.
Bon Voyage and Welcome to India!
AVOID CHENNAI AIRPORT INTERNATIONAL ARRIVALS!
Feb 6, 2023, 7:08 pm
#65
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Californa
Programs: 100000 mile flyer
Posts: 99
More MAA (Chennai) Nightmares - this time in TRANSIT
Sharing my experience 2 days ago on a through ticket IXZ-MAA-BLR sold by Air-India as a through ticket.
The concept of being in transit on a domestic flight DOES NOT EXIST IN INDIA.
You are treated like a new passenger entering the transit airport.
Arriving from IXZ into MAA, AI ground staff were yelling all BLR passengers this bus, all MAA passengers that bus.
It didn't help that 1/2 the pax on the BLR bus were MAA bound and, and had to get off before we could board.
The bus drops us off at the terminal, and AI ground staff tells everyone to stand and wait.
After what seemed like 10 minutes, I asked "What are we waiting for?"
AI ground staff replies "2 PAX needed to use the toilet!" so now 18 transit had to wait for these 2 PAX.
We are then escorted to an elevator and dumped out in a small area by the INDIGO check in counter where...
ONE, I mean ONE CISF agent is checking all TRASIT PAX's id and boarding card to allow entry into the airport.
Didn't matter that we had done this already in IXZ and were in transit.
And the elevator disgorging more transit PAX means you are getting pushed from behind because the CISF agent is taking their own sweet time checking IDs.
After getting through this hurdle, (10-15 minutes), you have to line up with ALL the departing MAA passengers to go through security again,
while other departing MAA passengers try to cut in front of you for the security check! (another 10-15 minutes)
When I pleaded that I was going to miss my flight, the security agent said "Use the staff security lane on the far left".
He claimed they would let me though because my flight was boarding already.
Well, that part was right, only every time you got closer to the metal detector, 5 people flashing staff badges would cut in front of you.
So what seemed to be a reasonable 50 minute connection in a domestic transit in MAA, wound up being 95 heart stopping minutes.
Luckily Air-India held the plane and it departed 35 minutes late.
NEVER AGAIN!
The concept of being in transit on a domestic flight DOES NOT EXIST IN INDIA.
You are treated like a new passenger entering the transit airport.
Arriving from IXZ into MAA, AI ground staff were yelling all BLR passengers this bus, all MAA passengers that bus.
It didn't help that 1/2 the pax on the BLR bus were MAA bound and, and had to get off before we could board.
The bus drops us off at the terminal, and AI ground staff tells everyone to stand and wait.
After what seemed like 10 minutes, I asked "What are we waiting for?"
AI ground staff replies "2 PAX needed to use the toilet!" so now 18 transit had to wait for these 2 PAX.
We are then escorted to an elevator and dumped out in a small area by the INDIGO check in counter where...
ONE, I mean ONE CISF agent is checking all TRASIT PAX's id and boarding card to allow entry into the airport.
Didn't matter that we had done this already in IXZ and were in transit.
And the elevator disgorging more transit PAX means you are getting pushed from behind because the CISF agent is taking their own sweet time checking IDs.
After getting through this hurdle, (10-15 minutes), you have to line up with ALL the departing MAA passengers to go through security again,
while other departing MAA passengers try to cut in front of you for the security check! (another 10-15 minutes)
When I pleaded that I was going to miss my flight, the security agent said "Use the staff security lane on the far left".
He claimed they would let me though because my flight was boarding already.
Well, that part was right, only every time you got closer to the metal detector, 5 people flashing staff badges would cut in front of you.
So what seemed to be a reasonable 50 minute connection in a domestic transit in MAA, wound up being 95 heart stopping minutes.
Luckily Air-India held the plane and it departed 35 minutes late.
NEVER AGAIN!
Last edited by luv2fly1st; Feb 11, 2023 at 9:17 am
Feb 7, 2023, 12:23 pm
#68
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,631
FT exists to exchange information, not just to post rants. If you had sought advice you would have been told that a 50-min connection is not reasonable in India, even though it technically satisfies the MCT (45min). There's nothing exceptional about MAA, this advice applies to all Indian airports.
Incidentally, if the transfer took you 95 min but the flight left 35 min late, you presumably missed it, because 50+35 = 85 which is less than 95.
Feb 10, 2023, 10:50 pm
#69
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Californa
Programs: 100000 mile flyer
Posts: 99
I would have learned:
1. In India transit passengers (domestic) have to show id to enter the connection airport EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE CLEARED AT ORIGIN.
This is unique to India...For most of us worldwide travelers, a CPT-xJNB-DUR, NRT-xNGO-KIX, EWR-xDEN-LAX, YUL-xYYZ-YVR, CDG-xZRH-ROM, SYD-xMEL-PER domestic connections are all do-able and reasonable 50 minute connections when the airline sells them as married segments though I agree at some airports this would be tight.
IT is ONLY INDIA that differs and that was the point.
2. If there is a need for re-screening, at all the above DOMESTIC connection airports, JNB, KIX, DEN, YYZ, ZRH, MEL,
transit passengers are screened separately in TRANSIT, NOT THROWN IN WITH ALL THE departing passengers from those cities.
IT is ONLY INDIA that differs and that was the point.
3. If ID checking is needed at the connection airport, in JNB, KIX, DEN, YYZ, ZRH, MEL, there are multiple agents checking IDs so the lines keep moving.
IT is ONLY INDIA that differs with just a single agent for ID checking and that was the point.
4. When Air India sells this ticket as a connection, the expectation from travelers all over the world is that xMAA or xBOM or xHYD would be the same as xJNB, xZRH.
IT is ONLY INDIA that differs and that was the point.
4. Your mathematical remark may have been sounded cute to you, but did not take into account my inbound flight was 20 minutes early,
so the last BLR bound PAX made it with about ONE minute to spare. I did not mention my inbound being early because I did not think it was relevant.
However, my comment(s) allowed you to make a snide remark that had no value to anyone but yourself.
Last edited by luv2fly1st; Feb 11, 2023 at 9:45 am
Feb 11, 2023, 1:12 am
#70
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2. If there is a need for re-screening, at all the above DOMESTIC connection airports, JNB, KIX, DEN, YYZ, ZRH, MEL,
transit passengers are screened separately in TRANSIT, NOT THROWN IN WITH ALL THE departing passengers from those cities.
IT is ONLY INDIA that differs and that was the point.
transit passengers are screened separately in TRANSIT, NOT THROWN IN WITH ALL THE departing passengers from those cities.
IT is ONLY INDIA that differs and that was the point.
At the end of the day, just avoid MAA in the future. I have transited these a few times because I had no choice but its not something I would do if another option was available to me.
Feb 11, 2023, 6:26 am
#71
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 191
Is that universally correct? I had plenty of connections at DEL where the transit desk just shrugged and sent me outside to deal with the check-in counters, even with a connecting boarding pass.
Feb 11, 2023, 7:42 am
#73
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How can air India or other airlines sell such a connection - don’t the people know that the domestic connection will be chaotic due to their own flying experiences?
Feb 11, 2023, 7:53 am
#74
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I have connected in DEL (Terminal 3) a couple of times & have a colleague who does so regularly as well. We have never been asked to go outside & check-in again.
Feb 11, 2023, 3:23 pm
#75
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,631
So they waited for everyone before pulling out. India is different...in the US they wouldn't have done that.