Transit without visa
 

Can I transit in Delhi without a visa flying from YYZ-DEL on AC and DEL-KTM on Indigo? I believe both flights depart from Terminal 3. 1st flight arrives at 20:40 and 2nd flight leaves at 11:15 the next day. I think there is a transit hotel that I can stay without leaving the international area. Does anyone know if AC will tag through my bag onto KTM without having to pick them up in DEL? I'd have applied for a transit visa but as a Canadian right now India is not issuing visas

Transit without visa in India
 

I have a ticket YYZ-DEL on AC with a separate onward ticket DEL-KTM. Based on my understanding, I am allowed to transit in India to my final destination as long as I don't leave the secure area. My onward ticket is with Air India. Both inbound into DEL and outbound from DEL leave from Terminal 3. There is a transit hotel in T3 that I can stay overnight. My layover is about 10 hours. Does anyone know if they is workable? Obviously I cannot get a transit/tourist visa right now as a Canadian. I am also assuming that AC can tag my bags from YYZ to my final destination KTM even though they are 2 separate tickets but I'm staying with *A.

I recently got back from India to KTM and on the way out I did transit. I had a granted eVisa not yet in my passport and they didn't ask for it in the transit lounge. I had the help of the AC Concierge though and they got me through. I went DEL-KTM-DEL.

A few things, Star Alliance no longer gives you through checking of bags, if it's on a 014 AC ticket on Aeroplan the rules say it can be checked through but you may have to get the check-in agent to look it up. A friend in the same situation as you wasn't allowed to board in Canada with a second ticket on AI so be careful as it may not work. He had to buy a new Air India ticket. The rule in DEL transit lounge (no services just hard chairs) is that they will only issue a boarding pass and let you through 4 hours before flight. They will not accept an AC issued boarding pass for the Air India flight.
So two big issues. You may not be able to board in Canada as they won't check bags through unless on an Air Canada issued or Aeroplan ticket. Second if you can get bags checked through you may end up in transit lounge for 6 hours. Aeroplan redemptions from India can be a very good deal if available the day you need it and as issued on AC stock should allow you to have bags checked through. That's what I did for my flight DEL-KTM. This also depends on if you get a informed and cooperative agent.

Given the current situation, I don't think AC would let you board without a Indian visa. I wouldn't take a chance.

I highly doubt your plan will work. With separate tickets you don't qualify for TWOV. AC's obligation ends in DEL, so you'd have to get a very lenient agent to accept your self-connection and tag your bags through.

As per Timatic:

You may want to read up on this thread before making that assumption.

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/air-...interline.html

AC will not let you board your flight to DEL without a visa. Doesn't matter if you only plan on staying in the transit area for your second flight.

It's a harsh world, but your hopes, expectation and intentions mean nothing to those hard-nosed agents at YYZ. From their point of view you are travelling to Delhi and must satisfy Indian immigration rules: if you don't (and without a visa you don't) the airline faces penalties for taking you there, and the agent will probably have to take some of the heat.

Things would change if it were a through ticket issued by AC.

There are many other ways to get to KTM. Maybe the Delhi + Indigo option is the cheapest, and if that's the case you might have to factor in the cost and hassle of acquiring an Indian visa. But the bright side of that would be you could also spend some time in India.

eVisa were reinstated for Canadians yesterday. Hope your transit is still in the future.