How to do an intl transfer airside in BOM
 

A bit of a trip report regarding BOM airside transfers...

So, the flight ATL-BOM on the 772LR was great (ATL Medallion ground staff were decidedly not great) - I did love the new BE seats - I was really able to properly sleep on the flight. IMHO, the seats are more comfortable than those in SQ C on the 772ER - although the display is nicer on SQ and it just feels more roomy somehow. But I digress.

Anyhow, I get off the plane and see a sign for "International Transfers". I get to the AI location which happily also gives service to SQ. They tell me to sit down and wait. Then more people come. Nothing. After a few minutes, I go to the new people and they start helping me. So I am assigned a transfer guy who takes my passport, luggage tag and itinerary and disappears (probably to the SQ counter to get my boarding pass). I was a bit worried at this stage, not being in possession of anything, but I tried to look cool, calm and collected.

Then he comes back, tells me to leave my hand luggage in the transit lounge (again - discomfort on my part, but I don't know that I really have any choice) and he takes me through the personnel area via an elevator to the baggage handling area - not the regular passenger side, but the actual baggage handling side (after passing a bunch of army types and various security apparatuses and him explaining in Hindi what it is he is doing with me). We find my bag which I identify. There is more talking going on between my transfer guy and the baggage handlers and then another police/army type person. At this stage my bag has not moved one cm and we leave. I do not know what the purpose of me going here is and I am doubtful at this stage that I will ever see my bag again (which looks sort of open). We go back to the transit lounge and get my hand luggage (yay - it is still there).

From there he takes me through security which went fine and he asks for a tip which I give (rule of thumb: always have a few dollars in ones to give out when traveling). He points me towards the lounge. I ask them if there is a shower. They say yes. Another guy comes to take me to the other side of the lounge where the shower is. He is also doing me a favor - or so he says. He gets me to the shower which is pretty rudimentary and then yet another guy gets me a towel. Lounge guy 1 asks for a tip. Given. Lounge guy 2 brings a towel and takes my hand luggage to the reception desk and tells me that he'll also expect a tip (at this stage, I've run out of ones). Finish showering. Lounge guy 2 is not at the desk happily, so I just take my stuff and leave for the other lounge. No internet, so I make a few calls. I leave for the SQ gate and Lounge guy 2 finds me - asks how the shower was and I tell him it was great (it wasn't all that in actuality - but it was better than nothing) and thank you very much and hastily make my departure from BOM.

Happily, I was indeed reunited with my luggage in SIN. SQ even added their own priority tag to my bag (DL didn't bother with it when I checked in in ATL).

All in all it was a bit comical and not painful at all. While I was supposed to make a return through BOM, I am probably going to not do this because of other issues (see:http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showp...0&postcount=18). I will miss traveling on that 772LR though...

Anyhow, hope my experience helps anyone else considering transiting through BOM.

Normal Process?
 

A group of us recently had a similar experience when transferring from the ATL-BOM flight on DL to the BOM-SIN on SQ:

When we arrived we followed the International Transfer signs. Upon arriving to the line and inquiring about our transfer, we were told we had to go through Customs. We go downstairs to Customs who tells us - No, go back to International Transfers. So we went back to Int'l Transfers. We ask again about connecting to the BOM-SIN flight and we're told to stand/sit off to the side in the Int'l Transfer area. A guy - a facilitator as you say - asks for our itinerary, passports, and baggage claim tickets. We hand over and he says he'll be back in 5 to 10 mins. About 30 mins pass before he returns with our items and our connecting tickets. (YAY! We were worried). We go through screening and on to the lounge, etc.

We are returning the same way. My question is...is this the normal process? Going to Int'l Transfer, handing over our passport, itineraries, baggage claim tags to an airport employee and then waiting for his return?

bom isnt really setup for international transit. not without a lot of it being manual.