Is this a new route for United?
 

I am looking at flights from ORD to BKK for April. I will splurge and buy a business class ticket, but I don't want to break the bank! I am seeing the cheapest flights from ORD- EWR to India (Delhi, Mumbai) with onward flights on Thai. I would appreciate any opinions on this routing. It takes right at 24 hours, including connection times. Seems reasonable.

The long haul flight to India is on a 777-200 with no international first class, just business/first and economy sections. Plenty of seats!

Is there a reason to avoid transiting Mumbai or Delhi?? Does one have to collect bags and re-check them, for example, like you do (did have to do) in China?

Thanks.

What's the difference in cost vs, flying across the Pacific to say NRT and connecting from there? I mean you have less stop and less chances of missed connections, lost bags, etc.

Carol,

I believe that the flights you're looking at require 2 changes -- in Newark and then in either Delhi or Mumbai. The flights from Newark would be on the former Continental planes. I don't have any experience either with those planes or in changing at DEL/BOM, so I can't give you any info there. But for me, avoiding a double connection is worth a LOT.

I know you prefer to travel on United, and their best connections to BKK seem to be through Beijing and Tokyo. You might also want to check out connections on SWISS (Zurich) and SAS (Copenhagen) -- both of those let you credit your miles to United.

Price difference is big. One ways fares of about $2700 via NRT vs $2100 if I transit thru India. I posed my question on flyertalk as well, and opinion is mostly OK, but I am left with questions. Hope to find answers with google search.

Continental have had both routes for many years, probably 10 years or so. The transit in India is probably not the most fun thing to do, seriously.

Supposedly there is a nice new terminal, so maybe not quite so unpleasant??

The new terminal in Delhi is very nice actually though I have never transited thru there, just arrived and departed. Arriving was easy because biz and 1st class passengers get their own line so it was faster.

Jacketwatch, in your experience is 2 hours enough time between flights? I guess I am using the wrong term when I say transit. I'm only arriving and departing, not staying at all. I will be a biz class passenger, regardless of the routing I pick. By flying thru Inda instead of Narita I can save about $1200 on the RT price.

Jacketwatch, in your experience is 2 hours enough time between flights? I guess I am using the wrong term when I say transit. I'm only arriving and departing, not staying at all. I will be a biz class passenger, regardless of the routing I pick. By flying thru Inda instead of Narita I can save about $1200 on the RT price.

It should be fine if all is on time. That should be plenty of time. :),