Transferring at Mumbai airport arriving JetAirways from Singapore at 21h50 PM and leaving JetAirways to Brussels at 2h20 AM.

4 and a half hours in all and staying in the same terminal. Will we have to go through customs anyway (even though we're not actually entering India at all?). 21h50 to 2h20 is not exaclty the nices of times to be in an airport anywhere in the world... We're flying economy so no lounge access (unless you know of any buy-in lounges airside at Mumbai airport)...

Any suggestions as to how best spend these four and a half hours in the best least unpleaseant way??

Thanks

See www.sleepinginairports.net/asia/bombay.htm

Note: "Terminal 2A (Air India Check-in) sleep rooms with double beds, blankets and towels"

Whether or not you have to go through customs and immigration depends on the airline. I would guess that Jet Airways would check you and your luggage through, so you don't have to go through immigration, but you'd have to check with them to be sure.

The airport was under extensive renovation when I was last there, which by now should be finished. There is probably a lounge you can get into on a paid basis. You can check Priority Pass and Lounge Access web sites to see if you can book in advance.

I am happy to report that Mumbai International airport has <i>just</i> about entered the 21st century, and is now as bland and boring as any other smaller airport most anywhere in the world….all kidding aside, the new airport facilities are a vast improvement over what was there previously. Modern and spiffy.

Many, many flights depart Mumbai at late hours, so the airport will most likely be quite busy and you should find things open. (I had a departing flight at 12:30 am myself last week and restaurants, etc were still open. I have taken flights from there that depart at 3 am and the airport is still fairly busy). There is a food court and several stand alone restaurant, a few duty free shops and other shops (some still under construction). There are numerous seating areas if you don’t want to eat. I could not see a paid internet café where you could get internet access, but there may be one (I did not look to hard as I used the Jet Airways lounge). I am not sure that there is a paid lounge, try looking at the airport’s website at http://www.csia.in/. If you have a laptop with you, you may be able to buy time from a local wireless seller, look for a stall, that is usually the case in Indian airports, although again I did not look for this on my most recent trip. I would bring a book and also perhaps plan to have a meal (there is a Pizza Hut and KFC besides the food court which had regional offerings, there is also a Coffee Bean which is a Singaporean company and is the Asian version of Starbucks, and other coffee bars.) You can probably buy books and newspapers somewhere there as well.

As you are just changing between international flights, you won’t go through Immigration or Customs (which in India, like other countries, are two different events). You will be in “transit”. Which is a good thing because you need a visa for Indian which must be obtained before you arrive. So when you get off the plane from Singapore, just follow signs for “Transfer/Transit” You will spend your whole time in the secured departure area. Your checked bags will be transferred for you. As you are taking Jet the whole way, they should issue you a boarding pass inn Singapore for the Brussels leg; if for some reason they were not able to do so, you will need to find the Jet Airways Transfer counter, show them your ticket and they will issue you a boarding pass. This is very easy to do, and you have lots of time to do this. The transfer counters will be located somewhere in the secured departure area, just look for signs or ask. You may have to go through a security check at one or more points. You may be required to attached a tag to each item of hand luggage, which will then be stamped after it has gone through the X-ray. That is normal Indian security procedure. Indian, like Hong Kong and other countries, also has instituted a landing card for Swine Flu which you may be asked to fill out when you land, not sure if transit passengers are required to complete these.

Wow thank you Michael, Thursday and Cicerone! Lots of info here.

Joining up with Priority PAss just for the one off ends up being a tad expensive... However I read somewhere that Diners Club card gives access to the lounge so we'll try that.. if not we'll test some of Cicerone's bars/restruants!

thanks again

Happy to report the stopover in Mumbai was long, tiresome and boring but very much hassle-free. We had through check-in cards and were into the departure area within minutes of landing. There are, indeed, a few shops and the airport was generally quite crowded but we managed to buy our way into the Oberoi (jet airways and skyteam) lounge by paying $24 even though jet airways staff had sworn that would not be possible

the wait was long and tedious but we dozed in the lounge so not that bad.

Hey, that is good to know that you can buy into the lounge, I will bear that in mind if my company makes good on its threat to make us fly economy for short haul flights within India or for fligths on Jet Konnect....although that the lounge makes me crazy becuase the free wifi is for 15 minute intervals only -- honestly what is the use of that?!