US to India trip - long layover at Mumbai airport
Jul 28th, 2013, 07:28 PM
#1
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US to India trip - long layover at Mumbai airport
We are an olderly couple. We will be traveling from NJ to Kolkata. We have to go thru Mumbai or Delhi for a shorter flight time. Most of the Int'l flights are arriving at Mumbai/Delhi around 11PM-12Midnight. But I can not find a flight from Mumbai or Delhi (Jet Airways) that will be connecting us to a Kolkata flight within 3-4 hours .We have to wait the whole night (7-8 hours) at the airport and then catch the morning flight. I need a real Jet Airways flight (not JetKonnect) in order to make it a thru service on one ticket reservation.
Is there a place where we can take some rest at Mumbai airport? Is there a lounge for economy passengers to wait at the airport?
Please advise.
Is there a place where we can take some rest at Mumbai airport? Is there a lounge for economy passengers to wait at the airport?
Please advise.
Jul 29th, 2013, 12:18 AM
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Air India, Emirates and Qatar all have single-airline one-stop itinerary from either EWR or JFK to CCU without long overnight connections, though Qatar arrive really early in the morning. Why are you not considering those?
Jul 29th, 2013, 09:49 AM
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Yes I should have mentioned. We are far away from JFK.
Also Jet is the least expensive for two tickets at this time.
Thanks.
Still trying to understand if the Mumbai airport has any facilities for overnight waiting.
Also Jet is the least expensive for two tickets at this time.
Thanks.
Still trying to understand if the Mumbai airport has any facilities for overnight waiting.
Jul 29th, 2013, 10:10 PM
#4
See: http://www.sleepinginairports.net/as...m#.UfdYOBB5mSM - yes, it does list airport hotels. Also, note that you are not allowed into Indian airports until a couple of hours before departure.
Jul 29th, 2013, 10:47 PM
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In Mumbai you'll arrive at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.As you have mentioned the ETA is 11PM-12 Midnight(peak time in Indian airports),it would probably take you an 1 1/2 to clear custom/emigration/baggage collection.The transfers for an onward domestic flight at Santa Cruz is by an airport coach at the arrival/Dep lounge.
There is a slumber lounge with cushioned deck chairs.Ask for it on arrival.
Check in at least 90 mins early for domestic flights.The queues are long.
Will not make sense getting to a hotel unless the connecting flight is late morning.
There is a slumber lounge with cushioned deck chairs.Ask for it on arrival.
Check in at least 90 mins early for domestic flights.The queues are long.
Will not make sense getting to a hotel unless the connecting flight is late morning.
Jul 29th, 2013, 11:19 PM
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The international and domestic airports at Mumbai are in different locations, so it does complicate things a bit. The two airports are about 3 miles apart, and it takes 15 minutes or so to go between them. You can take a taxi or use their free shuttle bus; I would opt for a taxi as it will be easier.
You first will have to go through Immigration and Customs when you land in Mumbai, so you will have to collect your bags. This means it is not really feasible for you to wait out the connection time in the transit area (“airside”) at the international airport. (Well, you could stay in the transit area for the layover, but your luggage would be out on the carousel for several hours, and probably would be taken off and put somewhere if you don’t collect it within a certain period after arrival. That might be a hassle.)
You could theoretically wait out the connection in the arrivals hall area of the international airport after you have collect bags and gone through Immigration and Customs. There are some shops and restaurants, but noreal lounge area. In either case, you would need to leave time to get over to the domestic airport.
The waiting area in the domestic airport is quite small and does not offer any amenities other than a few places to get tea and a McDonalds. I would not suggest you wait there. In addition, Indian airports generally has a rule that you cannot enter the airport until 3 hours before your flight, so bear that in mind if you do decide to go there to wait out the connection.
My suggestion is that you get a hotel room for the wait period. I think that will be more comfortable. There are several hotels to choose from. If you hare Marriott Reward points, there is a Courtyard not too far that you could stay at. There are other options. There are about a half dozen hotels within a few minutes’ drive of the international and domestic terminals of the airport, including a Hyatt, a Sheraton (called the Maratha), an Intercontinental (called the Lalit), a Le Meridien (also run by Sheraton), and a Leela Kempinski. If you have Sheraton reward points, then the Maratha or Meridien may be a good option. These are all slightly closer to the international terminal, but it is maybe 10-15 minutes to the domestic terminal from any of them. I think you can find the websites of the most of them, for the Leela, a good local Indian chain, go to www.theleela.com. Most of these would have a shuttle bus from the international airport, please confirm this as I have never taken one, but I believe they offer it, otherwise take a taxi or a hotel car.
The one more budget hotel in the area, which I don’t know personally, but it has been mentioned on this board, is the Hotel Highway Residency hotel. A few posters here have mentioned it as being fine; the comments on tripadvisor.com were not so great, but see for yourself. I don’t know it at all so can’t give any comments good or bad. I only found this website
Finally, if there is a Jet Konnect flight that makes a better connection time for you than Jet Airways, I would buy that as a separate ticket. You don’t need to be on one ticket for the international and domestic flights, as you have to go through Immigration and Customs when you land, and so you have to collect your bags to do so and then check-in again for your next flight. It is not possible to drop bags on a belt to make a domestic connection; you have to go to an entirely different airport. So being on one ticket is not really necessary.
You first will have to go through Immigration and Customs when you land in Mumbai, so you will have to collect your bags. This means it is not really feasible for you to wait out the connection time in the transit area (“airside”) at the international airport. (Well, you could stay in the transit area for the layover, but your luggage would be out on the carousel for several hours, and probably would be taken off and put somewhere if you don’t collect it within a certain period after arrival. That might be a hassle.)
You could theoretically wait out the connection in the arrivals hall area of the international airport after you have collect bags and gone through Immigration and Customs. There are some shops and restaurants, but noreal lounge area. In either case, you would need to leave time to get over to the domestic airport.
The waiting area in the domestic airport is quite small and does not offer any amenities other than a few places to get tea and a McDonalds. I would not suggest you wait there. In addition, Indian airports generally has a rule that you cannot enter the airport until 3 hours before your flight, so bear that in mind if you do decide to go there to wait out the connection.
My suggestion is that you get a hotel room for the wait period. I think that will be more comfortable. There are several hotels to choose from. If you hare Marriott Reward points, there is a Courtyard not too far that you could stay at. There are other options. There are about a half dozen hotels within a few minutes’ drive of the international and domestic terminals of the airport, including a Hyatt, a Sheraton (called the Maratha), an Intercontinental (called the Lalit), a Le Meridien (also run by Sheraton), and a Leela Kempinski. If you have Sheraton reward points, then the Maratha or Meridien may be a good option. These are all slightly closer to the international terminal, but it is maybe 10-15 minutes to the domestic terminal from any of them. I think you can find the websites of the most of them, for the Leela, a good local Indian chain, go to www.theleela.com. Most of these would have a shuttle bus from the international airport, please confirm this as I have never taken one, but I believe they offer it, otherwise take a taxi or a hotel car.
The one more budget hotel in the area, which I don’t know personally, but it has been mentioned on this board, is the Hotel Highway Residency hotel. A few posters here have mentioned it as being fine; the comments on tripadvisor.com were not so great, but see for yourself. I don’t know it at all so can’t give any comments good or bad. I only found this website
Finally, if there is a Jet Konnect flight that makes a better connection time for you than Jet Airways, I would buy that as a separate ticket. You don’t need to be on one ticket for the international and domestic flights, as you have to go through Immigration and Customs when you land, and so you have to collect your bags to do so and then check-in again for your next flight. It is not possible to drop bags on a belt to make a domestic connection; you have to go to an entirely different airport. So being on one ticket is not really necessary.
Jul 30th, 2013, 02:48 PM
#7
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Thank you so much for all the detail info. Very informative.
Yes going thru the immigration, collecting your luggage and then getting transported to the Domestic airport would be a challenge.
I have been trying to get on the JetKonnect flight (2:45AM locaL) separately. Can't find two tickets on that flight. They are sold out. Alternative is a thru ticket from EWR to CCU on Jet that will connect us to a 7:35 AM jET flight (Local time)after 8.5 hours of layover. I will be looking at the hotel option now.
Hard to believe that Mumbai being a big business center for India, doesn’t provide any waiting lounge for passenger's comfort. It’s a shame for our country.
At this point, we are thinking to look at the flights via New Delhi to Kolkata. Wish me luck!!
Thanks again to my friends.
Yes going thru the immigration, collecting your luggage and then getting transported to the Domestic airport would be a challenge.
I have been trying to get on the JetKonnect flight (2:45AM locaL) separately. Can't find two tickets on that flight. They are sold out. Alternative is a thru ticket from EWR to CCU on Jet that will connect us to a 7:35 AM jET flight (Local time)after 8.5 hours of layover. I will be looking at the hotel option now.
Hard to believe that Mumbai being a big business center for India, doesn’t provide any waiting lounge for passenger's comfort. It’s a shame for our country.
At this point, we are thinking to look at the flights via New Delhi to Kolkata. Wish me luck!!
Thanks again to my friends.
Jul 30th, 2013, 04:40 PM
#8
In south Asia airports are not regarded as public spaces the way they are in some other areas, which certainly makes them more secure. You need a ticket to get past a minimal comnon area, and then only within a certain window before the flight is scheduled to leave.
