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Based on my recent experience in and out of BLR (both domestic and international); the domestic departure was busy and seemed to have got to pre-COVID levels, at least during the peak, early morning hours. Security check seems to be super strict and takes longer now. The thing of taking out every bit of small items and electronics (including headphones, charging cables) in addition to the usual phone. wallets etc. adds to the slow progress. Of course, better organizing your cabin bag can make it a real breeze!
A couple of lounges have opened up at the international departures which is a welcome addition to the old one which was pretty bad.

Does anyone have a first-hand account of the Pune airport, post re-opening in October?

I heard there have been some infra changes made - like adding more luggage screening machines + more space for security checks etc. aiding in smoother + quicker passenger flow inside the facility.

Goa airport seems to be getting some long-overdue upgrades. Work still in progress but there seems to be a whole new section with considerably more seating and much newer bathrooms upstairs at the departures waiting area. Shockingly no bookstore! So if you're used to reading while waiting for a flight, carry a book from home.

Some photos of the new arrival hall at Delhi Airport’s T1 terminal.

Guys, just a heads-up.

At Bombay CSIA they are asking for the double vaccination certificate or an RTPCR no less than 72 hours upon arrival. Best to keep this downloaded on your phone. Saw a big crowd waiting to download the certificate at the arrival gate.

Question on travel from & to Kochi airport - on arrival, one can use the pre-paid cab service to get to destination (a hotel) in the city.

For the return flight, what's the best way to hail a cab to the airport (Kerala doesn't have Ola/Uber if I'm right) - Hire one from the hotel ? Any other recommendations for taxis ?

Kerala does have Ola/Uber. And in true Kerala style, there have been:

1. Instances of passengers assaulting Uber drivers.
2. Instances of non-affiliated cab drivers assaulting Uber drivers.
2. The drivers going on strike under the auspices of a trade union.
3. Government announcement of public-sector app-based cab service that went nowhere.
4. Local competition to Ola/Uber.
5. Assault by non-affiliated cab drivers on these local competitions' drivers.
6. And finally, a Malayalam movie in which the hero is an Uber driver.

For those on a budget, just take the Kochi metro to Aluva and pick an auto from there (could be cut-throat rates). I'm not sure if KSRTC has started direct Volvo services from Vyttila to the airport (there was considerable pushback from the prepaid cab operators).

Found this 2 year old news on feeder buses between Aluva metro and Kochi airport, hope the current status on the ground is still the same (don't know if it changed in the ensuing period due to the pandemic).
Link

The airport website has detailed info:

https://cial.aero/contents/viewconte...&linkLvl1Id=17

There are contact phone numbers also, you should call and check if these schedules are still affected by the pandemic.

Traveling from BLR to CCU tomorrow. I have the soft copy of the boarding pass. Do I need to get a hard copy at the airport? The security check involved stamping on the pass I remember. Haven’t travelled by air for a while.

There is no stamping at security now - so e-boarding pass will work. However if you check-in luggage, the folks at the counter will give you a printed boarding pass.

Visited a few domestic airports over the past week on some work-related travel, so was good to compare them over a short period of time.

Delhi- simply awesome! Got to pass through both T1 and T3 and everything just works. As a Bangalorean, so jealous of you guys- we're at least 5-7 years away from an airport metro and you guys have 2 stations servicing your airport! An hour after I landed, I was where I needed to be in Delhi, even after switching from the Magenta line to the Yellow. Bangalore, I'd still probably be stuck at the toll plaza outside the airport! Delhi certainly lacks the wow! factor of Changi and Suvarnabhumi, but everything is really efficient.

Dehradun - cute, small airport. Makes you understand why opening and running airports outside of the major cities is probably going to be a loss-making enterprise. Even though Dehradun is a pretty well-visited destination, didn't seem to be enough passenger traffic going through. After Delhi's 50+,60+ gates, was sweet to see just Gate 1 and Gate 2!

Hyderabad- another awesome airport that I was visiting after a long time, again, just works. Used the express security check here for the first time, for those who have already web-checked-in and have only hand baggage, that's a real time and hassle saver.

Goa - seriously needs a new airport. Some upgrades are being done, but this is a sorry airport for such a busy destination, really. Mopa may have some scams attached (which major development in the country doesn't?), but I think it can't come fast enough. Would be awesome if they planned some public transport now to go along with the new airport, but of course Goa will always go along with the taxi mafia (sigh!) and make it even harder for travellers to the new airport as well!

Bangalore - why is the security check so slow here?! Definitely seemed slower than either Delhi which has much more passenger traffic and Hyderabad. Is there an express security check like in Hyderabad, and did I just miss it? While waiting, chatted with some people who were more frequent flyers than I am and they too confirmed that Bangalore security check is really slow compared to other major domestic airports.


Absolutely no covid checks, report/vax certificate checking at any of these places. Only on the aircraft will they keep reminding you to use masks, no one checks in the airport either.

I’m flying out to PNQ from BLR later this month. I’ve not been to an airport for more the 2 years now since the pandemic hit and I read that some rules of the game have changed. Can someone who has flown domestically recently confirm/correct the following?

1. Covid vaccination and RTPCR - I’m assuming showing the vaccination certificate on phone is sufficient and negative RTPCR is not required at either PNQ or BLR. The concept of quarantine/hand stamping etc., is no longer relevant.

2. Web checkin mandatory- I assume boarding pass on a mobile is good enough and I don’t have to show the physical copy. Is this correct?

3. Gadgets in bags - I will be traveling with couple of laptops, a tablet and a couple of cellphones. I’m assuming all these should be in the carry on/cabin bag like earlier.

4. Check in luggage - I read online that airlines no longer print bag tags at airport. We’re now supposed to print out bag tags at home or stick a piece of paper with information in the format prescribed by the airline. Is this true?

5. Arogya Setu app - is this app even necessary?

Any other aspects of airline travel that I need to be aware of? Are there any increased security measures at the airports these days? Do I need to be at the airport more than 2 hours prior to the departure time?

I flied PNQ-BLR-PNQ in last week of March, here are the responses based on my experience.

1. No check for vaccination/RT-PCR at any airport, no arogya setu either. (That covers #5)

2. Boarding pass on mobile worked at both the airports, no print-out needed

3. Gadgets - same rules as pre-Covid

4. Bag tags are printed at the airport

Overall, budgeting for baggage drop, 1.5 hours prior to departure should be sufficient, but adjust according to the departure time and traffic at the airport at that particular hour.

The lounge, then. Tweet by Mr Mahindra with pic on TBhp.