Team-BHP - The Air Travel & Airports Discussion Thread

Quote:

Originally Posted by arun_kun (Post 3737495)

Recently I travelled from Denver to Singapore with the stopover at LA. I travelled business class from Denver to LA with United and From LA to Singapore Business class with Singapore Airlines. They checked-in my luggage at Denver till Singapore.

But, from Singapore--> LA-->Denver, I need to take my luggage at LA and go through the customs as it is the first port of entry and checkin again till Denver.

On a side note, even if you didn't travel business class and travelled so called cattle class your luggage checkin process would still be same. ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by reverse_gear (Post 3738166)

Finally we made the TGV platform literally 1 min before the train departure. I was certain all through that we were going to miss the train (while my wife was a lot more peaceful and philosophical). Finally the train left 5 min late!

This turned out to be a very convenient and economical connection for us and the TGV is very comfortable and fast. Just allow some time for dealing with CDG airport and you will be fine.

thanks for the feedback, glad you made it!
Jeroen

Quote:

Originally Posted by akshay1234 (Post 3737463)

Guys can bags be checked all the way to the destination even if airlines are being changed at a stopover?

For eg, now Delta has stopped India operations and they have a flight form Dubai. Now if I fly Jet/Emirates to Dubai (different pnr from Dubai onwards), can be bags be checked to my destination on Delta? Or will I have to get a transit visa or something and go and collect and re check my bags.

Also if Delta, and Emirates/Jet are on one alliance, I think they should be able to check the bags all the way through right?

Have wondered about this.

I have flown BLR-DXB-ATL many times, the BLR-DXB leg being Emirates and DXB-ATL being Delta.
Bags have always been checked through to ATL. Boarding pass for ATL needed to be picked up at the Delta transfer counter in DXB airport until the interline agreement between EK & DL became effective.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KiloAlpha (Post 3738276)

And what about on the way back? Because I understand Delta does not check bags to the destination for tickets on different PNRs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by akshay1234 (Post 3738277)

And what about on the way back? Because I understand Delta does not check bags to the destination for tickets on different PNRs.

It was always a single ticket for the entire journey, and yes, on the way back, bags were checked through until BLR.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turbanator (Post 3735972)

How come 9 1/2 hours to Vancouver - it will take this time only for one segment & must have connecting flight with Air Canada or BA which again are amongst better than other US / European carriers

Yes there was a connection operated by Air Canada. My question was specifically for Jet as i have no experience flying with them.

btw the Japanese gave me a really good deal :)

And now another question - Have a 11h layover at Narita, do i need a transit visa if i stay at the airport? Im finding conflicting info about this. I might get a visa stamped anyway and wander around

Quote:

Have a 11h layover at Narita, do i need a transit visa if i stay at the airport

For staying at Airport you don't need a Visa but if you want to go out you will need one , I will suggest you to reconsider this connection 11 hours are too long specially after a 9 hour flight and an equal flight ahead even if you are traveling in business .. check this

http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/guid...ter/index.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeroen (Post 3737890)

In most cases you lugage will be checked through to your final destination. So this is unlike in the USA where you pass through customs at the first port of entry.

Quote:

Originally Posted by reverse_gear (Post 3737908)

Same is the case in India and in most other countries where you have to take a domestic connection from the point of entry.

Agreed, I don't mind the immigration in US as with Global Entry it literally takes minutes to complete that but then the whole hassle of picking up bags and rechecking it rules out any tight connections. On the other hand it is fairly easy to make 1 hr stopover in most European airports except for Heathrow.
I don't know whether it is really possible to do that in US ever as I don't see how it can be implemented in the domestic leg of travel.

Quote:

Originally Posted by acurafan (Post 3738593)

It's been a while since I've been back to the USA, but except for the odd case, it has usually taken at least 60-90 minutes for us to clear migration.

The rechecking of lugage tends to be quick. You pick up your lugage, walk through customs and in many airport you will be able to check in your lugage right away, with no queus. They can already be labelled for your end domestic destionation so you just hand them over to the respective carrier ground staff.

I carry a Dutch passport so I have a visa excemption but that doesnt get me through the immigration quicker. No separate queus and it seems processing a excemption versus a visa entrant takes the same time.

MIght also be dependent of course on the airports that you use. But I have always found entering the USA a labouring, unpleasant, lengthy process. You dont exactly get the feeling they are happy to see you coming, The USA immigration officers can be a quite the sour lot.

Jeroen

That is the perk you get for $100 per annum. Global Entry card bypasses the unpleasant immigration officers and the long queue at the immigration counters. When you have only hand baggage it works like magic. For me the bottleneck is waiting for the bag at the carousel and then dropping it off. It probably will not work for you given you don't have permanent address in US and haven't lived there for a while.

Just a quick note. It does include Dutch Citizens, so if you have plans to travel to US, it is something worth considering. It is also $100 for every 5 years not per annum.

Quote:

Originally Posted by athanedar (Post 3740546)

I will be landing at Mumbai domestic terminal 1B and have a connecting international flight from T2. Is there any Airport shuttle bus for travel or prepaid cab & kaali peeli taxi the only option ?

A simple Google search would have thrown up this link:

http://www.csia.in/passenger/inter-t...transfers.aspx

It is a service that's been in existence at least for 20 years, which is the limit of my memory.

Also, Mumbai's cab service is quite honest and decent; no need to run them down.

Quote:

Originally Posted by athanedar (Post 3740546)

I will be landing at Mumbai domestic terminal 1B and have a connecting international flight from T2. Is there any Airport shuttle bus for travel or prepaid cab & kaali peeli taxi the only option ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by binand (Post 3740570)

Also, Mumbai's cab service is quite honest and decent; no need to run them down.

Kaali-peeli means black and yellow in Hindi and refers to the Mumbai taxi which sports those colours. I doubt very much it is used or meant in any derogatory sense.

Quote:

Originally Posted by athanedar (Post 3740546)

I will be landing at Mumbai domestic terminal 1B and have a connecting international flight from T2. Is there any Airport shuttle bus for travel or prepaid cab & kaali peeli taxi the only option ?

There is the airport shuttle, but I've heard it takes a while and operates every half an hour (maybe 15 mins now). I'd suggest you just call an Uber and save yourself all the hassle.