Delhi Airport (DEL) Transit Experinces

[SandyS]

This is why I recommend people get Indian visas and spend their transit time landside.

I had wanted to but partner didn't. If I had known, I'd have got the visa.
When planning the trip, I considered staying a couple of nights.
A well travelled friend advised against Delhi. Said his wife felt unsafe even though she was with her hubby. So, the decision was made and I didn't bother any further research.

 

[Ansett]

I had a poor experience last week where they wanted me to wait 9 hours before I could go through transit. Fortunately, I was able to get hold of a Qantas rep via the P1 team and only ended up waiting just under 1 hour. Another person on the flight waited 9.30 hours. It was my first and last time via Delhi. The expression about organising a drink in a brewery comes to mind.

 

[Mr H]

My own experience transiting through Delhi a couple of weeks ago was very painless, but I had arranged a visa to go landside and broke my journey with a domestic side trip (so technically a stopover rather than transit).

Disembarkation was efficient, the visa queue non existent, everything well signposted and prepaid taxi desks. The run into the city (Jantar Mantar) was clean and had very little visible sign of poverty. My other overnight was in Aerocity which is so Western you would be forgiven for forgetting you are in India.

Going back through the airport was quick and the security seemed much less duplicative than previous experiences. The lounge was busy and not spectacular, but way better than ten years ago. Boarding was well organised. No complaints at all.

The domestic experience in Delhi was also excellent but the far end (Leh) was a reminder of how Delhi used to be.

We’ll see how it goes again in two and a half weeks’ time when I have a straight transit (when I will go landside again). When I transited three years ago it was also mostly painless - again I left the airport to sleep in a bed) so I am not expecting problems.

The only bad experiences seem to be from some of the people who have tried to stay airside.

 

[SandyS]

We arrived at the transfer desk just before 9am, told Qantas staff don't get there until around 4pm, so too bad for us. A little while later I spoke to another staff member on the transfer desk and although given the same info, he said all he could do was contact Qantas and ask them to send over a staff member but no guarantee. A staff member did come at around 1pm for which I was grateful.
There were several other passengers caught out (not Qantas) with one in particular not handling it well at all.
If there is a next time, at least I'll know what to expect and will get a visa, though the arrivals hall/immigration area looked like a zoo from what I could see.
We went through international transfer security...those staff are so happy in their job...not.
The lounge was better than I expected and not that busy. Got a shower although glad it was a quick one because the water was starting to fill up to my ankles and the shower door didn't close properly. The food was ok but alcohol choice was limited. Only 1 white wine, no red and no gin as they had ran out. Staff were nice.
On a positive, the flight to Melbourne was really good and the cabin crew
were excellent.

 

[SeatBackForward]

I read somewhere that they only allow you into the check-in area 4 hours before departure due to COVID, let's hope this is not the case if I am already inside the airport - although in arrivals.

This has always been the case for decades. You wont be allowed to enter the terminal (from outside) any earlier. I did find it amusing that the person controlling these entrances is just some common police officer, having to explain to many number of tourists the rules. You would think they would have someone who at least speaks reasonably good English for this, but no.

There used to be a waiting area outside the terminal with seats and a vending machine, but this was nothing more than a glorified bus shelter. Perhaps its better now??

India is modernising quickly, but cultural habits will stick around for a long time.

India, you either love it or hate it, no in betweens!

 

[Fil-Ski]

I have arrived in Delhi this morning. All booked through Qantas on one ticket. Luggage straight through and have my onward boarding pass. Have been told at international transfer that I have to wait for Qantas staff to come to check my paperwork to allow me to proceed. Qantas staff don’t arrive for around another 7 hours! Passengers must be checked through international transfers by the operating airline. i read through everything carefully but saw nothing about this. Many other passengers from different airlines also caught out. Air India passengers are ok due to Air India staff always on transfer desk. One poor soul, who lost her boarding pass has been here for 2 days apparently

Correct. You just can’t ‘transit’ in Delhi like most places on earth

Either get a Visa or wait until the airline rep arrives

7 hours is also a tough one. Even if you had a visa it probably wouldn’t be worth leaving the airport anyway since you need to check back in, pass security and immigration

 

[Mr H]

Correct. You just can’t ‘transit’ in Delhi like most places on earth

Either get a Visa or wait until the airline rep arrives

7 hours is also a tough one. Even if you had a visa it probably wouldn’t be worth leaving the airport anyway since you need to check back in, pass security and immigration

Seven hours in daytime is definitely worth leaving the airport. For example, jump in a taxi and visit Qutub Minar, then head to Connaught Place for lunch (eg Daryaganj) then back to the airport.

 

[Ade]

Passengers must be checked through international transfers by the operating airline.

Is this a new rule? Did MAA-BLR-SYD and the airport security at BLR were able to let me enter the international transit area after viewing my e-ticket.

Acknowledge that your scenario is reverse - i.e. arriving international and transit to international. I was arriving domestic and transit to international.

 

[jpp42]

There used to be a waiting area outside the terminal with seats and a vending machine, but this was nothing more than a glorified bus shelter. Perhaps its better now??

This is one of the reasons that BLR airport (which is relatively new) is better - they have a huge "outdoor" area with multiple restaurants and shops you can wait at, before you're allowed into the terminal. The beers are overpriced but plenty cold! I would guess that BLR was designed after this rule was implemented so they had a chance to implement a decent outdoor plaza (though what excuse Mumbai airport, even newer, has for not implementing this kind of amenity, I've no idea).

 

[jpp42]

Is this a new rule? Did MAA-BLR-SYD and the airport security at BLR were able to let me enter the international transit area after viewing my e-ticket.

Were you there more than 4 hours before the departure of the International flight? It's the 4-hour limit that's being discussed here. It seems like the airline staff member can override this, but if they aren't available you have to wait until the 4-hour mark?

 

[Ade]

Were you there more than 4 hours before the departure of the International flight? It's the 4-hour limit that's being discussed here. It seems like the airline staff member can override this, but if they aren't available you have to wait until the 4-hour mark?

yea ... I arrived at 1345 for a 1835 (later delayed to 1915) flight ...

 

[SeatBackForward]

Were you there more than 4 hours before the departure of the International flight? It's the 4-hour limit that's being discussed here. It seems like the airline staff member can override this, but if they aren't available you have to wait until the 4-hour mark?

I think the 4hr rule only applies in terms of entering the airport. If you don't have to leave airside, the 4hr rule may not be applied.

 

[SandyS]

Meant to add, one of the positives was that when we eventually went through the second security and passport check, we were given new Qantas boarding passes and were informed that our luggage had also been loaded.
I already knew thanks to my Airtags (will never travel again without them) but still good that they tell you.
Our Boarding passes were checked at least 6 times in total throughout our transit, including when sitting in our seats on the plane.

 

[Mattg]

I recently got to experience the international transit facilities at DEL for myself. I arrived early in the morning on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from ADD, and had a connecting flight around 6 hours later to SIN on Air India. All on the same ticket.

ET had printed me a boarding pass for the DEL-SIN flight when I checked in at Addis Ababa, but this was not accepted at DEL. I needed to get a new boarding pass printed by Air India in Delhi.

After arriving, an ET ground staff member informed me that I would need to go to the international transfer area and wait there until the boarding time of my next flight. That was 6 hours away, so I (politely) mentioned this and that I would like to wait for my next flight in the lounge. The ET employee said she'd try to get me my new boarding pass in around an hour.

I went over to the international transfer counter. Luckily there was an Air India employee there, but she told me that I still needed to wait until they received some documentation from Ethiopian Airlines before they could print me a new boarding pass. After waiting around 1.5 hours, I went back to the desk and was told "5 more minutes". They did indeed call me over 5 minutes later, checked that I'm eligible to enter Singapore, checked my passport and baggage receipt, and then issued me a new boarding pass. From there I just had to clear security and was able to walk upstairs to the international departures area.

The Air India lounge wasn't much to write home about, but it was certainly better than the transit holding pen.

The international transfer waiting area consisted of the following amenities:

• Two rows of seats
• Nine nap chairs
• Some rubbish bins
• A phone charging station
• Three pot plants

It was also possible to leave the holding pen to access a toilet, drinking water fountain, a vending machine selling soft drinks, and a machine that spits out a wifi access code. (Said vending machine does not accept cash or foreign credit cards!)

No food of any sort was available in the holding pen.

It ended up being OK but wasn't a particularly fun experience compared to transiting in most other countries.

Air India and Vistara at least had staff at the transfer desk counters, but passengers on other airlines basically had to just wait until someone from the airline fetched them. A few people looked like they had been waiting a very long time and were over it.

 

[Mr H]

I recently got to experience the international transit facilities at DEL for myself. I arrived early in the morning on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from ADD, and had a connecting flight around 6 hours later to SIN on Air India. All on the same ticket.

ET had printed me a boarding pass for the DEL-SIN flight when I checked in at Addis Ababa, but this was not accepted at DEL. I needed to get a new boarding pass printed by Air India in Delhi.

After arriving, an ET ground staff member informed me that I would need to go to the international transfer area and wait there until the boarding time of my next flight. That was 6 hours away, so I (politely) mentioned this and that I would like to wait for my next flight in the lounge. The ET employee said she'd try to get me my new boarding pass in around an hour.

I went over to the international transfer counter. Luckily there was an Air India employee there, but she told me that I still needed to wait until they received some documentation from Ethiopian Airlines before they could print me a new boarding pass. After waiting around 1.5 hours, I went back to the desk and was told "5 more minutes". They did indeed call me over 5 minutes later, checked that I'm eligible to enter Singapore, checked my passport and baggage receipt, and then issued me a new boarding pass. From there I just had to clear security and was able to walk upstairs to the international departures area.

The Air India lounge wasn't much to write home about, but it was certainly better than the transit holding pen.

The international transfer waiting area consisted of the following amenities:

• Two rows of seats
• Nine nap chairs
• Some rubbish bins
• A phone charging station
• Three pot plants

View attachment 315004
View attachment 315005

It was also possible to leave the holding pen to access a toilet, drinking water fountain, a vending machine selling soft drinks, and a machine that spits out a wifi access code. (Said vending machine does not accept cash or foreign credit cards!)

No food of any sort was available in the holding pen.

It ended up being OK but wasn't a particularly fun experience compared to transiting in most other countries.

Air India and Vistara at least had staff at the transfer desk counters, but passengers on other airlines basically had to just wait until someone from the airline fetched them. A few people looked like they had been waiting a very long time and were over it.

I can see this would be maddening if a passenger hadn’t expected it. Fortunately people reading this thread will have known this was the situation and have gone into Delhi for the day.

 

[clifford]

I can see this would be maddening if a passenger hadn’t expected it. Fortunately people reading this thread will have known this was the situation and have gone into Delhi for the day.

Not so easy if it's the middle of the night.

 

[Mr H]

Not so easy if it's the middle of the night.

There are flop shop hotels very close by.

 

[RooFlyer]

I can see this would be maddening if a passenger hadn’t expected it. Fortunately people reading this thread will have known this was the situation and have gone into Delhi for the day.

Not for a 6 hour transit, I wouldn't have.

 

[RB]

I went through DEL last week. On arrival there is a J/F immigration queue. I was in Y. No idea if it was any quicker. Departing DEL there was a J/F security screening line (on the very left). I used it. Not sure if it was any faster.

Went through Del this morning. The J/F security was on the far right. For passport control we went through a G20 line- only 1 worker for G20 and none in the J line and we did not have to wait. From joining line to enter the airport until we sat in Air India lounge was 30 minutes (very few smiles by staff)

 

[Mattg]

Went through Del this morning. The J/F security was on the far right. For passport control we went through a G20 line- only 1 worker for G20 and none in the J line and we did not have to wait. From joining line to enter the airport until we sat in Air India lounge was 30 minutes (very few smiles by staff)

If you're starting your journey in Delhi, it's not too bad (particularly if you can use the priority lines). The problem is with international transits.