Delhi Airport (DEL) Transit Experinces

[Daver6]

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)

Oops. Yes, you're right about it being on the right. I must have been drunk/jet lagged when I suggest it was on the left Thanks for correcting it.

I can't edit my post but hopefully people take more notice of your post than mine

 

[jase05]

Any recent experiences from our esteemed travelers on here?
Have just booked ADL-MEL-BKK-DEL-CDG through Aeroplan on the 1 ticket for March and have a transit of just under 4hrs at DEL.
Will be arriving on Thai Airways and departing on Vistara. After reading some of these horror stories I’m wondering if I made a huge mistake but wanting to know if things are any better from recent experiences

 

[Mattg]

Any recent experiences from our esteemed travelers on here?
Have just booked ADL-MEL-BKK-DEL-CDG through Aeroplan on the 1 ticket for March and have a transit of just under 4hrs at DEL.
Will be arriving on Thai Airways and departing on Vistara. After reading some of these horror stories I’m wondering if I made a huge mistake but wanting to know if things are any better from recent experiences

Since your transit is just under 4 hours, it shouldn't be too bad. The worst case is you'll be stuck in the holding pen for ~2-3 hours or so, until someone from Vistara delivers you with your next boarding pass. As long as you're prepared for that, it should be OK.

 

[jase05]

Since your transit is just under 4 hours, it shouldn't be too bad. The worst case is you'll be stuck in the holding pen for ~2-3 hours or so, until someone from Vistara delivers you with your next boarding pass. As long as you're prepared for that, it should be OK.

Oh bugger, was hoping for a couple of hours in the lounge and hopefully grab a shower. We are on the 0030 TG MEL-BKK flight and only have 80 minutes at BKK before heading to DEL so I doubt I’ll have time to freshen up in the TG lounge. Oh well worst case is I wait until Paris later that evening

 

[Mattg]

Oh bugger, was hoping for a couple of hours in the lounge and hopefully grab a shower. We are on the 0030 TG MEL-BKK flight and only have 80 minutes at BKK before heading to DEL so I doubt I’ll have time to freshen up in the TG lounge. Oh well worst case is I wait until Paris later that evening

There is a chance you might still get some time in the lounge at DEL - although, you should probably temper your expectations of the lounges at DEL as well

Since you're on Vistara, you might get lucky as there is a Vistara desk at the transit counter. They will need to get some documentation from TG before processing you, but at least there is someone there you can talk to.

BTW - the staff there put up with a lot of abuse, so if you're polite, they might try a bit harder to help you.

 

[jase05]

There is a chance you might still get some time in the lounge at DEL - although, you should probably temper your expectations of the lounges at DEL as well

Since you're on Vistara, you might get lucky as there is a Vistara desk at the transit counter. They will need to get some documentation from TG before processing you, but at least there is someone there you can talk to.

BTW - the staff there put up with a lot of abuse, so if you're polite, they might try a bit harder to help you.

Thank you, sounds fun

 

[blacksultan]

A bit late for you, but for others in a similar situation: security at DEL and Indian airports in general is very strict (done by military). Have all docs in hardcopy at every turn.



I wouln't trust that!



I wouldn't be booking non QF airlines using Qantas points at the moment, given the craziness of schedule changes, cancellations AND Qantas' ineptitude at handling these changes, risking total loss of a sector and jeopardising the entire itinerary. May happen only to a minority, but I'm not into Qantas roulette.



Thought so.

Security not by military but central industrial security force . Yes very strict with lots of checks .

 

[jpp42]

Security not by military but central industrial security force

Yes, this is commonly misunderstood, it's a uniformed service but not military. The arrangement is actually similar to the USA's TSA in that it's a nationally run uniformed airport security force. They are a division of the federal police and provide similar security services to various national infrastructure. Like most countries with British bureaucratic origins, there is a key distinction between military/defense and policing right up to the highest level of executive government, and CISF definitely comes on the police side of things.

 

[Mr H]

Delhi Airport has improved so much over the fifteen years since I first flew through it.

There are still some wrinkles: pre-security check on entering the terminal building; not being allowed into the terminal building until 4 hours prior to your flight; absence of smooth transit arrangements; queues and bureaucracy at the visa/immigration counter that involves way more typing than it should.

But on the positive front, the terminal building has been refurbished; lounges are now airside; lounges have improved a lot; there is a metro link to the city; some of the security checks have been removed - including the need to have your hand baggage tagged; taxis are more organised...

The wrinkles are small and once they are fixed (and I think they will be), Delhi will become quite a common transit point as it is exactly half way between eastern Australia and the UK.

 

[Mattg]

The wrinkles are small and once they are fixed (and I think they will be), Delhi will become quite a common transit point as it is exactly half way between eastern Australia and the UK.

If they could fix the terrible international transit procedure and improve the lounges, it would be a much more appealing airport to transit through

The airport itself is modern, clean and otherwise quite pleasant.

 

[dajop]

and improve the lounges

Flying out of DEL on EY in business in August we were invited to the new Encalm Prive lounge that occupies the space that EK, LH and SQ lounges used to occupy, and it was vastly superior to any of the lounges I had visited in DEL previously.

 

[Mr H]

If they could fix the terrible international transit procedure and improve the lounges, it would be a much more appealing airport to transit through

The airport itself is modern, clean and otherwise quite pleasant.

Agreed. I have not done the transit procedures as I always have a visa and allow a long enough transit to let me leave the airport. The lounge I used last time (October 2022) was not marvellous but had comfortable chairs, showers, a selection of snacks and drinks. It was small and busy but not unpleasant. The pictures and reviews of the new lounge look really promising. I do think the airport is determined to get up to a high standard and the improvements are way beyond cosmetic, but I suspect the government can be a blocker in streamlining the security and transit arrangements.

 

[blacksultan]

Yes, this is commonly misunderstood, it's a uniformed service but not military. The arrangement is actually similar to the USA's TSA in that it's a nationally run uniformed airport security force. They are a division of the federal police and provide similar security services to various national infrastructure. Like most countries with British bureaucratic origins, there is a key distinction between military/defense and policing right up to the highest level of executive government, and CISF definitely comes on the police side of things.

Are you from india ?

 

[jpp42]

Are you from india ?

No, I should indicate that it's commonly misunderstood by foreigners, I have gotten the above information from my Indian colleagues (and confirmed on Wiki just now).

 

[Mr H]

Yes, this is commonly misunderstood, it's a uniformed service but not military. The arrangement is actually similar to the USA's TSA in that it's a nationally run uniformed airport security force. They are a division of the federal police and provide similar security services to various national infrastructure. Like most countries with British bureaucratic origins, there is a key distinction between military/defense and policing right up to the highest level of executive government, and CISF definitely comes on the police side of things.

This is all true, but it doesn't make much difference to passengers. The officers do what they do, they do it while wearing khaki and wielding machine guns, and they are not answerable to the airport management.

 

[stryker]

The wrinkles are small and once they are fixed (and I think they will be), Delhi will become quite a common transit point as it is exactly half way between eastern Australia and the UK.

Not for me, I'm afraid. I've spent far too much time transiting DEL and other Indian airports, and flying Air India for that to happen again. I'm quite happy to transit the Middle East or Asia. India is off my Christmas card list (and I first went there in 1974). It will never change culturally.

 

[jase05]

Bit of a debacle but got through unscathed. Our 4hr stopover turned to about 40 minutes in the AI lounge. Airport was pretty quiet when we arrived and very easy to reach International transfers area. 9 staff on but only 1 actually doing anything and was 7 in the queue before us and about a dozen seated in the holding pen. Staff had to fill out some paperwork and then told to be seated and someone from Vistara would be along soon. Was a 45 minute wait but I did hear some rumblings from people flying with UA that they had been there 3hrs already. Eventually BP’s printed and through to security which then was a good hour wait despite only maybe 20-30 in queue by this time. Pretty much all contents required removing from handbags and even luggage and everything through the X-ray multiple times until they were satisfied. Then off to the AI lounge and once through security the airport was quite peaceful and was impressed by cleanliness and ease of movement. Will say that there is plenty of signage for Encalm lounges but nothing for AI lounge but eventually got there. Lounge itself had all signage or reference to AI removed and lounge itself was very underwhelming. Found seats no problem but little to no food on offer and a small range of soft drinks in a bar fridge set to about 25 degrees it seemed. Small bar offering a few spirits and coughtails but no beer. We were warned our gates were 15 minutes away so stayed in the lounge about 40 minutes and got going. The Vistara flight made up for the pretty ordinary airport though

 

[RooFlyer]

Security not by military but central industrial security force . Yes very strict with lots of checks .

Yes, this is commonly misunderstood, it's a uniformed service but not military. The arrangement is actually similar to the USA's TSA in that it's a nationally run uniformed airport security force. They are a division of the federal police and provide similar security services to various national infrastructure. Like most countries with British bureaucratic origins, there is a key distinction between military/defense and policing right up to the highest level of executive government, and CISF definitely comes on the police side of things.

A bit late, sorry, but thanks for that clarification. My assumption of they being 'military' wasn't so much the uniform and arms, but the fact that some were saluting others.

 

[Daver6]

Arriving on QF69 last Tuesday was a stark contract to my previous arrival on QF69 some 18 months earlier. Immigration was pretty empty and off the plane to outside customs and immigration in well under 10 minutes (HLO). Domestic security was also pretty quick. 10 minutes max.