DELHI International Airport waiting lounge/area for Departing flights

akashaatindiamike

Hello friends,
I am posting this thread in hope to get some help from your recent experiences. I know there are many threads about Delhi and airport but I could not find my answers.

I am flying on 9th Aug early morning (1.30 am) from Delhi airport to JFK. I always boarded flights from Mumbai before this.

Is that possible for parents/friends to get in airport (may be after paying airport fee or smthing), and wait/sit in the airport (some place like waiting area/lounge) and say good bye (peacefully) to the person who is traveling out of country?

Is this type of facility available at DELHI international airport?
If yes, what is the tkt price? Till where u can go in with airport tkt*? What are the shops/facilities available in waiting lounge?

Thanks a lot in advance for your help.

Tapestry

There is no way for non-passengers to get inside the Delhi airport, so they will have to say goodbye to you from outside.

The Delhi airport is not fancy, so in terms of what is available for the passenger once they are inside the airport, just a food stall or two where you can get a drink and a veggie patty or something, but not a whole lot more than that.

Good luck.

riverair

Upon entering the delhi airport, right before security - you can go upstairs to the ITC lounge. Even the business class lounges aren't nice, though.

karuna

Since this is your first time flying through Delhi, note that the bulk of the shops are in a kind of limbo, after immigration but before security. There are duty-free places, a Subways, coffee stand, jewellery and tourist tat shops in this purgatory. Once you're through security there's a Nirula's and a couple of posh perfume and watch shops, some coffee and coke stands as Tapestry says, and nothing else.

As for saying goodbye, this is done in a scrum outside the terminal door alongside hundreds of other people, with no privacy whatsoever. There is a dingy cafe opposite the terminal which is less crowded, if it's still there at all (all the building work, I don't know).

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missalg

For sure it's a rush of people outside of the airport; I wasn't quite sure where to go in at first! Once inside do be sure to have a good book or something to occupy you as there's not much to do (or even eat...)

But with all the construction hopefully someday it will be lovely!

Haylo

Nor, until you have checked in and gone through security, are there many seats. Off the top of my head, I'd guess the figure is approximately 40 in the entire departure area.

It is pretty clear that you are not expected to linger there!

Oh, one thing that freaked us out a bit, my flight was not listed on the board until nearly two hours before takeoff, despite a lot of later flights being shown.

Apparently this is fairly normal, and not a sign that the flight has been cancelled!

hal2004

There is a lounge opposite the international terminal where people who have arrived more than 3 hours before their flight leaves have to wait. You get in free with a valid ticket or pay Rs 30 without. It's very basic with a small snack bar outside the entrance and some sort of dodgy gift shop inside.

Mickey S

Anyone about to experience Delhi airport for the first time should be aware that there are almost no food outlets in the entire airport - just a vastly-overpriced and poor-quality Subway and coffee stall after security. There is also nowhere to buy a newspaper or magazine, and the duty-free store charges two or three times what you would pay in a supermarket or department store in the UK (and accepts only foreign currency).

Take your own newspapers, magazines, book and food.

rhill1

Delhi airport compared to Mumbai & particularly Kolkata is the best in the world!!

karuna

There is now a Nirula's in departures (after security) which does hot food and a range of drinks. It's insanely popular, being the only place after security to do food (Subway's is post-immigration but pre-security). But it's better than nothing, which is what was there before.

I do actually like Delhi aiport in a weird way and will be a bit sorry when the new one's built. It's stepping off the plane to that odd mix of jet fuel, smoke, and incense- it smells like Delhi- and the old, dated immigration hall. It's all associated with that sense of anticipation now.

The new airport looks like any other international airport. In fact it's very similar to Bangkok's new airport. Ho hum.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak7zifSna8w

rhill1

New airport? I was in Delhi 6 weeks ago and no new airport completed...if you wre to compare it to the airpost that i spent 11 1/2 hrs at Bangkok....well. you must b e joking or the hooch was of a top quality!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

karuna

Last time I looked it was a bare patch of earth. That was 6 months ago. I expect it ain't much different now! The new terminal is due for completion in 2010 for the Commonwealth Games, I believe.