leaving delhi airport

I am an old lady who is traveling alone to delhi. I am not worried about when I arrive because someone from the hotel will be there to meet me. But I have read such horror stories about getting out of delhi airport. I've read that it can take hours and hours and that there are no clear directions about where to go and what to do and how to pay fees. I cannot find anyone who has ever left new delhi via IGI airport. Has anyone done it recently? Can you give me any advice?

HI OCD,

I have moved your thread to the Delhi forum, it sits better here. There have been other threads on this topic which you might find here.

Leaving Delhi airport is not nearly as bad as it's made out to be. I have to go to bed now but I'm sure others will be along to reassure you. It's not difficult at all.

I left from New Delhi five years ago (I was 60 then); it was very straightforward. Get the luggage checked in, produce your ticket, wander in the tax-free store, go where they tell you to go, get on the plane!

Not sure exactly where it is, but look for an airport shop that sells European Mars bars ... they are dark chocolate and really hit the spot after being deprived of good chocolate in India!

OK, I'll stay a bit longer.
Here's how departing from Delhi works.

1. Have your ticket and passport ready- they will be checked at the door. Only ticket holders are allowed inside departures

2. Once inside, almost immediately you must get your luggage security checked, you'll see the machines in front of you. Just queue up, a boy will put your luggage into the x-ray machine and at the other end another will put a band around it to show it's been checked. You do not have to get hand-baggage security checked in this way.

3. Find your check-in desk. There are new TV screens which (if working) will show you where to go. Most of the check-in desks are right in front of you. There are some new ones to the left and right- last time I was there (about 6 months ago) the ones on the right were for Air India flights mostly.

4. Pick up your departure form either from check-in or from a member of staff (they usually hang around and give them out).

5.Check-in, complete departure form. Walk back to the centre of the terminal where the old check in desks are. Walk past these, straight on further into the building. You will arrive at immigration. Sometimes there's a helluva queue, you won't miss it. For immigration you need your form, passport and boarding pass.

6. After clearing immigration there's a small seating area with a few shops, food stalls etc. Big old-fashioned board here, clattering away all departure info on it, gate number etc.

7. On the far side of this small area, right in front of you, is security. Can't miss it, it's right there.

8. Far side of security is the departure lounge. Not much to do here. One or two new shops and food stalls. There are screens here showing all departures, and a woman gives announcements in both Hindi and English that will drive you nuts after a while (there's only so many times you can stand hearing your flight number, only for her to say "passengers are requested to proceed through security" which you've already done...grr).

It's easy- aside from check-in which might be to the left or right, you basically walk in a straight line from the door, deeper into the building, completing each step as you go.

No fees that I know of anymore.

If you are coming in the middle of season time, you may find that it's very, very busy. The queue for immigration can take 40mins. Aim to arrive 3 hours before departure, 4 if it's peak peak season (Dec/early Jan).

Has this changed recently? I did not have to do this when I left a couple of weeks ago, I just took my "checking in" bags to the check in desk and that's the last I saw of them until London.

These were being handed out at the gateway to the immigration desks at the centre of the airport, though some people already had them, presumably from their check in desks.

To get to immigration, I had to go through an area where they checked my hand baggage, as is usual with airports. However, they were supposed to stamp the luggage label with a "screened" stamp, and as it didn't have a luggage label (it was baggage that would not be leaving my side so I didn't figure it needed one) so to continue through the process I had to go find a luggage label.

One other thing, when we arrived, my flight was not listed on the board, even though later flights were. This is apparently normal and is not a cause for concern.

By the way, the staff at the airport were very helpful in explaining the procedures and showing us where to go.

They have been testing a new system, apparently:

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/..._10061633.html

(ETA it's about time too, I've never had to do that anywhere else)

HEY .... Isn't the OLD LADY asking how to come OUT of the Airport...not how to get in to the Airport.



Please check and reply to the Lady.

Try to have a pre-arranged taxi from your hotel waiting for you. Before you leave the arrivals area cash a few bucks -- say $100 -- at Thomas Cook's Just to your left as you leave the terminal

Two hints:

If you arrive more than 3 hours before your flight leaves, they won't let you into the airport. And they may just grunt and say no and sort of wave and turn you away. And maybe, like me, you'll stand there and wonder what the hell you're going to do for an hour and a half and where you'll go....There is a waiting lounge across the drop off road. They serve drinks and basic snacks and have some fairly comfy seats.

Get a tag from your airline check-in desk to put on each piece of carry-on luggage, purses included. Now, it's unlikely anybody will tell you you need one, and there are no SIGNS anywhere telling you that you do. But after passing through customs and lining up for 1/2 an hour at security, if you arrive without one, they will send you back to get them.

Exactly, except I think you read it the wrong way around; she's ostensibly asking about the procedures when leaving the country from Delhi airport. Thanks. Good & detailed comments above, btw.

btw I don't think it should be all that hard either, OCD. After all, they likely want their passengers out of there If I managed as a goofy twenty-something... Airport procedures may be somewhat confusing sometimes, but they're generally quite good at herding even the most clueless among us (speaking for myself, of course) in the right direction & get you on that flight somehow. Asking if unsure never hurts of course (if that sounds overly obvious, I'm surprised sometimes with people going buses are hard to catch unless you ask for them. I generally need to ask about them in my own country even.) Good luck with it & have a safe and fun journey, I'm sure it'll be alright.

This lady is on my side of the ages but since many are internet savvy, and if this lady is, then I strongly urge her to check in online - one does it 24 hours ahead of the flight. In Mumbai(Delhi too ?) BA had a special line for pre-checked in people, there were only a couple of people who'd done this and one just sails through in 2 or 3 minutes. No kidding - compare that to a 40 to 60 minute wait in the checkin line !

Of course as this feature gets well known and I'm doing my part, right here I suppose, to make it better known , the utility value will diminish. Until then.

-skk

A very useful thread in bothways. Last few trips I have found it very quick to get out of the airport..

I don't think so. She says this in her original post:

"I am not worried about when I arrive because someone from the hotel will be there to meet me."

and

"I cannot find anyone who has ever left new delhi via IGI airport."

She's talking about getting out of Delhi, not literally getting out of the airport on arrival, it seems.

How long will you be in Delhi....and when???


I'm going to be in Delhi after 10/ 20/08-------if you want to meet up and go shopping or have tea......write me back....I am going on 60 in October married to a man from India for 30 years.

Would love to hear your adventures..

let me know.

Or just a symptom of OCD?
Are there 8 dots appearing in lots of threads?