Airports (in Delhi) explained

Thanks mountaingirl!

this affirms me staying at Intl.airport. Preferably in the lounge.

Where is the dormitory situated? How much is it?

I hope also to sleep during the flight as usually when going to Nepal.

phacops

These cheap hotels near the airport are ok. I spent two days in one (Star) and was did not have any problems sleeping even though the hotel was in the flight path of landing aeroplanes.

In Chennai, the International and Domestic terminals are near to each other. Once you enter through the main entrance, the road splits. There is a walkway along the buildings which connects the two. Its an other matter though, that people have literally been taken for a ride by the autorickshaw wallas when wanting to go to Domestic from International.

The runways are the same though as in Mumbai, etc.

Interestingly, Malaysian airlines used to depart from the 'Domestic' terminal and this did cause some confusion.

The delhi domestic airport is called palam airport and every rickshaw walla knows it.

i flew from delhi to bombay on the 3rd nov and i booked the tickets at the kingfisher counter at the indian airlines counter at approx 1pm for a 6.30 pm flight and went in to the airport and spent time in the lounge till 6.30 and to kill time i went to the mtnl broadband cyber cafe and surfed some net ( it costs 50 rupees per hour) and i think it is handy to carry some magzines from out side of your choice (although they have a magzine stall), there is tv for the couch potato's

anil

In Mumbai and Delhi, when people say International Airport and Domestic Airport, they actually mean International terminal and Domestic terminal. The airports are the same, they use the same runways, but the terminals are built far apart, and travelling at "Indian Speed", it takes some time to go from one to another. This makes them appear like "different" airports.

They're different terminals, not aerodomes. Remember that this is India, not LAX or O'Hare.

9W likely has agreements and the authorization to drive along the perimiter, unlike a taxi driver.

Just wanted to add some details here in the sticky post..

Do print out an itinerary or get an itinerary receipt with your e-tickets on arrival. On Departure, they check people coming into the airport and if you do not have anything to show that you have a ticket (even though you're picking up your e-ticket inside), they won't let you in. We got in because they do have a printout of all the names of passengers for that day, but it's not alphabetical and maybe we just got lucky that he found our names.

Do arrive very early for your flight. We went through 6, count them 6, checks on various items...six different chokepoints where we had to wait in line.

This is a post I wrote about it in my journal. I'm not trying to be critical, but I can see why Delhi is planning on remodeling the international airport!

11:10pm
You arrive and have to wait outside in a big, messy line of people pushing their way into the airport. There is one door with one guard. He checks everyone's passports and demands to see tickets. If you do not have tickets (like, we had e-tickets), then he looks up your name on a non-alphabetical list of passengers for that day.

Once inside, you send your checked baggage through scanning. It is wrapped in a cord and gets a sticker. Then you take your carry-on baggage to the check-in counter. Here, they ask for your ticket. If you have an e-ticket, you have to explain that. Then you check your baggage and continue on to the passport/customs check. Here you should have a departure card filled out from your arrival, but maybe people lose theirs. If you're unlucky, you will get stuck in a line of people who failed to fill out a departure card and are doing it painstakingly slowly at the counter. Once through here, there is a security check for your carry-on luggage. Your carry-on luggage is tagged and stamped.

It's now 12:45pm. Now you are at the gate, waiting for a bit until they call your flight to board. There's no monitors to check your flight, just someone calling out the flights so listen up.

When the flight is called, A huge line queues up in a massive bunch at the gate. Then, it is announced that families may board early. some genuine families with small kids or infants line up. Then "families" consisting of adults with their adult or teenage children add themselves to this separate line. first-class/business-class doesn't board separately either. There's a lady making sure people stay in a neat queue but she's powerless against the masses of passengers, including me because I'm not going to the end of the line now that I've gotten this far. After this finishes (some time), it's general boarding - a free-for-all. But not quite. As you pass the first section of the gate, your bags are checked to make sure your carry-on luggage has that stamp/tag that you got earlier. Then another person takes your ticket and processes it through the machine and hands it back to you.

It's not over. At the plane itself, so after you've walked down the whole hallway and are about to board the plane - they check your passport and ticket again!

I have three months before leaving india and I was really worried abouyt the airport experience, thanks, you really eased my mind...

Having just been through this on maybe 5 or six flights, remember these things that may be different from home -- all mentioned before:

1. Print your e-ticket receipt. Have it out for various checks, starting with your entry to the terminal. (I found they were less anal about checking ID, but I have it out.) A few days ago, the entry fee for Delhi domestic terminal if you don't have a ticket is 30 rupees.

2. Next, bring checked bag to the nearby x-ray, and have it scanned and stickered/wrapped.

3. Then check in. Grab the smaller ID tag for each separate item you're bringing into the cabin. They stamp each when you go through the main security check, and they check each stamp when you're almost boarding. So if you consolidated a smaller pack into a larger one to get through security then separate them when you board, you'll have to go back to security to get the missing stamp.

4. Have a seat, or shop, and wait til they announce it's time to go through security for your particular flight. You might find this notification ("Security") on a monitor or board near Security. Go when they tell you.

5. Go through Security (same as most) -- put your carryon bags through; bring your boarding pass/ID with you to the body wand part. (Women will have a separate section, curtained off, for the wanding). They'll stamp your boarding pass when they're done. Then grab your bags off the x-ray.*

6. Wait inside Security til they call your flight. Then queue up again! They'll check your boarding pass maybe twice after this point, often once right before you board. They'll check for stamps.

* Note: If you have a "prohibited item" (I had small scissors, but batteries may also qualify), they may find it and have you sign for it. It ends up in a special envelope through checked baggage; you claim it from airline personnel at your destination during baggage claim; they note it on your boarding pass!

You have absolutely nothing to worry about, US airlines operate out of there for a reason, and it isn't just the amount of business travellers.

Theres not a lot to explain about the IGI.

The Austrian flight I was on was pre-poned by half an hour (on the day fog started). They didnt tell me this when I called their office. Telling this to their Indian staff didnt do anything... neither had I expected.
But I wanted to kick a few cows that time.

Hi. I am traveling to Darjeeling in 2 months. I'm flying to Bagdogra from Delhi with Air Deccan. As peculiar as this may sound; can anyone tell me where i catch the flight from? I assume it leaves form the IDG domestic airport but I am not even sure of that? If anyone could educate me I would be very grateful.

My only notes are...
Both the Chennai and Dehli airports are an overcrowded mess when you are trying to check in. It's worth sending your partner off to scout out the correct line to be on, while you guard your bags (or vice versa).

Anyone coming to say Goodbye to you has to pay to get in the door, and even then they can't go far. Your Goodbyes are probably just going to be in the chaos out the front. So not much point in taking a large crowd of well-wishers to the airport.

Remember to get your bags X-Rayed and properly tagged and strapped before you checkin. As an ignorant Aussie, I stupidly walked by the machines the first time and got sent back after standing a long time in a queue.

Pickup a handful of carryon luggage tags when you check-in and put them on everything. Otherwise, once again, you'll be sent back after standing in line for phase two of security. I saw several very pizzed off Westerners dashing back to the checkin stand because of this.

Lines to board the airplane? Eh, as with getting off the plane, no point in getting into the crush. Just be patient and relax. They aren't leaving without you.

Friends

I should arrive at IGI International 01.25 am. I have a train at 09.30 am. Am I likely to get thrown out immediately after immigration control and currency exchange at an unholy hour? I was hoping to be allowed to stay at the airport tilll about 06.00.

Similarly my return flight is 03.25, and I plan to get to the airport before dark.

Regards

John

No and no. It's an international airport open 24 hrs a day. 0125hrs is early by IGI standards .
The Delhi Airport