Help at Mumbai Airport

Hi All
I will be landing at Mumbai airport at un ungodly hour next month with two (probably very tired and cranky) little boys . I am kinda nervous about getting my luggage together and pushing my luggage cart plus standing in line for exchange. Does anyone know if there is any help at the airport? I am thinking more along the lines of a paid porter or someone who could get my luggage onto a cart and see me out of the airport. Once out, I have all the help I need. Thanks for replying.

you could try asking your travel agent (from where you booked your tickets) to request for help at Mumbai Airport as you have 2 small children. If you are talking about a porter then it is not possible for any person to go beyond the immigration check point. However from immigration check point it is hardly any distance to the taxi stand. However you have to be very careful about your luggage and leave it unattended at any point. There are many airport helpers near the luggage collection point and they can help you and assist you with foreign exchange etc. Always keep the receipt as when you leave you can exchange it to dollars. In case anybody offers you a good exchange rate pls do not get swayed just get it exchanged at the proper govt. exchange counter. You could also use your ATM as that saves a lot of money that you loose while you make physical exchange of dollars into Rupees.

I have always withdrawn money at the ATM everywhere in India never exchanged any money as it is very convenient. Per day you could withdraw around 10,000 rupees.

The best thing is to contact your travel agent who booked the flight or the airlines ( if you have atleast 2 weeks) to put a note in the record that you need help at the final destination. You need to tell the plane attendant while you leave the plane at the final destination that you requested help. The airlines will arrange one person to help you out until you board taxi or meet your friends. You can tip him/her 50 to 100 rupees.

As TerryM says, there are no porters permitted in the luggage pick-up area, through customs, the money change area until you pass the final doorway where your papers are checked once again. However, it is not really crowded late at night, in my experience, until you leave the Customs and Immigration area and move towards the arrival greeting area.

The following shots were taken around midnight -- the first one shows the area after customs, looking past the Amex counter towards the exit; the second one shows the State Bank of India counter (which gives a better rate for cash or traveller checks than Amex). Note the trolleys and lack of crowd or hustlers.