No, the ongoing flight was at 5.30 but we were stuck in the area where you transfer and check in your luggage for the internal flight, they didn't have a security officer to do the check so we had to wait for nearly 3 hours, no where to go for a drink or cigarette after a 9HR flight. The airport has been re-vamped, but they should have left some money for staff training. The customer service is non existant, in fact I think it has gone back a few years.

Lin

Sounds a nightmare ~~ as a smoker myself you must have gone through hell !!

Never mind, you're there now ~~ enjoy !!

Lin b who did you fly with and were they any good

Worth every second to get here , spent the time cultivating new friends, but in future I will tag along behing Gramps or GFF, as I am doing somthing wrong

Lin

It was exactly the same timescale for us in January, exactly three hours from landing to our arrival in the domestic terminal, so what you exprienced Lion was par for the course. I,ve just spent a complete day getting my visa and am beginning to think the whole of the Indian Gov. has a fiendish plan to punish us for the sins of the past by making it unpleasant as possible to visit their country!!! Alan

I like the name' Lion' Gramps I guess it was a typo, but felt more like a rabid pussycat, but have got into the Indian 'Zone' over the years, no point in getting uptight/stressed as it seems the more you complain the longer it will take. You can learn a lot at the airport, people I spoke to bought their Internal flight on arrival, seems they paid cheaper than booking in the Uk, and could choose their airlines and times, and did not have the awful transfer wait from International to Domestic terminals, as well as the 5-6 hr stopover for a connection.

Lin
edit
well its a definite improvement on being a bee Lin!
Fiona

At least you arrived safely lin.......with contraband bacon and cheese intact!! It didn't take us quite so long as you to get to the domestic terminal but I must admit it was a little slower than usual. (Why do they insist on scanning your bags before allowing you OUT of the terminal??) The re-vamped domestic terminal is nice and clean and spacious at least....and hate to tell you lin that there is an Oberoi lounge upstairs where you could have smoked yourself......and the bacon to death!! For anyone else passing through Mumbai the Oberoi lounge can be accessed by a lift or stairs located to the left (just before you go through security to the departure lounge). It was very expensive, very smoky (sorry Lin) but quite comfortable.
Anyway Lin..............it looks like you brought the good wather with you, glorious morning we're having!!
GFF xx

Thanks for the tip GFF, Weather was glorious today, until now

Lin

Further to my earlier thread regarding my concerns at the lack of time between connecting flights at Mumbai, we've now returned and it seems I was worrying needlessly!

On the way out we were on the internal to Goa 1 hour 40 mins after landing in Mumbai...not sure whether this amounted to being fast-tracked to the domestic terminal, but it all seemed fairly leisurely! On our return we were in the international terminal 90 mins after landing on our domestic flight! The bus which deals with transfers between the 2 terminals leaves every 30 mins and seemed like a fairly slick operation (in Indian terms!)

One thing to be aware of though is the increased security at Indian airports. Similar to UK airports, no liquids are allowed in your hand baggage...the problem comes if you buy any duty free in the UK after security checks and then try to take it onto an Indian internal flight as hand baggage - it gets confiscated. The only solution is to pack it into your hold baggage as we did at Mumbai. Strangely though, we were allowed to buy duty free at Mumbai on our return and take it through security as hand baggage. Where's the logic in that I ask!!!

Thanks for the info Dave, we are on that flight tomorrow, and I thought it would be cutting it a bit fine!! but sounds ok.

Jet Airways tell me that on our return Goa-Mubai-Heathrow, that we only need to check in at Goa 1hour before? is that enough do you reckon?

Can anyone tell me the time it normally takes to get from the domestic to international terminal at Mumbai airport.

We are flying from Goa to Mumbai by Jet Airways in Jan leaving Goa at 8.10am due to arrive Mumbai at 9.10am. We need to check in for our flight to London with Virgin at around 11.00am. I thought this would allow plenty of time but have heard some horror stories about very long transit times between the terminls.

The other option is to fly to Mumbai the day before & stay in a hotel near the airport.

Any advice would be greatly appreciatted.

Many thanks for your help.
edit
merged with existing topic.
Fiona ht mod
Peter

Peter,

In general I would say landing at 9.10 - collecting bags - finding transfer bus - getting a space on transfer bus - checking in at 11.00 is probably do-able at a push, but if your flight into Mumbai is delayed you could find yourself in trouble. Maybe an airport hotel is a good idea, but then that would mean cutting your stay in goa short by a day???
I have been delayed flying into Mumbai - we had to circle for ages because of the fog and this is quite a common ocurrence on morning flights or so I'm told.
If you do go for an airport hotel make sure you book one with free transfers to and from the airport.

GFF xx

Peter Taylor,your other option with Jet is to take the evening flight at
arround 2100 to 2125 which is daily from heathrow which gets you into Mumbi with plenty of jet onward flights to Goa the same day.

Jet have now confirmed that our flight on the 6 nov has been changed
and leaving heathrow at 2105,and also changed the onward Goa flight from 1230pm to 1430,to give us extra time to catch the goa flight.

Thanks Big Dave for your information on the jet situation on your return

I agree you have to be firm with everyone including the officials!

On my way home last year my luggage was scanned and one official pulled my bag to one side and took me to a quiet corner. He firstly asked if I had any tablets in my bags (I knew I hadn't) I said no. He then asked how many boxes of cigarettes I had, told him 3 he then tried to tell me I had to pay duty to him for them.

I picked up my case and walked away from him, that was the end of the matter thankfully!

I believe that they are looking for Viagra when they ask you if you have any tablets. A couple of years ago our cases attracted a lot of attention when they found out it was only a couple of hundred Zantac, they all walked away and left me. I spoke to someone in the departure lounge and they had found Viagra in his case. Customs told him that there was a £5 tax on each tablet, and he would have to pay this. He apparently had 100 tablets and simply handed the senior customs officer £5, closed his case and walked away. It seems that this ploy has reared its head again. Perhaps insisting on a receipt for any demands for money might discourage them, but they seem to be getting even greedier

last few comments deleted!
Lets stick with the airport topic please

hi goalovers, i've tried to use the jet airways web site with no luck is there another way of contacting them to book? also what about your connecting flight times to Goa from Mumbai. I have tried to get the missus to fly thru Mumbai but she thinks its too long a time to fly from UK to Goa.
Thanks in advance
Neil

Neil
Try booking it
or
They are both agents for Jet airways
Goodluck
Regards
GL

after your holiday coming back to the uk could you please tell me what the duty free is like at the airport in goa can you buy hand rolling tobaco like samson or drum whar kind of cigs and perfume and and a rough price thanks alots
pete