http://www.hotelmidland.com/
this is the hotel I wanted to book, but it was fully booked Looks reasonable and a good enough price for one so close to the airport. Also it has an airport shuttle

Many thanks
I can ask them if they have a lounge/bar open In the wee small hours.
Not worth booking a room for 3ish hours

Go downstairs to arrivals (outside) there's a few cafes we sat out last year for a couple of hours just watching the hustle and bustle it's really not that worth going off site for a couple of hours.

Will they be open at 1 in the morning?

Yes we were there around midnight last year and they were open I think they may be open 24/7. There's not a lot of seats in departures until you get through security it's fine through there though

thats a long wait- I'm not sure where you are getting 3 hours from. I would say it was well worth getting a room. I think I would be climbing the walls with that long before the connecting flight- particularly as it is through the night. But perhaps that's just me- too old for all nighters

Hi Fiona
The desk will open at least 3hrs before the flight is due.
After security there are lounges that I believe we can buy access.
If we land at 11 and dawdle about we can waste an hour getting from domestic to international.
This gives us a good 3 hrs kicking our heels but not enough to warrant getting a room.
It could be worse. We could have our hold luggage with us.
I am waiting for AI to get back to us on that score

Cheers

Steve

There's a waiting lounge. It costs 60 rupees each and it's reasonably comfortable with a coffee shop.

I don't think you'll have time to leave the airport and get to hotels etc. The international and domestic airports are separate and you have to get a bus between them. We had a similar wait last year and it soon went - good book and iPod!

Thanks Roma
We have done the trip many times and waited a fair few hours but not 7.
Our main concern is the check in desk at the Int term will not be open till about 3.00am
Once we are Airside everything's good as you say you can use the lounge.
It just the wait to get through that's the bind.
I remember flying back with BA and having to queue for hours waiting for check in to open. It was a pain during the day but will be a pig at night.
Plus it's the journey back so the mood will be low.

Cheers

Steve

i always book the flight from Goa at approx 6.30pm and dont leave Mumbai till 2.30am i prefer this to the early morning flight from Goa despite the wait and i usually sit in the bar in the international departures and drift off occasionally to browse the duty free, of course not sure whether they will still be open till 7am!! I bumped into LinB last time she was coming in as i was leaving... i always get chatting to other travellers and thats entertaining!!
chilly

we have a 7 hour wait on our way home in march so I am going to sit on my laptop and write my blog

Roma- is the lounge in the Domestic or International?
We had a long wait getting to Goa earlier this year. We collected bags at Mumbai International after arriving with Qatar at about 3am and transferred to the Domestic - by then about 4am - we had to wait outside the Domestic terminal where there was a little coffee stall with some seating (there was also a little left luggae place where we could leave suitcases) - there was also a small cafe/restaraunt which stated 24 hours but was shut! We wasnt allowed inside the terminal as flight not until 2pm - the 24 hr place opened about 7am so we could at least get inside and have some breakfast.

Same again this coming Feb only a 6 hour wait this time but if there is a lounge we could wait that would be better (and a little warmer as Mumbai overnight wasn't exactly warm!)

Not sure if they still do but the boys in brown at the entrance to the international terminal used to be sticklers for the rule that was no admission to the terminals more than four hours before your flight. Depending on their mood they can be inflexible on this and outside the terminal is not really where you want to spend a couple of hours.
Alan

We arrive in Mumbai international terminal at 23.35, depart for london at 7am also from the international terminal, is there a lounge we can access to wait? There's no point us booking a hotel just for a few hours.

Hi Joan

It sounds like we're on the same flights but what day. Our is 25/26th November

We fly back on the16th February. Just read about your upgrade, might try optiontown, we fly out 6th December. Did you catch the connecting flight ok? I'm a bit worried about the time span for that one.

We arrived back home this afternoon.

This is our account of what happened with our Air India flights but it may not be the same with yours.
Departure
Departed LHR for GOI 08/11/12 1.30pm no problems (apart from upgrade)
The luggage was checked through to the final destination, Goa
Arrived at the Mumbai International Terminal a little late and was told to follow the signs for transfers and go through security straight to gate No4 as the flight was boarding.
We boarded the domestic flight at the international terminal
The flight left Mumbai but returned back to Mumbai when we were 6mins from Goa due to FOG.
We returned back to the international terminal.
After a lot of messing about due to the lack of information given by the Air India staff we eventually reboarded the flight at 3.30 waited some more and arrived in Goa about 5pm.

Return

Our flight left Goa 25/11/12 at 22.30 for Mumbai
The luggage was checked through to Heathrow
Again we were to board our connecting flight to the UK by going straight to the international terminal completely missing out the domestic terminal
Our flight to LHR left about on time and we landed about 11.45am today
***********************************************************
Because we didn’t know what were we’re going to do in Mumbai I had a pocket full of rupees.
In the end we didn’t use them as we couldn’t leave the airport.
Again you are left hanging by the AI staff who direct you through to security then you are left to your own to while away your time till your flight is called.
At the far end of the airport at gate 16 (even though there is no gate 16 just a set of doors without a sign) you will find the slumber area. A room with lounge chaise sofas where you can get a little rest. There are others outside this room near gates 15/16.
Please be aware you will have to look after your bags
Also you will have to listen to a piano rendition of “the way we were” on a constant loop for 7 hours.
The food places are open as is duty free.
I have more to add but will post it on the thread I started about upgrades

Going to bed to catch up on sleep

Steve