AIR TRAVEL, Mumbai

Daily flights to Mumbai are offered from almost every Indian city with an airport.

Domestc airlines serving Mumbai include:

Air India www.airindia.in (not a favorite of mine)
Indian Airlines www.indian-airlines.nic.in (not a favorite of mine)
Go Air (*) www.goair.in
Indigo(*) ww.goindigo.in
Jet Airways/Jet Lite(*) www.jetairways.com
Kingfisher/Kingfisher Red(*) www.flykingfisher.com (serious financial difficulties. I'd avoid)
SpiceJet(*) www.spicejet.com

The budget airlines are denoted by a (*). All of them are very good. They sometimes offer excellent rates when booking far in advance, but you can easily book the same day and get a very good rate.

For a one-stop comparison of flights check www.cleartrip.com or www.makemytrip.com. I'd recommend booking directly with the airlines though in case you need to change your travel plans. I have had occasion to change my dates and have never had any hassles and never been charged any fees.

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Now in the days of economic slow down , the best way to travel to Bombay is by air. The fare has come down drastically. The no of flights to Bombay has increased many folds with at least 7/8 domestic economy airlines offering tickets at very cheap prices depending on the timing. Now one can go to Bombay in the morning and come back in the evening after completing the work, thus saving on hotel bill. The fare costs around Rs.4000+ to Rs11000+( USD$100 to USD$200) depending on the airlines and the services offered. The most expensive is Kingfisher Red, Jet Airways and the economy no frill flights are Jet Lite, Goair, Indigo, Kingfisher. There are at least 12-15 flights a day to Bombay from Kolkata itself and from Delhi or Bangalore the no must be not less than 30 flights a day starting from 5.00AM to midnight. The flight time is about 2 hrs from Kolkata.

It is always wise to buy your ticket from the net, who knows you may struck a better deal! The rail fare to Bombay from Kolkata in AC II tier is about Rs2000+ or around USD$50-55. It takes about 28 hours to 42 hours almost two nights. It makes sense to travel by air and save on hotel bill.

Today, after renovation Bombay airport is one of the best in the country.

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Mumbai has two Airports-The Chattrapathi Shivaji International Airport and Santa Cruz Domestic Airport.At a height of 26 feet above mean sea level, The Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport serves as one of India's major international airports. It is also the busiest, currently handleing up to 45 landings and takeoffs per hour.
International Travellers: On arrival at the Chattrapathi Shivaji Airport (35 kms from city centre), the immigration, baggage retrieval and customs areas precede the remainder of the services. Exchange can be obtained at bank counters just outside the customs area. Hotel bookings and pre-paid taxis are available. There are no shops in the arrival area. The departure lounges are marginally better equipped for shopping. They also have a restaurant, a snack bar and exchange. However, check in and emigration is chaotic because of the bunching of flights at night. Phones are available at both arrival and departure.

Domestic Travellers: On arrival at the Santa Cruz Airport (25 kms from city center) the baggage retrieval area is skirted by counters for various services such as hotel reservations. There is no pre-paid taxi counter, although some auto-rentals may represent themselves as such. Taxis are available from a policed queue outside the terminal. The departure area has minimal shopping and a snack bar. Phones are available at both arrival and departure.

Over the last couple of years, the airport has been expanding - more restaurants, nicer/larger duty-free shopping, etc. The latest is a spa. If you find yourself with extra time at Mumbai International (Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport) you may want to head to the spa. The O2 Spa is located in the departure area - once you pass through immigration and security.

Although the prices are a little higher than outside the airport, they're still considerably less than other cities. Treatments include foot reflexology (Rs 695 for 30 minutes, Rs 1,350 for 60 minutes), facials (starting at Rs 895), manicures and pedicures (startind at Rs 795), and neck and back massages (Rs 695 for 30 minutes, Rs 1,350 for 60 minutes). Relax and enjoy!

THE CLIPPER LOUNGE AND BAR in the departure terminal 1A of domestic airport at mumbai is a excellent place to be in if you want to spend some time relaxing.
a buffet plus a host of otrher eat outs alongwith accompaniments are the order of the day.
if you are lucky then the lounge may be quite empty.other times it can get very busy.
a must place for international travellers with onward connection to indian cities.

The Domestic Terminals in Mumbai are a much more pleasant experience compared to International. Things run very smooth. I have used both Kingfisher and Jet, and had no problems.
Remember that you need to have your luggage security checked before going to the counters. Hand luggage should also be tagged and stamped.

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After the chaos and the lack of facilities at the Bombay airport, it is always nice to see the tail of the Air France plane that would carry you out of here.
Todays flight was excellent, the check in was nothing but superb, the ladies behind the counter, very courteous and professional. I have already written to Air France expressing my gratitude to the ladies. the oberoi lounge is noisy and used by so many airlines that it at times resembles a bar selling beer..
the service on board was very good and the flight to paris was nothing short of superb. the captain of the aircraft was an experience pilot and he took the swiftest and fastest route and getting us there to paris in 8 hours. smooth flight indeed and as always one cant complain about the food. after two glasses of champagne I slept for about six hours..

Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (erstwhile Sahar airport) is 29 km north of the city center (travel time: 50-75 min). The domestic terminal at Santa Cruz serves regular flights to other parts of India and is just 4 km away from Sahar. Facilities: ATMs and bureaux de change are available in both terminals along with a number of bars, restaurants and shops. There are limited disabled facilities and travelers with special needs should advise their airline in advance.

British Airways, BMI and India's Jet Airways have regular direct flights to Mumbai from London Heathrow, and Singapore Airlines offers non-stop flights from Manchester. Airindia, India's official flight, has regular flights to Los Angeles (except on Mon, Wed, Sat). Through our well-connected network we can book your tickets well in advance and our representatives will be there to receive you at the airport. Domestic airlines, Jet Airways, Sahara Airlines and Indian Airlines, connect Mumbai to important cities such as New Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata with multiple daily flights.

The airport is currently in the middle of renovations. It seems to be going along quite well. Duty free shop is almost completely open again. Toilets are greatly improved... in fact I would say at the moment it is better than many european airports.

Arriving at Mumbai airport was with very little hassle.
Leaving was a major problem! I previously visited Mumbai during March, and it was not as chaotic as it was now when I left early January.
They are busy renovating the airport, which complicates things even more.
I do think you need to be at the airport at least 3 hours before your flight leaves. I'm sure if renovations are completed, things will be much easier.