Delhi Airport

✅ Trip Verified | The first time we went through here, we arrived late in the evening and queues at Immigration were non existent and thus we were through very quickly. Our baggage took the usual sort of time to arrive. The second time we were in transit (Domestic to International) and our plane gated at the furthest possible point from the central area. To our delight, there was an electric buggy waiting at the gate to pick up passengers for whom walking the long distance would have been difficult (as in our case) and we were rapidly driven to the transit desk. Having been checked off on a list, it was into security and then through into the international side for our next flight. A most impressive experience. The airport has free wifi but this has quite a low data limit and you soon run out doing anything other than a few basic emails. Over the seven years I have been coming to this airport, it has improved each year (other than the carpet pattern which is terrible!).

❎ Not Verified | Worst airport for wheelchair passengers. Very rude security staff with no professional skills to speak to passengers. You can easily see dirty carpets at the departure lounge. The car park and the arrival hall is chaotic. The airport staff needs massive training otherwise it will ruin the reputation of Delhi.

❎ Not Verified | I passed through Delhi Airport five times over a period of six weeks in December and January, both internationally and domestically and through both T1 and T3. Until my final departure on the 12th I could not find anything to complain about. Yes, probably the immigration officers did not graduate cum laude from the charm school but on the three occasions that I passed through immigration at various times of the day I never had to stand in a queue for more than 10 minutes. Likewise check in procedures for domestic departures ran smoothly and at no point did I encounter rudeness or a lack of helpfulness, in fact quite the opposite. Until my final departure I was ready to write a glowing report. Sadly my last experience was a horror story but I do not know if it is the Airport authority to blame or British Airways. Only one check in counter was open and only one bag drop counter, meaning long, slow moving queues. Then there was the ordeal of the security check and standing in the queue for a further 80 minutes. But it only needs to be remembered that this is India and if one knows in advance how it might be, stress only becomes an issue if one resists what is. So be sure to arrive at least three hours before departure time, expecting the worst and you may be pleasantly surprised.

✅ Trip Verified | Airport was quite clean. The queues were very long at immigration. They will check your boarding pass about 15 times as they don’t trust the previous person who checked it. Lots of useless checks. There is no organisation or order in the airport. It feels like it’s been run by school children.

❎ Not Verified | This is one of the most poorly run international airports in the world. The people here are generally poorly trained and highly unprofessional. Let's start with the gate agents. You will find some of the world's most stupid and incompetent agents work in the ticket check in counters for International Airlines at Delhi Airport. They generally treat customers with a high degree of unprofessionalism, they lack courtesy and they talk to each other in highly informal terms. The visa checking process is a nightmare. It is not even worse to get an E visa because you'll spend 2 hours at the airport standing in several different lines before you can get a stamp. The immigration officials seem to think that they are miniature gods and and like to show off and abuse their authority. Instead of doing their job they seem to be more focused on telling passengers. This is an airport that should be avoided.

❎ Not Verified | I must add my voice to the long list of people who have been writing to complain about the length of time, more than two hours, needed to verify the E visa at Delhi airport. All aspects of the airport are very good but no one can expect that an elderly passenger should wait so long in a crowded line just to have the E visa verified, it is never asked for again while traveling in India.

❎ Not Verified | Delhi Airport T3 started off well in 2010, before it went down the tubes. Its got a lot to do with the Kejriwal Government in Delhi and the new Federal Government, which is better at talking up India, than setting things right. Rude and inept immigration staff were the hallmark of Indian Airports in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Back on 10-11 when the Airport was new, things worked like a clock. Polite friendly staff and security personnel. All that has changed. The departure and arrivals area wear a tired look. Time for a refurbishment. Typical of third world airports. It starts off well, but quickly degerates to rotten. This 4 hour limit on entry is another absurdity. Travel light if you can, and definitely report 4 hours before departure for heavy travelled/ popular flights like SQ, TG, EK, LH etcetra. Delhi Airport should lift its game. There are a lot many worse airports in the western and the developing world, but Delhi holds much promise.

✅ Verified Review | Where to start, the beginning I suppose. This airport can only be described as hell on earth. I imagine this airport was created purely to antagonise the traveller. Being allowed into the airport is in itself a unique experience. The military guards on the door do at least make a passable attempt at looking like they are doing something useful. If you are lucky to get one who is fairly competent you may be through the doors in a couple of minutes. You will likely not find one though. Once at check in you will more than likely be served by someone who appears to be on work experience or may be their first day on the job. Once the 10 minutes or so has passed and you get your boarding card it may be worth double checking it. Then you have immigration. To describe it as a mental test is perhaps doing it a disservice, this is single-handedly the most infuriating immigration procedure I have gone through. Digital India is not real I tell you. If it were, the humming to himself/self satisfying smirk immigration officers wouldn't realistically be taking 10 minutes per person when the queue is all the way out to the check-in desks. To be fair once past this test of fortitude the shops are fairly decent. Although to balance I didn't expect to be haggling with Indian street merchants just to buy a few sweets for home. The endless checking of documents would make sense if they followed any kind of logical procedure. I cant honestly remember someone checking both my boarding pass and passport at the same time. Also don't leave anything in your bag that looks remotely bulky. To have to go down to security and physically verify the contents to your bag 30 minutes before departure is quite a strain. (By the way it was a head torch, one that has been with me through countless airports without issue). I can safely say as a frequent traveller this is without doubt the most inefficient airport I have ever flown from and has guaranteed that no matter the cost implications flying via Delhi is just not worth it. A shame as the rest of India was brilliant. Avoid this airport if you can.

✅ Verified Review | This is a modern airport, renovated and expanded in 2010, it has many check in counters, helpful staff, quick security check in. Though last time, it took a while at the security. There are enough shops at both domestic and international terminals. Enough seating area, some lounge chairs to relax. Food court serves mostly Indian food. Very limited western foods. Airport has lounges operated by Plaza Premium. You can find them both before and after security. There're some sleeping pods out there. You can pay and sleep. Make sure to book in advance. There are hotels at the airport, and a Holiday Inn attached to the terminal. After international security while departing, there's a huge area selling all kind of Indian stuff. This is a very good place to buy gifts. I always spend some time here and look around. Almost always found stuff to buy. It's little expensive though. Overall, a great airport with all the amenities you need.

❎ Unverified | Presenting a sign that Delhi airport is the number one in two consecutive years is a sheer insult to passangers having walked approximately 1km in stifling heat from the arrival gate to utterly understaffed immigration. You then stand in line sweating in heat for 1.5hrs to get to the counter to be met with a rude immigration officer for at least 5-10 minutes for each person when all documentation has been electronically supplied and is in order. This is followed by countless army check-up-points before collecting your luggage - which takes an other 30min-1h to arrive, going out and trying to find the departures hall with no signs whatsoever, checked 3 times before even entering by army men with no understanding of anything. You must queue to check-in for another 30 minutes-1h pouring sweat, queuing through security another 30 minutes, scanned inside out only to walk the same 1km back to your departure port! Why do you even bother to have any shops there, one has no time whatsoever to shop after all this. I would never come to Delhi were it necessary to reach some destinations. Do something! But based on the "performance" seems they are utterly incapable for that.