Mumbai Airport

Flew from Johannesburg to Hong Kong via Mumbai a few days ago. What a complete and utter disaster! The endless queue to get through security between international flights was enough to make a grown man cry. The chaos and disorganisation was only surpassed by the security staff's inefficiency and general lack of effort. The airport (and indeed Jet Airways) need to seriously consider providing a fast track queue for business class passengers. If your product cannot attract and retain premium passengers your product will fail. With the vast array of choice available for business class flights to Asia there is no reason to endure Mumbai.

Flew Johannesburg to Bangkok via Mumbai and spent 60 mins in a queue. Amazingly disorganized. At the airport I had 8hr wait overnight no ATM no currency exchange. There're both a level up and I was told by airport staff that I "can't go there". Free wi-fi doesn't work. Flew Jet Airways that are ok but I swear it was my last trip with them via Mumbai. I hope they do something about it soon. It's a disgrace.

As plenty have said below complete shambles. Was travelling from Heathrow to Bangkok via Mumbai but still had to queue for 90 minutes to have all my hand luggage scanned. The queues are split into male and female with no organisation. The checks take for ever and you lose sight of your hand luggage for about 5 minutes. Staff are plain rude. I would do anything to avoid using the airport again.

BKK-LHR via BOM. It took a very long time to get from the plane to the terminal antiquated security system that involved being separated from my bags for at least 10 minutes. When I finally caught up with them they were in a heap with everyone else's. I knew I had a long wait and was pleased there was some fairly comfortable seating but the mosquitoes were unbelievable absolutely everywhere and hundreds of them. A really unpleasant experience and I'll avoid this route in the future!

My wife and I had the great misfortune to fly from Delhi to Mumbai arriving in the Domestic Terminal transferring to the International Terminal. Fortunately we had 4 hours between flights and had our luggage checked through to London - we just made it to the connecting flight. In the Domestic Terminal you wait in long lines for busses then it ambles around the airport. I have seen many airports around the world and this was hands down the worst!

Experience at this airport depends very much on when your flight gets there. At peak times its a nightmare compared to other international airports. Attitude of security staff is improving but still far from an acceptable standard. Prices in the terminal are very high. They used to have a public phone to make a free local call but that has now been withdrawn. The wi-fi didn't work. At busy times the narrow exit from the airport gets blocked by a very long queue to what appears to be the sole counter for pre-paid taxis. I could just about cope with this airport but it doesn't do justice to the international city it serves - that said eagerly looking forward to the 'new' terminal being built.

Getting better. The international terminal has undergone extensive reservation. When arriving at 22.30 (before most other international flights arrive) there were no queues and immigration took less than 5 mins. Baggage took another 20 mins to arrive. They have removed all touts and sellers from the outside area which is now much more convenient and empty. Hotel car awaited me just outside the terminal with only a short walk to the garage. Similar experience on departure. No big crowds and efficient check-in passport and security check. BOM now has some shopping facilities and restaurant worthy of an international airport. With all these changes it is now a much more pleasant airport to travel through.

Horrible experience on way to BKK from LHR and again on return journey. I flew with Jet Airways. Transfer passengers have to go through security checks again however the whole operation seems to be being run by a group of cub scouts. Different queues for gender and airline however they seem to constantly be closing and opening certain metal detectors and no one working who seems to know what is going on. You can think you are next to go through and then a whole group either push in front of you or are pushed in front of you by staff. Passengers have to leave hand luggage unattended for long periods of time after reaching the baggage inspector while they join a second queue for the metal detectors and a stern frisk. Jet staff not helpful in explaining what was going on. Duty free staff sit in huddles lazily gossiping while your transaction takes even longer. Once at the gate up to 4 different people stop you in the same corridor to inspect boarding pass. Suppose it keeps people in jobs. Not a single set of manners between anyone we encountered.

The Arrival was alright. We got out pretty fast it was surprising to have to check luggage at X-ray before leaving the airport. The departure was a mess for everything: for showing ID to get inside the building while queuing at check-in at immigration passing first security check at boarding gate and again scanning luggage between boarding gate and plane. The fact that the airport has no single ATM after immigration service is a problem it is impossible to buy anything as non-Indians cannot pay with Indian Rupees in the terminal - not to mention that Duty Free seems more expensive than buying things outside the Airport. BOM was a very bad experience.

This airport is a complete disaster. Unorganized uncoordinated. Have used this airport at least a dozen times and each time it is getting worse. On arrival you spend an hour for immigration and then a couple of hours before you find your luggage. In my most recent trip the luggage belt tripped 10 times. The luggage belts are very small probably good for the number of passengers coming out of a plane smaller than 737. But still for 747s and 777s they are using the same small luggage belts. Air conditioning is at its worst. For departing passengers the long lines start outside the building. You will spend around 3 to 4 hours in different lines before you are able to arrive at the boarding area again to find that there is no space to sit until boarding announcement is made. It seems that most of the airlines' ground staff do not know a system of organized boarding for travellers with infants or old people and business / first class. In short you spend a lot of time and energy on both arrival and before departure.