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Has anyone done an international to international transfer at Chennai this year?
Apparently there is a new airside international transfer since February 2024 advertised by Chennai airport on Twitter but I can’t find anymore information online.Flight booked on CW from Heathrow to Chennai on BA35 using 241 voucher, arriving 0535 and planning to leave for Colombo on Sri Lankan on the same day. We will have separate tickets.
We haven’t booked the Colombo flight yet but would like to take the 0940 flight, next one is much later at 1555.We were expecting to retrieve luggage, leave airside which we think requires a tourist or transit visa, and recheck in. Fingers crossed for the ItoI transfer.
A few questions:
Has anyone done this international transfer recently, or used the ItoI airside transfer please?
Is 4 hours time enough or shall we wait for the late afternoon flight.If we need to leave airside, I guess we will need a visa, any advice on a transit visa or paying for a tourist visa.
For the Sri Lankan flight, we want to book on the 0940 hoping we can rebook for the late afternoon flight if we miss the connection. There seems to be at least three different levels of economy ticket – the cheapest seems to come with a ‘one change’ option… does anyone know if and how this works – if we need to rebook?
I don’t fly so much anymore – be very grateful for some expert advice. Many thanks in advance
We were expecting to retrieve luggage, leave airside
If you are retrieving luggage, then its not airside anymore. Not just Chennai, its any airport. Luggage can be retrieved landside only.
Airside transfers are only for connecting passengers with both flights on same ticket.The timing will depend on the queue for immigration and luggage arriving on belt on time. You’ll be front of queue for immigration as you’ll be leaving the aircraft as you fly CW. 4 hours is sufficient for a transfer, but check the arrival times of BA35 in the recent past on flight aware.
Can you book Srilankan business using avios? This will get you the dedicated business checkin counter. The checkin and emigration (yes, there’s one) queues are the ones most likely to cause delay.
HBO might enable you to stay fully airside. I’ve had that experience in Bangkok. No idea whats arranged at Chennai though (nor recently in BKK)
You will need a visa to collect checked in bags. A two entry eVisa for UK citizens is $US 10/25 depending upon when you travel.
Google’s AI claims peak times are 0600-0700 and 1100-1200. I guess you can toss a coin to decide whether that’s helpful or just made up.
e-Visa for any visa-related items should be easy online. Depending on how many bags you have, you can also book the baggage-help porters(500 Rs – ~ 5£), who will remove the baggage for u from the lanes and help with the check-in to SL counter. They will usually know the shortest route. Depending on where BA lands, you may just need a short intra-airport walk – Chennai airport is one big terminal after terminal ( domestic/intl all within the same airport location ).
Many thanks for your helpful comments/advice.
BBbetter – that all makes sense… very likely we will have to leave airside to retrieve bags (looking like only one at this stage) – and that means a visa and a full recheck in. Avios business class or economy on Sri Lankan is much more expensive than paying cash .. although it comes with the advantage of late cancellation .. we’ll have a think.
menesweeper – I think we were hoping for a version of your HBO route ..the ItoI thing mentioned earlier… and I think we probably can reduce our bags to hand baggage.. We’ll look our for the ItoI when we arrive
masaccio … 2 entry e-visa for $25 each would be fine (travelling in early December) – we can do the same on the way back and enjoy a night or two in Chennai.
Flyer123 .. will have a go at visas now and consider the baggage help porter – even if only hand baggage – £5 for all that expertise on the shortest queues is a bargain. We will do some more googling on the terminal arrangement at Chennai
BBbetter – Apologies – Avios business class on Sri Lankan is quite a bit less expensive that a cash ticket. Avios economy is more expensive than paying cash depending on the type of economy .. as said, we’ll have a think … short queues and an expert porter is an attractive prospect! Thanks again for your thoughts
@Jonno52, as far as I remember, there are only two terminals, one for domestic and the other international. So you just need to collect your bags and head downstairs (or upstairs).
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