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India Trip --- Qs

Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2018 3:44 am
by dixit
After my last few 2-4 days trips in the last 12-15 years, I am actually going on a longish 11 days trip to India later this year. I have some very basic questions hoping to get answers here ---


- I have a connecting flight to my hometown some 5 hours after I land in Delhi on Jet Airways. Similarly, coming back, I am coming a day early to Delhi again on Jet. International baggage limits are 23kgs while domestic flights have limits of 15 Kgs. Are there any exceptions for the folks coming from or traveling on connecting international flights?


- Can I get a data plan / sim card at Delhi airport for a local number/data? Are there any AT&T international/India plans I can buy from here?


Thanks!!!
-D

India Trip --- Qs

Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2018 4:42 am
by ILuvHyd
dixit;682966After my last few 2-4 days trips in the last 12-15 years, I am actually going on a longish 11 days trip to India later this year. I have some very basic questions hoping to get answers here ---


- I have a connecting flight to my hometown some 5 hours after I land in Delhi on Jet Airways. Similarly, coming back, I am coming a day early to Delhi again on Jet. International baggage limits are 23kgs while domestic flights have limits of 15 Kgs. Are there any exceptions for the folks coming from or traveling on connecting international flights?


- Can I get a data plan / sim card at Delhi airport for a local number/data? Are there any AT&T international/India plans I can buy from here?


Thanks!!!
-D

If you bought the entire ticket to your hometown they allow the same baggage for International passengers. If you bought international ticket until Delhi and then Delhi to your hometown as a domestic ticket separately, you may have to pay more for baggage.

If you did the later, compare upgrading to business class on that separate domestic flight and extra baggage charges and opt for the lowest.

Not sure if Delhi airport has ease of access to a new sim card. Last visit to Hyderabad in Feb this year, I didn't find any sim card machines or booths. Outside you can easily get one but need to provide some proof and passport photos. AT&T should have a plan. T-Mobile has excellent international plans, their international roaming in 150 countries is free, along with 2G data and text. Their voice calls are 20 cents/minute. Also explore Jio cellular router which can get you wireless internet in your pocket which your smartphone can hook up.


https://www.jio.com/shop/en-in/c/jiofi

Enjoy your trip and all the best.

India Trip --- Qs

Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2018 4:50 am
by Desi

India Trip --- Qs

Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2018 4:54 am
by boca
ILuvHyd;682969...I didn't find any sim card machines or booths. Outside you can easily get one but need to provide some proof and passport photos.

Can a foreigner purchase SIM in India? I think they ask for PAN card, etc. I typically get one with my mom's info.

The suggestion to get cellular router is good. I got one and interestingly, could use it in remote locations in Rajasthan for Google Maps directions. Saved a lot of agony for the tour taxi driver, who wasn't a local and didn't know directions. Even could figure out where Santoshi Maa temple was in the vicinity of Jodhpur, as I had promised my wife that I would take her there when we were visiting Rajasthan. It was in some remote location and Google Maps helped. When you google, it just says "Mandore Road 10 Km from Jodhpur, Jodhpur 342007". LOL! It was a torturous left-right-left-straight-right-left-etc. route, and Google Maps helped! :)

India Trip --- Qs

Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2018 6:45 am
by wd40
There is a forum called IndiaMike, I think you will get answers there.

Sent from my Redmi Note 4 using Tapatalk

India Trip --- Qs

Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2018 5:30 pm
by Hyderabadi
dixit;682966After my last few 2-4 days trips in the last 12-15 years, I am actually going on a longish 11 days trip to India later this year. I have some very basic questions hoping to get answers here ---


- I have a connecting flight to my hometown some 5 hours after I land in Delhi on Jet Airways. Similarly, coming back, I am coming a day early to Delhi again on Jet. International baggage limits are 23kgs while domestic flights have limits of 15 Kgs. Are there any exceptions for the folks coming from or traveling on connecting international flights?


- Can I get a data plan / sim card at Delhi airport for a local number/data? Are there any AT&T international/India plans I can buy from here?


Thanks!!!
-D


wow! 11 is longish, knowing you Hope you have a good time. 5 hour wait and then a plane? I came out of Delhi airport and caught a cab outside for 4000 bucks to Ludhiana (2010) took about 6 hours.

India Trip --- Qs

Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2018 7:00 pm
by ILuvHyd
boca;682972Can a foreigner purchase SIM in India? I think they ask for PAN card, etc. I typically get one with my mom's info.


I think that's the best option. I did a quick google search and this came up at top - https://www.trabug.com/blog/Best-India-SIM-Card-2018/
Looks like a lengthy bureaucratic process and may not be worth it to go through that for 10 day visits. Better to use a close relative's sim.

Some 8 years ago they used to give sims's with lot of free offers like there's no tomorrow but they they tightened it up, I guess for security reasons.

When I used to travel to London on business, I always used to buy one from a vending machine in Heathrow airport. Sometimes the in-flight magazines used to have a working sim with 1 pound free balance to right away start using and then recharge with a credit card.

To OPs other question, looks like AT&T has some decent roaming plans that charge $10 per day. Only problem with this is others in India to reach you have to make an international call charged at higher rates if you solely rely on your international number and plan.

https://www.att.com/offers/international-plans/day-pass.html
https://www.att.com/shop/wireless/international/global-countries.html#i

India Trip --- Qs

Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2018 7:16 pm
by kumm
dixit;682966After my last few 2-4 days trips in the last 12-15 years, I am actually going on a longish 11 days trip to India later this year. I have some very basic questions hoping to get answers here ---


- I have a connecting flight to my hometown some 5 hours after I land in Delhi on Jet Airways. Similarly, coming back, I am coming a day early to Delhi again on Jet. International baggage limits are 23kgs while domestic flights have limits of 15 Kgs. Are there any exceptions for the folks coming from or traveling on connecting international flights?


- Can I get a data plan / sim card at Delhi airport for a local number/data? Are there any AT&T international/India plans I can buy from here?


Thanks!!!
-D

Jet Airways is in financial trouble. So brace yourself for last minute cancellation. Recently SpiceJet, another troubled airline cancelled the flight I was supposed to take.

India Trip --- Qs

Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2018 10:08 pm
by dixit
Hyderabadi;682982wow! 11 is longish, knowing you Hope you have a good time. 5 hour wait and then a plane? I came out of Delhi airport and caught a cab outside for 4000 bucks to Ludhiana (2010) took about 6 hours.


I said longish...not long!! :)

Unfortunately, that is the first flight out of Delhi to ....where I will be going. Poor planning on my part. I was loooking for cheap flights to Delhi, without thinking about my onward journey. Lesson learned for the next time.

India Trip --- Qs

Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2018 10:54 pm
by punjabi
you can buy airtel and vodafone sim from their booths on delhi airport. All they ask for is the passport and address in india. They are more expensive than outside the airport but still if someone need one it can be bought there. Although the sim will be activated next day.
Data is so much cheaper in india that you can get 1GB data per day for only 200 Rs for a month.