The answer is yes, but….
- You will need to talk to the ground staff and insist you don’t have (or can’t get) Indian visa.
- And you will have to emphasize that you cannot go through the immigration.
- Then maybe, if you have luggage, then maybe the ground staff will check in your baggage to your next flight.
If you don’t have any baggage, then you don’t need to worry about not getting your ticket… there is an international transfer counter inside the airport which you can get your boarding pass from there.
Yet I believe most of us will have checked-in baggage.
From my understanding, it is the responsibility of the ground staff of your previous flight (in my case:Aeroflot) to take your baggage and check in your bag for you. But it depends on the mood of the staff because I got the impression that the staff was reluctant to transfer the bag unless you insist. And I’m also under the impression that the ground staff of Aeroflot would have to either agree to transfer your bag or force you to go through immigration. You cannot quietly disappear in the terminal when you arrive. They actually do a head count or something, and if you don’t pass through the immigration then the Aeroflot flight cannot take off (that’s what I was told, and the ground staff was very stressed… so I think he meant it.)
My tip for you is..go straight to International Transfer Desk (and beg). Don’t go downstairs to immigration because once you leave the transfer area you will find it very difficult to return (especially when early in the morning).
Of course if you manage to book your ticket to Dehli and Kathmandu in the same booking then the airport staff will automatically tag your bags for you. But I bought my tickets separately as it was cheaper that way.
And… just remember there’s no guarantee. We lost two bags (out of 4). Although they were sent to Kathmandu after 4 days… it was still a lot of effort to communicate with the airline. It might or might not happen to you, but just remember to always ask for the new baggage tags.
And of course if you already have Indian visa it will be a lot easier. But when you can’t get a visa and when you have paid for your flights, don’t worry about the visa. When you get to New Dehli Airport, it will all work out!
Traveling Mega
