Cheap Flights to Mumbai

When is the best time to fly to Mumbai?

Peak season:

There are many Holy events and stunning festivals that take place throughout India across the year, although the peak season is generally from September to April. This is when the weather is most pleasant for tourists. Late August to early September sees the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. It’s a ten-day Hindu festival which is immensely popular. Holi is a celebration of Indian culture and is held on the full moon during March. The Holi festival is an amazing celebration of colour in a bid for happiness, prosperity and peace to all who are involved. Cheap flights to Mumbai are generally very hard to find leading up to these events, however if you plan ahead you can secure some good deals on your flight tickets.

Off season:

You’ll find the cheapest flights to Mumbai during the monsoon season and during the summer heat. Generally, this is from June through to early September, although as the Ganesh Chaturthi festival begins, you might find flight tickets increase in price towards the middle of August.

How long is the flight to Mumbai?

Flights from London to Mumbai: 8 hours 55 minutes.

Flights from Manchester to Mumbai: 12 hours 30 minutes.

Flights from Birmingham to Mumbai: 13 hours 15 minutes.

Flights from Glasgow to Mumbai: 11 hours 40 minutes.

Which airlines operate flights to Mumbai?

Jet Airways, British Airways, Air India and Virgin Atlantic are the four major airlines that operate routes to Mumbai. Deciding which airline to fly with will usually come down to whoever provides the cheapest flights to Mumbai, although occasionally it can come down to preference. For example, if you have a loyalty scheme with Virgin or British Airways, it would make sense to continue flying with them, either so you can redeem your saved up points or continue to earn more. British Airways also offer free snacks and beverages throughout their flights, so this is something to consider when booking your flight tickets. Virgin Atlantic on the other hand are well known for their high levels of comfort and customer service.

How to get from the airport to the city centre?

The Chhatrapati Shivaji International airport is around 28km north of Mumbai. There are several different methods you can use to get yourself to the centre once your flights to Mumbai land. The first of which is to jump on a train, one of the fastest ways to travel. There are three different lines you can use: the Western, Central and Harbour lines, all of which link up to several different parts of the city, so figure out which one is best for you once you arrive. You’ll need to take a quick bus or taxi journey to the train station itself, so factor this into your plans once you’ve booked your flight tickets. The only bus service available from the airport goes to one of two different train stations, either the Vile Parle or the Andheri. Taxis are the only way you can travel if you want to get dropped off directly at the door of your accommodation, but always go for a pre-paid one over a metered taxi. Taxi drivers in Mumbai are notorious for overcharging and driving excessively long routes to increase the price, so avoid metered drivers at all costs. Lastly, you can opt to travel in an Auto Rickshaw, although these are only authorized to travel within the western suburbs beyond Bandra and in the central suburbs past Sion.

Mumbai airport overview

Mumbai Airport, or Chhatrapati Shivaji International, is located approximately 28km (17 miles) north of Central Mumbai. It is the city’s main airport and South Asia’s second-busiest airport, serving around 29 million passengers in 2010-2011.

Spread over two suburban areas, namely Santa Cruz and Sahar, Chhatrapati Shivaji International consists of two main terminals and an additional five sub-terminals. Terminal 1, which is reserved for domestic flights, is located on the Santa Cruz side, while Terminal 2 handles international flights and is situated on the Sahar side. Both terminals are separated on the landslide – thus requiring a 15-20 minute transfer between them – but they share the same airside facilities.

Chhatrapati Shivaji International can get hectic at times; however, the completion of a number of renovations in the near future, including the merging of the airport’s two terminals, should see operations smoothing out across the board. For the time-being, expect long queues and a dash of organised chaos, both of which may be compensated for with a duty-free shopping spree or a tasty meal and drinks at one of Chhatrapati Shivaji International’s eateries.