<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2Z0W8z_0wPWx2Ii00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2Z0W8z_0wPWx2Ii00" width="1500" height="1125" ></figure>It was time to head home from Bhutan and I had booked a rather complicated route back on three separate tickets. While trying to check in for my Bhutan Airlines flight to Delhi, I encountered an Indian visa issue that nearly scuttled the trip home.<h2>Indian Visa Scare On Bhutan Airlines – Transit Without Visa In Delhi</h2>My trip home from Bhutan to Los Angeles was booked on three tickets:<ul><li>Paro to Delhi on Bhutan Airlines</li><li>Delhi to Dubai on Air India</li><li>Dubai to Los Angeles via Newark on United Airlines</li></ul>While checking in for the Bhutan Airlines flight, I asked that our bags be checked all the way through to Dubai, since we only had a 2.5-hour connection at Indira Gandhi International Airport and no visa.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=46mb3N_0wPWx2Ii00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=46mb3N_0wPWx2Ii00" width="1500" height="1125" ></figure>The check-in agent looked very concerned and informed me that Bhutan Airlines does not check baggage through on other carriers (this is typically called an interline agreement). Thus, we’d need a visa for India in order to claim our bags in Delhi.Seriously? Could this really be the case?Turns out, after looking up the rules, the agent was correct.I own up to making this mistake. While India does not require a visa for transit passengers, it does require transit passengers to 1.) check their bag through and 2.) be traveling on a single ticket.In terms of interline partners, Bhutan Airlines has only Air Algérie and Qatar Airways:<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0Epohy_0wPWx2Ii00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0Epohy_0wPWx2Ii00" width="1610" height="658" ><figcaption>Expert Flyer</figcaption></figure>Here’s the relevant transit without visa rules from India:<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4GJSbE_0wPWx2Ii00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4GJSbE_0wPWx2Ii00" width="1612" height="1126" ><figcaption>Expert Flyer</figcaption></figure>The good news is that I had a backup ready to go. As the Bhutan Airlines staff discussed our situation, I noted there was a Bhutan Airlines flight to Bangkok departing at the same time that we could take, then take Emirates home via Dubai. Yes, there would be backtracking, but it made me breathe easier knowing we had another option.But that turned out to be unnecessary…thankfully (miraculously?).I don’t know how exactly it was done, but we were allowed to travel to Delhi and our bags were checked through. I do know that the staff made an extended call to the Bhutan Airlines office in Delhi and specific permission was granted to let us onboard. I would think that conversation included Indian authorities since the Indian transit without visa rules seemed clear that everything had to be on one ticket?<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3gnZ4h_0wPWx2Ii00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3gnZ4h_0wPWx2Ii00" width="1500" height="2000" ></figure><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2JsT2H_0wPWx2Ii00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2JsT2H_0wPWx2Ii00" width="1500" height="1125" ></figure>So I share this post in gratefulness for Bhutan Airlines and also as a reminder to always check visa transit rules because we may have beat the odds, but really should not have been allowed on that flight. I’m very thankful it worked out and very grateful for the kind staff at the counter who worked so hard to get us on our way. After we arrived in Delhi we had no issue checking in for our Air India flight at the Air India transit desk. The bags made it to Dubai.But I should have planned this better…</div></body>

Mountain View, CA

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My Indian Visa Scare At Paro International Airport

It was time to head home from Bhutan and I had booked a rather complicated route back on three separate tickets. While trying to check in for my Bhutan Airlines flight to Delhi, I encountered an Indian visa issue that nearly scuttled the trip home. Indian Visa Scare On Bhutan...