Air India Vande Bharat Mission flights online booking on June 8 for US/Canada origin flights

It is no secret that the stoppage of commercial air travel over the past few months has left a lot of people stranded in India and also left a lot of Indians left stranded abroad. With this in mind, Air India was assigned the task of bringing back Indians from across the globe. Ideally, they are best suited for the mission given their wide-body aircraft portfolio. But Air India has been selling tickets on both legs for many flights, while the costs per seat were arrived at with the assumption that the outward leg would fly empty.

There has been a great rush for Air India’s flights, especially to and from the USA, with flights selling out three minutes after opening bookings. This also has been because a minimal number of flights have been operated in the first month of the repatriation flights mission. Now, the number of Air India Evacuation flights is set to go up. From the USA itself, there will be a considerable number of flights that will be operated to India from June 10 to June 30, and similarly a lot of flights from Canada too.

Flights from the USA to India during Vande Bharat Phase 3 (Information as of June 6, 2020, 1200 IST)

a table with numbers and letters

Flights from Canada to India during Vande Bharat Phase 3 (Information as of June 6, 2020, 1200 IST)

a table with numbers and letters

AirIndia Flight Booking Online for Vande Bharat Phase 3

For the first few flights that Air India operated on behalf of the Government of India to bring Indians back from the USA and Canada to India, the Government asked the embassies and consulates based in those countries to choose who was eligible to go back. In these phases, the flights were too less, and the planning needed to be was much more. So now, Air India has been asked to operate many more flights (49 flights from the USA, 21 flights from Canada) in June 2020 itself. Due to the much higher number of flights, the embassies won’t be selecting the passengers anymore, but those who want to book these seats will be allowed to book it themselves on the Air India website.

a large white and red airplane

Ticket bookings will begin on June 8, 2020, 1030 AM EST on www.airindia.in. However, there are certain things to remember before you try booking these tickets. First and foremost, you still need to be registered with the Indian Embassy in USA or Canada for a ticket on these flights. As per a notice from the Indian Embassy in Washington DC,

  • Only those Indian nationals and OCI Cardholders with compelling cases and registered with the Embassy/Consulates will be eligible to travel on Vande Bharat Mission special flights to India.
  • Indian Nationals: With the compelling cases such as those facing medical emergencies or requiring return due to bereavement in the family, students, pregnant women, elderly or those facing expiry of visas.
  • Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card holders: Minor children born to Indian nationals abroad and holding OCI cards, OCI cardholders who wish to come to India on account of family emergencies like death in family, couples where one spouse is an OCI cardholder and the other is an Indian national and they have a permanent residence in India, university students who are OCI cardholders (not legally minors) but whose parents are Indian citizens living in India. [Note: The OCI cardholders falling into one of the categories mentioned above will not require any fresh emergency visa].
  • Stranded Indian nationals in US, desirous of availing special VBM flights to India, and have not yet registered with the Embassy/Consulate at (https://indianembassyusa.gov.in/reg_indian_nationals) are advised to do so at the earliest. For Canada, you register at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScHlPpg1hI-kQIp4SXqTcezMG1u2fH91pSNCq6uTXdMdkN-JQ/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1
  • Permitted categories of the OCI Cardholders in US, desirous of availing special VBM flights to India, and have not yet registered with the Embassy/Consulate at (https://indianembassyusa.gov.in/reg_oci_indian_nationals) are advised to do so at the earliest. For Canada, you register at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScHlPpg1hI-kQIp4SXqTcezMG1u2fH91pSNCq6uTXdMdkN-JQ/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1

A note to this effect is also put up on the Air India social media handles now.

a document with text on itBottomline

If you are looking to fly back to India from the United States or Canada, you should be ready to book your tickets at 1030 EDT on June 8, 2020. Before that, you would need to register your request with the correct consulate/embassy as well. And if Air India’s track record is anything to go by, get yourself a lot of patience to go by, and if you have multiple credit cards, keep them along as well. Air India’s website will get slammed at the opening hour, and things will go wrong before they go right.

For the other countries, the process of booking via the embassy will continue for the time being.

All the best!


Liked our articles and our efforts? Please pay an amount you are comfortable with; an amount you believe is the fair price for the content you have consumed. Please enter an amount in the box below and click on the button to pay; you can use Netbanking, Debit/Credit Cards, UPI, QR codes, or any Wallet to pay. Every contribution helps cover the cost of the content generated for your benefit.

(Important: to receive confirmation and details of your transaction, please enter a valid email address in the pop-up form that will appear after you click the ‘Pay Now’ button. Even though the amount you enter has to be in INR, you may use an international card to process the transaction.)

We are not putting our articles behind any paywall where you are asked to pay before you read an article. We are asking you to pay after you have read the article if you are satisfied with the quality and our efforts.

About Ajay

Ajay Awtaney is the Founder and Editor of Live From A Lounge (LFAL), a pioneering digital platform renowned for publishing news and views about aviation, hotels, passenger experience, loyalty programs, travel trends and frequent travel tips for the Global Indian. He is considered the Indian authority on business travel, luxury travel, frequent flyer miles, loyalty credit cards and travel for Indians around the globe. Ajay is a frequent contributor and commentator on the media as well, including ET Now, BBC, CNBC TV18, NDTV, Conde Nast Traveller and many other outlets.

More articles by Ajay »

Comments

  1. Sir
    My name is md naushad
    I am stay in Kuwait this next month my company no provide accommodation so I want go to India my registration number have 76562. Passport no.k6650845 my mobile number is 97409113. I agree kolkata /Patna Gaya airport as soon as
    Thanks you sir

  2. I stay in Kuwait my visa expire this month next month20 July my last duty I have already registration in Indian embassy in Kuwait my registration number have.76562 my pasport no.k6650845 I want go to India next month I have very short time so please l agree go to kolkata / bihar Patna. Gaya any airport

  3. hi sir/mam

    how to come oman to Delhi i filip the farm before 1and half month but not a any infiamtion plz help me

  4. My daughter got a ticket from Chicago to Delhi for the 20th of June. Can she take a domestic flight directly to Kochi from Delhi, or does she have to quarantine in Delhi? If yes, should we book any hotel room prior to her arrival, or can she book at the Delhi airport?

    • @Jyothi please call Air India to get you a ticket which connects to the Kochi flight so that your daughter does not have to exit the airport and hence get into a quarantine situation.

      • I am stuck in Ludhiana Punjab along with my three kids. We had air India ticket to go back in April 3rd, now they started bhande Bharat Mission flights and they are not adjusting or refund info my tickets. I called more than 200 times after they started booking for 3rd phase but every single time they hunger up. No quality control no body is calling back . Someone booked me for June 28 from Delhi to Toronto and took my all information to call me back for confirmation with e ticket but guess what no body called back. Very poor customer service.

  5. yes, as some one said its all fake. i booked my name on 2nd May to CTM to get flight to UK, but upto now there is no news for us. i saw lot of people gone back. what i see there is some corruption system on the way, that is why i have not heard any thing. i have been trying to book flight on this called Vande Bharat Mission. its useless.

  6. I think this mission so called Vande Bharat Mission is fake
    you know why i m asking so many people r submitted form online to our Indian ambessy go back to home in India people’s r stuck in UAE they don’t have a job & many more problems i also apply online & my visa cancelation status hard copy in Abu Dhabi office
    Our ambessy didn’t send any Mail or any call how to help us
    I send more than 10 times mail to our ambessy i explain every detail about me I lost my job from February I don’t have money to survive here it’s very difficult for me & lots of our Indian stuck people’s how to staying here
    Vande Bharat mission is making good business now if you have any good contact in India you can come back to India other wise we are suffering here no one cares

    Get well soon our Indian ambessy & our honest government

    • you are perfectly correct. i tried to book flight from delhi to london but no luck, i went through agents and they offered me flight within to days and the price was about four times normal fare. its all cheat, fiddle and corrupt.

  7. My doughter studying in India Mumbai lonavala.college all ready close. She staying nw frnd home. She don’t hv resistance visa. Plz open UAE visit visa plz.

  8. Mohammad nasim khan says
    Sir indian government
    Please help me
    Jeddah to kolkata flight please arrange I lost my job 3 month finish
    Please help me

  9. Send time table of air India flight from London to Mumbai. In phase3. I and my wife waiting from April 20 to today. We are staying in London. We are Indian citizen. Please help me.

  10. RadheRadhe. I purushottam ,presently residing in Irving Texas. Usa, as priest in 1 of the Hindutemple. I want to go back to India my country but due to covid virus .. now im jobless from last 2mnts, I am having very hard timen also want to go back home, also finish all my money .pls my humble request is pls if u can do some arrangements, will b very greatfull to u all.thanku.pls accept my plea. Thanku.

  11. I am Stranded here in Abu Dhabi. I have lost my job since march.Please arrange flight from Abudhabi to Mumbai.i have dont have money for room rent and food.
    Thank you

  12. Even after booking from Toronto to Chennai now the website shows that Delhi to Chennai flight has been canceled amount taken upto Chennai

  13. I’m Roshan Lal
    Plz abu dhabi to punjab filght ka areng kro 12 month ho Gaya mera visa expire ho gaya mere pass job nahi
    Plz help kro
    Vande bharat. Mai meri ticket areng kro
    Ph 0562329266

  14. I m now in Bahrain I have lost my job bcz my visa expires in April whell will flight available go Mumbai pls help me Indian government

  15. Plz sir Abu Dhabi to Mumbai filght Ka areng kro 5 month ho Gaya Mera visa expire ho ke 3 month se bhi zada ho Gaya mere pass job nahi paise nahi plz hepl kro vande bhart mission me meri ticket areng kro

  16. Muscut to Varanasi ya lucknow ke liye pls flight ham logo Ka job nahi hai aur khane ka paisa Nahi hai ham log 27 March se wait kar rahe hai pls Help me here 90 people log wait kar rahe hai Aur hamara Visa bhi expire Ho chuka hai ham log express visa me 21 Day k liye aaye the i requested for cm in up aur mahoday nagar viman mantri ji se venti hai kripya hamari madad ki Jay

  17. I am going abudhabi to kolkata
    Whay tikit avobol pls deta any help you mob…. 0504110940

  18. I have lost my job in March 12th and my wife also here on visit Visa. Already expired we both are above sixty. All medicine she brought from India also finished. Plz help us to go back in India in maharashtra. Thanking you. Amir Hajwani

  19. Hello sir I’m Reena kumari sowambar from Mauritius. I’m stuck in Punjab since 4month month. I wants to go my home Mauritius. Plz let me know if any flight available in India to Mauritius.

  20. I am stuck in India last three months.like to go to usa. Cannot afford higher price of air india sp flight. Why not India government allow other air line like quatar, emirat. Etihad.to make it competitive price.

  21. I am stranded in San Francisco since March 2020. I had a return ticket in Singapore Airlinefrom SFO to Kolkata.
    I am 77years old and Tupe2 Diabetic Patient. I like to go to Kolkata. But Vande Bharat Mission of Air India does not provide services from San Francisco to Kolkata.
    If I go by Air India Flight from San Francisco to Delhi , Can Air India will issue me a ticket from San Frncisco to Kolkata by connecting flight? I need a combined ticket from Sn Francisco to Delhi and Delhi to Kolkata. Is it possible?

  22. Sharjah to Lucknow Dubai to Ranchi Dubai to Delhi Dubai to Mumbai kidhar v hai to pls btaiye bhut parisan hai hm April se wait krrhe hm meri wife problem me hai pls arrange kijye mera call v aya tha Dubai embassy se next week me kolkata Kyle flight hai uske bad call aya hi nai pls pls

  23. M.G.Bhat I am 83 years old senior citizen stranded inUAE since lock down .I have medical problems .please urgently arrange flights to Pune

  24. Dear sir I am registered 4 months back please help me i am job loss 5 months ago I need to go india Trichy Madurai and chennai any airports from Dubai i suffering sir I have health problem also please 0508712354 or 0552393496

  25. Sir hum log labour ka koi sunta nahi hamare paas na khane ka hai na jane ka paisa hai please lucknow ka flight start kare sir 5 month se baithe hai please help me 0522268532

  26. What will happen to my ticket booked to travel on 29th March JFK-DDEL-BLR ?

  27. Thank you for your articles – all have been really helpful!

    Any recommendations/tips on booking them tomorrow to make sure we do get a seat considering what happened last time for bookings to US? I had seen in your previous article, that you found open seats after a day too – would love to get your thoughts on how we could make this work for us 🙂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *