Chicago to Mumbai Flights (ORD to BOM): Best Connections, Flight Time and Arrival Guide

Chicago to Mumbai: one stop, usually through the Gulf

As of recent schedules there is no regular nonstop between Chicago O'Hare and Mumbai, so almost everyone connects once. The good news is that Chicago has nonstop flights to every major hub on the way, so a single connection is easy to arrange:

• Gulf hubs: Emirates through Dubai, Qatar Airways through Doha and Etihad through Abu Dhabi. All three fly nonstop from O'Hare to their hub, with a three to four hour hop on to Mumbai.
• Delhi: Air India has flown Chicago to Delhi nonstop, and a Delhi connection onto a short domestic flight to Mumbai is a realistic single-ticket option. Air India's North American network has changed several times, so check the current schedule.
• Europe and Istanbul: Lufthansa via Frankfurt or Munich, British Airways via London, Air France via Paris, KLM via Amsterdam, Swiss via Zurich and Turkish Airlines via Istanbul.

United, which partners with Lufthansa and Swiss, and American, which partners with British Airways and Qatar Airways, sell many of these combinations under their own flight codes.

Which routing suits your trip

Routing	Airlines	Typical total eastbound	Notes
Via Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi	Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad	18 to 21 hours	Hubs sit almost on the way; most arrivals in Mumbai are late at night
Via Delhi	Air India	19 to 23 hours	Domestic leg in India; you clear immigration in Delhi, not Mumbai
Via Europe	Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France, KLM, Swiss	19 to 23 hours	Splits the journey into two similar legs; good with United or American miles
Via Istanbul	Turkish Airlines	19 to 22 hours	One large hub with frequent Mumbai flights

On the way home, Etihad has a special advantage: US Preclearance in Abu Dhabi lets you clear US immigration and customs before boarding, so you land at O'Hare as a domestic arrival. See the flying home section below.

Flight time and distance

The great-circle distance from Chicago to Mumbai is roughly 8,050 miles (about 12,950 km). Via the Gulf, the long leg from Chicago to Dubai or Doha takes about 13 to 14 hours, and the onward flight three to three and a half. Including a layover, plan on 18 to 22 hours in total. Via Europe, expect eight to nine hours to the hub, then eight to nine more to Mumbai, with a similar total.

Many flights to Mumbai land late at night or in the early hours. That is normal on this route, so book a hotel that allows a late check-in or reserve the previous night.

Leaving from O'Hare

Most foreign airlines, including Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad, Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France, KLM, Swiss, Turkish Airlines and Air India, depart from Terminal 5, the international terminal. United's international flights generally leave from Terminal 1 and American's from Terminal 3. If you connect from a domestic flight to Terminal 5, use the Airport Transit System train and allow time to clear security again.

The CTA Blue Line runs from downtown to O'Hare in about 45 minutes; from the station, ride the Airport Transit System to Terminal 5. Taxis and rideshares take 30 to 60 minutes from the Loop depending on the Kennedy Expressway. Arrive about three hours before departure, because check-in queues for the Gulf airlines can be long with families checking several bags.

Arriving in Mumbai and getting into the city

All international flights land at Terminal 2 of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (BOM). Domestic flights use Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 depending on the airline, so check if you have an onward connection; a free shuttle links the two. Immigration can be slow when several long-haul flights land together in the early hours. If you hold an e-Visa, keep a printed or saved copy of the approval ready for the officer.

Mumbai now also has a second airport, Navi Mumbai International, across the harbour. Make sure your ticket shows BOM if you are staying in the city or the western suburbs, because the drive between the two airports is long.

Getting into the city from Terminal 2 takes longer than the distance suggests:

• Prepaid taxi: book at the counters inside arrivals for a fixed fare. Allow 45 to 90 minutes to South Mumbai, less to Bandra, Juhu or Andheri.
• App cabs: Uber and Ola pick up from designated zones outside Terminal 2.
• Metro Line 3 (Aqua Line): the underground line has stations at both airport terminals and runs towards Bandra Kurla Complex and South Mumbai. It can beat the road at rush hour; check current operating hours before relying on it for a late arrival.
• Hotel transfer: worth booking for a very late arrival, especially on a first visit.

At night the roads are clear and the drive is fast. In the morning and evening rush, add time.

Entry requirements for US travellers

US passport holders need a visa for India. Most tourists use the e-Visa, applied for online through the official Government of India portal before travel. It is usually processed within a few days, but apply well ahead and only use the official site, because lookalike sites charge extra and some do not deliver a valid visa. Your passport should be valid for at least six months from arrival and have at least two blank pages. If you hold an OCI card, you do not need a visa; travel with the OCI card and the passport linked to it.

On a normal connection in Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi or a European hub you stay airside and need no visa for the hub. Check the transit rules only if you plan to leave the airport.

Flying home: Mumbai to Chicago

Many departures for the Gulf and Europe leave Mumbai late at night or in the early morning. Indian airports check your ticket and passport at the terminal entrance, so have the booking on your phone or printed, and arrive three hours before departure. Security and emigration at Terminal 2 can both take time when several long-haul flights leave together.

The long leg home is slower than the outbound because you fly against the prevailing winds. From the Gulf to Chicago it runs 15 to 16 hours, and total journeys are typically 20 to 24 hours.

Where you clear US entry depends on the routing. On Etihad, you go through US Preclearance in Abu Dhabi before boarding, so at O'Hare you simply collect your bags and leave; allow extra time in Abu Dhabi for it. On other airlines, you clear US immigration and customs at O'Hare Terminal 5. US citizens can speed this up with Global Entry or the free Mobile Passport Control app. Declare food you bring back; many packaged foods are allowed, but fresh fruit, meat and some dairy products are not.

Best time to fly and when to book

Mumbai's weather shapes the year. The best months are November to February, warm and dry with comfortable evenings. March to May grows steadily hotter and more humid. The monsoon, roughly June to September, brings heavy rain and flooding on some days, which can delay flights and road traffic.

Demand from Chicago peaks around Diwali in October or November, the December holidays when many families travel to see relatives, and the US summer break. Seats on the best connections sell out months ahead for those weeks, so book four to six months ahead for December; two to three months is usually enough at other times.

Time difference and jet lag

Mumbai is ten and a half hours ahead of Chicago during Central Daylight Time and eleven and a half hours ahead in winter. India does not observe daylight saving time, and its time zone is offset by half an hour. Eastbound you usually arrive in the middle of the night, so sleep as soon as you can and get daylight the next morning. Westbound you usually reach Chicago in the afternoon or evening of the same day; stay up until a normal bedtime.

Mistakes to avoid on this route

The most common mistake is applying for the e-Visa on an unofficial site. The second is booking a tight domestic connection in Mumbai after a late-night international arrival; immigration and the terminal change can take well over an hour. The third is assuming the baggage rules of the first airline apply to every leg on separate tickets. Check the exact allowance before you pack gifts for family, and keep medicines and valuables in your cabin bag.