India is the one country in the region you can often reach nonstop from the US, which changes how you shop for flights. But nonstop is not always cheapest, and not every city has it. Here is the full picture for Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and beyond, and how we can book it for you.
Good news: nonstop flights exist
Unlike Pakistan and Bangladesh, India has real nonstop service from the US:
- Air India has the widest nonstop network, from gateways such as New York (JFK), Newark (EWR), Chicago (ORD), Washington (IAD) and San Francisco (SFO) to Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
- United flies nonstop from Newark and San Francisco to Indian hubs.
- American flies nonstop from New York.
For other Indian cities, or often for a better price, you take one connection.
The one-stop airlines
For cities beyond the big hubs, or to save money, the connecting carriers are excellent:
- Qatar Airways via Doha, Emirates via Dubai, Etihad via Abu Dhabi, and Turkish via Istanbul reach Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kochi, Ahmedabad and more.
See our best airlines guide for how they compare.
Nonstop or one-stop: how to choose
- Choose nonstop when the time saved matters and the fare is reasonable, especially for Delhi, Mumbai or Bengaluru.
- Choose one-stop when it is noticeably cheaper, or when your destination is a smaller city.
- Our guide on direct versus one-stop flights walks through the trade-offs.
When it is cheapest
The low-demand weeks, usually late January and February, tend to be cheapest, with autumn good value too. The dearest times are summer, the Diwali season, and late December. For the full set of tips, see the cheapest time to fly.
Tips for a smoother trip
- Compare nonstop against one-stop on your dates, as the price gap varies a lot.
- Fly from a major gateway for the most choice.
- Book early for summer, Diwali and December, when demand peaks.
- Mind the baggage allowance for gifts, especially on the nonstop carriers.
We will book it for you
We book US to India flights constantly, nonstop and one-stop, so we can tell you in minutes which option is shortest and best value for your city and dates. Get a flight quote and we will handle the rest.
Planning Umrah as well? We can connect your trip through the Gulf to Jeddah and Madinah. See our Umrah packages.
