Air India

I have travelled 100s of times to many different countries with different airlines and never had any issues except some domestic flights.

Took Air India for the first time. Worst airline ever.

It started just from the booking as it will not take online payment from my Australian cards. I tried 4 different cards of other people too.

When I called them staff has no mannerism and was screaming at me and blaming me that issue is with the cards and I said I am trying different cards when I asked them to repeat something they even get mad.

Within this period the price increased and I asked them to give me the same price as it is not my fault if there website is down. They all repeated the same thing about dynamic pricing. I ignored it as mine was a last minute booking and I needed a direct flight so I was happy to book it at a higher price than what I was trying to pay online.

Finally after multiple rude phone calls one woman helped me and sent me a link but I could only pay with an Indian card. Luckily I have relatives in India if someone was just travelling there would have never been able to book a flight with air India if they did not have an access to Indian bank card. I had to ring India to borrow there card details as it wont take payment in Australian dollars.

Flight was an hour late and there was not even one announcement before boarding that they are running late. Not even an acknowledgment.

I had booked a window seat but there was no window. My TV was not working and USB port was taped. Tray table was broken so I have to hold it with my knees while eating. They offered me one seat which only had tray table working but rest of the things were also broken but I refused as it was a middle seat with kids around me.

Toilet seat lids keep shutting so they are touching your back when you are using the toilet. My call bell wasnt working either and crew never came to check on me even when I asked them. I was dehydrated by the end of my both flights. I couldnt control my fan lights nothing and crew seemed pissed off as they had to turn my lights on and off.

It was extremely warm in both flights and everyone around me was complaining about it.

In my return flight same thing happened nothing was working and another passenger offered me his seat because he was not going to watch TV as he had movies downloaded on his phone.

Crew is very non considerate and rude but I was feeling sorry for them as they have to deal with it when air hostesses cant fix the air craft and I think they had enough if it from dealing with it everyday.

These are only few things I am mentioning and this is the first time I have reviewed an airline as I was in a shock from the service they provided and was very anxious before my return flight but I had already paid and flights were gone too expensive to book it with another airline.

I will not recommend anyone flying with air India. I would rather have a longer and comfortable flight.

I travelled on 8th Jan from LHR - Mumbai - Goa ( 2 adult & 7 month infant )

we check in 4 luggage bags, and we had 2 cabin bag at Heathrow We got email saying 4 bags check in.

Once we reached Mumbai my 1 check in bag Did not come on belt in baggage hall. Receive only 3.

We had our Goa flight in 2 hrs wait I waited till the end, so staff told us to do custom and catch my flight to goa and later they will send my bag as soon as it arrives in mumbai.

Once we were on our flight they took my cabin bag out and told me that all space is full I cant take my cabin bag in flight with me.

They told they will put at back with other luggage.

Once we reach goa to my Suprise I had no cabin bag in flight. They said my cabin bag is coming on next flight so in short 2 bags missing for my holidays.

Goa baggage team said they will home delivery my bag next day. We written report my file reference no GOIAI27371

Goa and mumbai airport promised us that they will deliver our bags

My hand luggage was delivered after 2 days.

Now its almost 55 days my checkin bag still missing.

I tried calling mumbai baggage team million times as every they tell me new story about my bag. I receive mail from bom.bagsves@***.com

Namaskar,

Sir/Madam,

This has reference to the subject AHL, we would like to inform you that said baggage is held by (MIAL) Security for physical check as they have found some suspected item inside the baggage.

Kindly forward us the below mentioned documents so that we can clear the baggage from (MIAL) Security and forward to your end,

1) Authority Letter with passenger's signature addressing to The Manager of MIAL SECURITY, Declaring that baggage contain any security restricted item or not, authorizing (MIAL) Air India to get the bag physical checked on his behalf,

2) Passport copy of passenger (both side).

3) Missing baggage report copy, Boarding passes & Baggage claim tag.

4) Please advise the unlock key for open the baggage. (If baggage Locked)

The above is for your kind information please.

Tks,

Regds,

Ms.SWATI

O/o V.Sanjay

Baggage Services

I replied to this email till date no update when I tried to call them they said bag Is send to goa on 7th feb

When I tried to call goa they say they did not receive any bag they dont know where my 19 kg bag is.

Customer care says my bag is ready for delivery at my permanent address from 2 weeks they tell me same story.

Rs. 2000 voucher is given for cabin bag.

No compensation and nothing given for my luggage check in bag . Its more than 21 days.

If I ask about bag about this they say we need to speak to manager and let you know they only tell you they will call in 1 hr but all lie nobody is bother to call you back. Air India staff is not bother about passenger Im stress and in tension for all my holidays till date because of my bag.

Im really disappointed with air India. They dont even deserve 1 star worst customer service

Hi,

I travelled by air India on 27-12-2023 from Delhi to Kamloops and it was connectivity flights as Del-Bangkok-Vancouver. I checked-in my cabin bag on Delhi airport as crew members told there is no space available in flight for cabin bags and will receive on Vancouver airport.

But unfortunately, it was delayed and air Canada airlines told me that will be come on next flight. Then I got it after 10th day on 05-01-2024.

I had to purchased all the necessary things whatever it was containe and spent around 800 CAD on that. I want compensation for that as it was not my fault and I faced problems for that.

Thankyou

I asked 1 of the customer service where is the queue going to Singapore and she just pointed me that I can queue either at the F or G after an hour I asked another person coz my flight will be boarding @15:00 and I'm still here in the queue and it's going to 12nn and the queue is not moving at all and he asked me to go to the supervisor area at the counter G and there is 1 lady I asked her regarding my flight and I told her that my flight will be @15:00 and the time is already 12nn in almost 21/2 hour standing in the queue and no one is attending and she never attend my query and when i asked her name she also never give her name and i took her photo since i couldn't get her name also raised her hand to me was like she is saying get lost and she just walked away.Is this kind of customer service that you are hiring and doing the training with her she is not suitable at all to her job she should be fired. All your system is really messy and *** up not totally organized.

Departure same thing not informing the right gate still waiting for someone to make noise asking where is the flight bound to Singapore, and it's supposed to be boarding time but no one is attending and from the t.v screen the gate showing 4b but never update that it was in 4A. For the delayed flight I have insurance how I could claim on that?

Coming to India so horrible as well toilet too smelly I still asked the crew that the toilet is so smelly. And when taking off for landing they should clear all the drinking cups, but they don't clear at all.

I have travelled from Hyderabad to Delhi on 16 sep 2023 with flight number AI543 seat no 25d and from Delhi to Sydney on the same date AI302 with seat no 38g the flight arrived 1 hour late and in the flight they announced my name and there was a connecting flight to goldcoast they informed me by saying that they booked a ticket and they luggage was not in belt for more than 2 hrs because of the delay I rushed to domestic airlines from international airlines and I missed that flight as well after explaining to Virgin Australia airlines they had given me a new ticket which is 12:20 pm but when I reached goldcoast I didnt found my luggage.

It has been a long dream (for more than 30 years)for us to undertake an extensive South India temple tour. As an expat of India for more than 47 years ago we were finally able to realize it in October 2023.

We were able to visit many temples of our interest with few inconveniences.At this time I would like to remind the readers that we both are Super Seniors( Age greater than 70 years)and glad to have completed our Spiritual temple journey without much of health issues.We finally departed from Mumbai on October 16 th night in AI 816 to transfer to a connecting flight at Delhi to take us both to (our home)Newark, NJ in USA.As we closed in on our departure time, gates were changed and after a brief time chaotic boarding ritual ensued.We were shepherded onto a bus to take us to the airplane where we parked our bodies in the assigned seats for a long time. At this time we very well realized the consequences of this delay- namely missing our connecting flight for the onward journey.Finally our Captain R.S. Chowhan made the announcement that mechanical issues were resolved and our flight was delayed to land in Delhi closer to the departure of our connecting flight. To smooth our anxiety, we believed the connecting flight (also AI)will also be delayed to take on passengers coming from Mumbai.

On landing in Delhi(2:25AM),we learnt from the ground staff that our connecting flight had closed the gates and that they were willing to rebook our flights for the following day from Mumbai. That is when chaos ensued and passengers demanded compensation/ plans for their journey from the ground crew.For some passengers the crew were willing to accommodate them in a hotel room and provide breakfast and lunch prior to taking them back to Mumbai airport for their onward journey to EWR, USA.For others they were willing to send them to JFK,New York (not favored by many passengers) on the next day from Delhi/Mumbai.With much chaos around passengers with variety of visas to enter USA, ground staff leader Mr. Puneet(kind hearted and wanted to help too many simultaneously)took on our case and we handed our American Pass ports along with boarding passes with luggage tags.He worked through his cell phone and promised our onward journey to EWR in United airlines via London .London flight from Delhi (AI 111)was to leave at 6:30AM.We were worried sick of missing that flight as well and decided to get our luggage from the belt as per Mr. Puneet's advice.Finally around 4:25 AM our passports and boarding passes were received from Mr.Puneet who urged us to go to gate #26 to get in AI 111 to go to London from Delhi.

We dragged our luggage through a transfer gate#26 (pointed by a not so well trained ground crew)to immigration counter. The staff at the counter verified our passports and advised us to leave the carts there and drag our luggage to the belt for security clearance. We promptly complied ( lifting our luggage with all our arthritic hands and movable body parts)only to find the security officers were tossing the contents of our luggage to be ineligible for carrying in the air craft.At this point we cannot express the grief and anger we felt dealing with the Air India staff at Delhi airport.For no fault of ours, our tolerant limits were tested at the wee hours of October 17,2023.We had to vent our frustrations to the security officers in Hindi/ English and Tamil. Finally, one of the security officer was able to get Mr.Puneet to help us check in our luggage and we made it to the gate#26 to go through the chaotic boarding process in AI 111, our flight to London.AI 111 is a dingy old aircraft.

We were not sure if it would make it to London. But it did!!At London we received an email telling us our luggage's had been scanned and booked all the way to reach EWR. But through out our journey we just couldn't stop thinking about our ordeals and or about calming our aging nervous anxieties. We are sad this happened to us.

This summer when my friends warned us of the dreadful flight ordeals in AI, we didn't believe them and chose AI for our return flight to EWR .We have always been a firm supporter of Air India- May be because that was the airline that introduced us to the world outside of India at a very young age.We always felt we can return to our nostalgic past in AI flight especially now with a promised better revival ofAI by TATA. With all this writing , it is only fair that Air India look in to the delays and systemic failures they make passengers endure on a frequent basis and rectify it for a smooth flying in a speedy manner in otherwise beautiful well developed International airports like Mumbai , Chennai, Bangalore and politically important capital city of Delhi. It may be cheaper to build stand alone airports with shops and restaurants but most inconvenient to board planes without chutes and gates connected with it for the young family with kids and elderly traveling alone. Passengers have come to expect few conveniences for the price they are paying for the airline tickets.This will also reduce the chaotic shuttling and boarding of passengers in to planes waiting in the remote corners of air field.

It is also very important that the airline crew ,including ground crew maintain decent polite , helpful communication with passengers and not challenge the passengers with their own frustrations. It is with utmost frustration we have come to expect a decent apology from Air India and it hurts us to say that AI will not be our choice to fly back again anywhere in the world any time soon.

Dear Team,

I would like to send you this email to ask if I can obtain a transit ticket between my flight AI-763, Booking ID: NF7YRGAJO8RR9PXK4869, PNR 5SKFO9, KOLKATA-NEW DELHI on January 2, 2024 and my flight AI-143, JS8L4G, NEW DELHI-PARIS CDG, final destination on January 2, 2024 in order to avoid picking up my luggage and re-checking them please? Since I'll travel only with Air India?

Im afraid I dont have enough time between going through immigration, picking up luggage, re-checking, going back to immigration.

By thanking you in advance for your answer that I hope favorable and remain at your disposal for any further information.

Hi Team,

First of all I have been using Air India for years now, and recently booked tickets for my parents to visit Jagarnath Puri Dham. The booking was from IXB-BBI for 23rd of Feb 2023.

Soon after the booking I realized that I choose the wrong timings, and I tried seeking customer care help to see if I can make the change as the price was exactly the same (note this was within 10 min of me booking the flight).

I was not able to find any option to ask my question other than the automated TIA.

I used that for my query and after a bunch of automated steps it mentioned that I would have to pay extra amount to make the change, after which I did try to reason (stupid me trying to do that with a automated system) and seek additional help but failed miserably.

After that I just quit.

Cut to few days before the flight, I went to manage bookings section to grab the itinerary so that I can share it with my parents, and it shows I have pending amount.

After checking with the customer service, I come to know that my initial query for change of flight that I did with the TIA initiated flight change and now I have to pay more then 6000 additional (already paid around 12000 for the initial booking). They mentioned that cannot help me and have escalated but might take 48 hours.

This is really frustrating as my parents would have been strangled at the airport have I not visited the managed booking page on top of it even after I getting in touch with the customer care they have not helped me yet.

Looking for any kind of help.

Regards,

Pritam

Dear Team,

I would like to send you this email to ask if I can obtain a transit ticket between my flight AI-763, Booking ID: NF7YRGAJO8RR9PXK4869, PNR 5SKFO9, KOLKATA-NEW DELHI on January 2, 2024 and my flight AI-143, NEW DELHI-PARIS CDG, final destination on January 2, 2024 in order to avoid picking up my luggage and re-checking them please? Since I'll travel only with Air India?

Im afraid I dont have enough time between going through immigration, picking up luggage, re-checking, going back to immigration.

By thanking you in advance for your answer that I hope favorable and remain at your disposal for any further information.

I flew from Delhi on March 19, 2024 to Vancouver on AI 185. At the time of check in my 2 luggage was checked in and the 3rd one was not tagged.

When I was in the lounge i saw only 2 tags on my boarding pass. I asked the staff to check if my 3 bags are checked in. The staff verified on the computer that only 2 luggage was showing under my name, as boarding pass. The search began and took for more than an hour.

It was time for me to board the fight, at the boarding gate I was give a tag number for my 3rd luggage and said that all my 3 luggage is boarded on the flight. BIG LIE!

I got to Vancouver and for sure my 3rd bag which wasnt properly checked in didnt arrive. The staff at the lost luggage kept telling me keep checking your luggage is there. I waited until the carousel stopped, then he checked the email which he had received from Delhi regarding missing luggage.

My luggage tag number was one of them. He confirmed and processed my claim.

Very disappointed with the services and incompetent staff.

Inflight my entertainment system wasnt working, light wasnt working, phone charger wasnt working.

Staff was not cooperating.

Staff were not doing their duty of keeping the washroom clean and refilling the supplies. Nor interested in filling the claim.

Disgusted with the whole service.