Air India review - by F Graziani
20 February 2006

Narita to Bangkok in economy class. Booked in economy, but unexpectedly bumped up to business class.  Business on Air India consists primarily of larger seats on a very old plane that saw better days in the 1980's (no doubt). The service was friendly and food was not served in 5 star fashion, but it was fine.  I read and slept most of the way as the IFE consisted primarily of a single screen - I couldn't see it from my seat. It was the cheapest fare from Narita to Bangkok, and they only fly two times a week, so I guess it's true, "you get what you pay for".

Air India review - by J Aditya
15 January 2006

I flew AI 349 from Bangkok to Delhi on 25 December. The flight arrived five hours late in Bangkok from Shanghai. I flew an Airbus A310. The plastic tray and seat sides looked creaky, musty, and yellow. The air hostesses played the in-flight briefing at a very high volume, unmindful of our discomfort. Most of them looked aged and were not properly groomed. One male flight attendant who was serving my aisle repeatedly stationed his trolley besides my seat (23C) and would squeeze around it stepping on my left foot to walk across and back. Then he glared at me and asked me not to expect a veg. meal if I ate meat as they were running short. I told him I had booked an Asian veg. meal in advance. The good food was let down by poor presentation. The movie screen did not work and the duty-free selection was pathetic. Our plane circled Delhi airport for over an hour due to congestion. We sat on the tarmac for another two hours before we got a parking bay. Why could the pilot not offload us on the tarmac and let buses carry us to the terminal? Then, we waited for our bags for more than three hours before they finally arrived, that too after some passengers had screamed at the hopelessly inefficient Air India staff.

Air India review - by James Edge
6 January 2006

LON-JFK-LON. I was pleasantly surprised on both legs of the round trip. IFE isn't good, but we did have in-seat screens with English options on the way out. On the way back, it was just the communal movie screen on a slightly tired plane - but the compensation with older aircraft is the extra leg room. The food was fantastic (go for the veggie option), the drinks plentiful and free, and the staff courteous. We paid £284 round trip, and the next cheapest option was £420 - my friends who paid this to fly American landed on time, but paid 50% more for the ticket and had to pay for their booze!

Air India review - by Karen McCaughey
21 December 2005

LHR-JFK. Very disappointing flight. Check-in disastrous; baggage conveyor belt broken and left for 90 mins with luggage, with no explanation. No time left for duty-free shopping despite arriving 3 hours early. On boarding the 747-400, immediately felt we were a burden to FAs who allowed no time for stowing of hand luggage and insisted on immediate seating with no smiles or welcomes. Bar service and snacks were inedible (far too spicy for any person without a lead tongue!) and no alternatives offered. In-flight meal was OK but too spicy and no provision given for those with nut allergies. When a complaint was made (dietary requirements had been given in advance!) there was a wait of 40 minutes before an inadequate alternative was offered, again without a smile or apology. We were made to feel as if we were a problem! IFE appalling. No personal screen and couldn't see the larger communal screen properly because of bad lighting. Only 1 English film and couldn't read the subtitles as the screen was too small and people's heads were in the way! The pockets of the seats had not been cleaned - we found a used diaper! I was very glad to disembark this 70s decor style plane which was rather shabby and am not looking forward to the return flight.

Air India review - by Edward Dailey
10 December 2005

Air India JFK-LHR and back. Flight over was a bit rough, as plane had APU (auxilliary power unit, ie generator) issue. Also, part of emergency egress lighting out, requiring passengers to "pack in" to available seating. The tallest guy on the flight had an aisle seat and someone placed next to him while petite women had an empty seat between them. Not very considerate, a bad reflection on the attendants who reseated those people whose originally assigned seats were in the "closed" area. Late boarding, takeoff, arrival. Food was good, service with a smile, attendants colorful in traditional attire. That made the discomfort a bit easier. IFE getting better, with Mr. & Mrs. Smith showing. However, some apparent issues with sound network. Trip back was better than over, only an hour late, good food, a double shot of Johnny Walker (free). Planes were clean, supplied with paper towel, soap, etc. Nothing jumped out at me as far as sanitation, cleanliness goes. 747's undoubtedly older, but looked and felt to be in good shape, barring previously mentioned concerns. I would fly them again, though for many, customer satisfaction may be a "roll of the dice". Cheapest non-stop to London, food good and hot, free Johnny Walker, clean and orderly aircraft.

Air India review - by Lucy Murdoch
8 December 2005

Myself and 3 members of my family travelled from LHR to JFK on 01/12/05 for a long weekend. We had a check-in time of 10.15am with a flight time of 13.15 - after a reasonably quick check-in we then had a wait before we boarded and this was a total fiasco - even trying to board the plane by seat rows it was a total mess everyone was pushing and shoving and there was no organisation at all. Once everyone was boarded we ended up leaving over an hour late. The plane was old,v ery outdated and extremely grubby, the tables had not been cleaned, dirty covers over the head rests and rubbish on the floor. When doing announcements this was not heard only a slight muffle so if in an emergency passengers would be non-the wiser. Return flight much the same, delayed over 1 hour, dirty, grubby, and untidy. Overall I would say that this was the worst flight and airline I have been on. I may have had a cheap package break as would have most people on these flights but that is no excuse for poor service.

Air India review - by Sarah Bamber
3 December 2005

LHR-JFK-LHR with husband and two children (11 and 14). Check in at Heathrow was horrendous - arrived at 09.15 for a 13.15 departure (leaving loads of time, or so we thought) - eventually checked in at 12.30 - after just over three hours standing in a queue - and we were among the first for this flight to get through check in - another 200 were behind us - hence flight ended up delayed by 2 hours. At one point they were checking LHR-Mumbai and LHR-New Delhi at the same time, but only using three check in desks - absolute chaos. More chaos at the gate - too many people and not enough room - people pushing - no organisation whatsoever - total free for all. Plane was old, but clean - IFE hopeless - offering a couple of 'indian' language films is not enough. Poor quality (sound and vision bad) three quarters of the people on flight were not Asian, and they really need to cater for these people as well as their Indian clients. They ran out of the green US visa waiver forms which caused more chaos - I eventually managed to get some from first class. Good points - not many - food was reasonable - drinks were good - although they could offer more soft drinks on such a long flight. If you wanted a drink you had trouble finding a steward. Didn't like them turning almost all the lights off in the middle of the flight - it was the middle of the afternoon and most people did not want to sleep, legroom not bad (we are a tall family). Some of the staff were indifferent and didn't seem to understand customer service, one stewardess knocked me when walking past, resulting in hot coffee split all over me - she didn't even stop let alone say sorry. My son started watching a fairly modern film on the return flight - it lasted for 20 mins and then stopped - only to be replaced with the old film that we had seen on the way out - no apologies and no explanation. Will probably not fly with them again - the saving does not compensate for the stress! (Must say though that check in at JFK was excellent - with all staff polite and efficient).

Air India review - by Phil Thakadiyil
18 November 2005

ORD-FRA-BOM-FRA-ORD. Inbound was relatively ok, on time, plane was in bad condition, toilets horrific, cabin staff was indifferent but efficient. Plane was stopped for refueling and clean up in FRA, passengers were not allowed to disembark, a 2-3 hour layover would of have made more sense and allowed for actual cleaning rather than a Southwest style pass through. Outbound was the worst experience ever, plane was delayed by 2 hours, no explanation, then 4 hours, then 6 hours - food was served to passengers, with the explanation of equipment issues. 8 hours later we boarded a plane and sat and had a meal at the gate, then asked to disembark, waited another 4 hours, asked to board another plane, waited at the gate for 3 hours, then asked to disembark due to cabin crew working beyond union rules. Finally boarded a plane, took off 3 hours later at a full 23 hours delay, given a voucher for $50 in Chicago for "compensation" - will never fly Air India again.

Air India review - by N Sreedharan
27 October 2005

ORD-BOM-ORD Business Class B747-400. For a cheap business class, I couldn’t get a better deal than Air India, for such a long route. However, I regret my decision so much. First of all, as any passenger I think the stopover in London Heathrow is ridiculous, because you cannot exit the aircraft. I can’t imagine thinking of the predicament the Economy class passengers would have to go through after sitting 8 hours non-stop, then 2 hours in the plane and then another 8-10 hours. The business class passengers can however exit the aircraft, and their only option is to go to the Maharaja Lounge, which is far away from the gate. I hoped to get a shower, but realized I didn't even have time to have a nibble from a sandwich - I would recommend all future business class passengers to remain seated or have a walk, and not venture out like I did. Air India Business class, is not state of the art. First of all their so called “Priority boarding” is a cattle-fest filled with confusion. The only comfort in Business class which stands out from a standard economy seat is the enhanced seat recline you get. IFE is non- existent and no individual screens - they roll down a projection curtain and show Indian movies on that, which you can hardly even see, thanks to the lighting in the aircraft. Most of the movies are Indian and not to western tastes. Food is good if you have a taste for Indian food - if not, consider carrying chips for your 16 hour flight. Drinks are standard. The toilets are dingy and littered with waste. FA’s are helpful but non-existent during the flight, unless you press the button and call them.

Air India review - by Subin Nijhawan
26 October 2005

BOM-NBO-BOM-DEL in June this year, booked with my LH M&M for a mare 30,000 Miles - which is nothing for a nearly 6 hrs flight, with tickets on the free market well surpassing US$ 600. Flights were all on time and nearly full. The A310s used on the BOM-NBO sector are in a tired condition, but ample leg space. IFE was lousy and consisted of a couple of Bollywood Movies on an old projector. Food on the sectors was plenty and superb (four choices, two vg, two non-veg, among the latter continental), and very liberal in the distribution of beverages. In particular, it is noteworthy how many FAs are on the plane, that actually do a reasonably good job. BOM-DEL hop was on a 744, that was quite comfortable but could also need a refurbishment. All in all, excellent service and food, on aircraft that is worth a refurbishment or replacement.

Air India review - by U V Naresh
14 October 2005

Recently completed an economy round trip to KUL from Delhi. Both flights operated on ex SQ leased A310 aircraft. Seating for us was in Zone 2. This was business class on SQ and currently is economy on AI. Insist on Zone 2 at check in. You might get lucky. Staff grooming was better. There were new younger cabin crew. There is a child minder on board identified with a light green saree. Food presentation is still poor, the entree being the only edible dish. I'd rate it higher than my last economy trip - they are trying.

Air India review - by S Kieselbach
14 October 2005

FRA-LAX-FRA,. AI offers very competitive fares. The aircraft used are mostly really old, a bit smelly and messy because FRA is only a stopover from India. Check in is a mess, both in FRA (unfriendly security agents), in LA the worst check in procedures ever seen (wait in line to check in forever with bags, after check in luggage has to be carried to screening by passenger, wait in line there, wait until luggage is screened) - maybe its just general inefficiency there. Arrival at the airport especially in LA 3hrs in advance highly recommended. Boarding is a complete mess, overcrowded gates, people sitting on the floor, check in agents without a clue. Onboard, overhead compartment door joints were loose, screws pointing out, seat edges heavily worn out, screens flickering with blurry colors, just like on old video cassettes used a 100 times. Finally, one hour after the re-scheduled departure time, the plane took off and I sweared to spent a 100 Euros more the next time. Food was lousy, unfriendly attendants trying to look professional and busy.

Air India review - by J Green
13 October 2005

LHR-JFK-LHR. 24/9/2005. We were both a little worried about flying Air India after hearing some very bad reviews. Economy class had plenty of legroom, seats were comfy, food was very tasty albeit a little spicy, toilets were clean and staff were friendly. The only not so good points were there was hardly any western entertainment and the planes' interiors badly need refurbishing. Don't know if would fly with them again as it's a gamble what sort of flights you'll get - but if we had to due to tight budget etc, we would use them again.

Air India review - by Robert Stewart
9 October 2005

We have just come back from Toronto to Birmingham ( BHX ). We flew out on the 7th September on a 777 economy class. This was not a very comfortable flight as there was virtually no inflight entertainment, apart from a few "Bollywood" films. I could not read as the overhead light wasn't working and my wifes screen didn't work either. The toilet was absolutely filthy. Return flight on the 28th September YYZ to BHX. The security pre-flight was a shambles. They made such a fuss of going through everyones hand luggage yet when we went to board the plane some people were discovered to not have had the boarding passes stamped - they were just stamped at the plane door with no check!! This made the checks meaningless. Inflight service was a bit better than the outgoing flight but the stewards don't seem to have been trained to be curteous. Could not recommend Air India as the hassle with "security checks" and poor service and shabby aircraft is just not worth it for a cheap flight.

Air India review - by Olwyn Lloyd
9 October 2005

If you can, book online. You can check availability, prices and even reserve seats. Avoid Air India London office - they get 0/10 for sheer rudeness and rarely picking up the phone, so avoid them if possible. I got to LHR and the flight was delayed by 2 hours. I had bags of room (the window seat armrest comes up, so it gives you that little extra couple of inches!) and the seat pitch must have been 31/32". Food was wonderful - simple, wholesome vegetarian Indian fare with a nice bite to it. Some may find it spicy, but I loved it. Western alternative (non-veg) was there for those who eat only meat/western food. If you can, avoid going to the toilet near the end of the flight - I was welcomed by a rather smelly sight. Apart from that you can't fault them on service, fares or friendliness. If you aren't into your Bolly movies, try to sit at the back and go to sleep.

Air India review - by Adrian Ramotar
8 October 2005

JFK-LHR-DEL. Overall service was very good. Check in at JFK was effortless, departure was on time. The plane was a bit old, but seemed in good working condition. On board service was efficient, and flight attendants courteous. The meals were mostly Indian cuisine, which could be too spicy for some. The plane was clean on departure from JFK, and was cleaned again at LHR before continuing on to DEL. Plane was about 1/2 full on each leg, which gave passengers ample room to spread out and sleep. Air India service, is more than adequate for the price of their tickets. Inflight Entertainment could use some upgrading.

Air India review - by Eric Pongpugdee
2 October 2005

JFK-LHR-JFK - the cheapest for this route. I thought I was on a Korean Airline plane because half of the signs are in Korean, quite sloppily obvious that they leased the plane from the Koreans. The flights was over an hour late on both of the round trips. The staff are pleasant but do not seem to pay much attention to the passenger - they were too busy chatting amongst themselves. The plane was dirty, seat backs were stained - bathrooms also dirty, lack deodorizations, standard toiletries and some were without any toilet paper! The IFE was the worst I ever seen, no personal terminals just main screen which is blurry and color distorted. The programming was the worst part, half the programming were in Indian.

Air India review - by S Thomas
2 October 2005

Most of the comments here are about the airline's West bound flights that use Boeing 747 or Boeing 777 aircraft. Hardly anything about the West Asia/Africa/South East Asian sectors that use mainly the Airbus A310. This journey was from Kochi to Chennai, on the domestic leg of the Kuwait-Cochin-Chennai-Mumbairouting. Flight was on time and was 80 percent full. Crew who were clearly irritated to have more of us coming on board and very eager to reach base in Mumbai, were old, overweight and a liabilty in case of an emergency. This plane was clean and tidy. On this 50-minute flight, the three airhostesses and the steward in Economy were seen running after passengers who boarded at Kochi, firmly telling them to be seated in the allotted seats. Many were under the impression that it was free seating. The inflight entertainment on these regional flights is generally a mish-mash of local film songs, films and a news digest. Just couldn't be seen on the very tatty main screen and was horrendous. Food on this 50-minute flight was a thin sandwich, and two tetrapack drinks/juices. (No sign of tea/coffee though the plastic cup and sugar sachet were distributed.) Crew made no attempt to clear the trays later. Inflight magazine Namaskaar is no longer what it used to be. Ample legroom in Economy was a blessing.

Air India review - by Jay Sitlani
2 October 2005

Paris CDG2 to Newark. Air India's check-in at CDG is a disgrace. While boarding, none of the FAs offered any assistance or smiles whatsoever. The aircraft was clean and recently reupholstered in all classes. Business Class had the new seats on the upper deck that offer only a 160 degree recline, but are relatively comfortable. However, at least 2 seats in a cabin of only 26 had their seat controls broken, and my seat had its IFE controls completely non-operational, which didn't make much of a difference given the lousy IFE they offer (2 films on a scratchy main cabin monitor). Amenity kit was excellent. Slippers offered separately. Welcome drink of canned apple and pineapple juice served by a surly FA, which I declined. Bar service took forever to start up, but when it did, it was excellent. Good Mumm Champagne, and premium spirits offered, with crew regularly topping off drinks. 3 choices of meals. I chose the Indian shrimp cream curry with accompaniments. Fabulous. If only the wretched presentation had matched the taste of the food, this would have been one of the best inflight meals. The rest of the meal was mediocre. I slept for the rest of the flight (during which another meal was served), and got a reasonable sleep on the seat until the foot controls stopped working, and the lower section of the seat pretty much collapsed. All in all, a product that has steadily been declining. Why install new seats if you have no intentions in maintaining them? In the future, I'd pay the extra money to fly another carrier to Europe.

Air India review - by Andrew Wilkinson
2 October 2005

I recently flew Air India first class, London Heathrow - Mumbai return. I was impressed by the overall service provided by AI. Check-in at LHR was efficent (and also at BOM - which was an agreeable surprise), flight punctual and the quality of in-flight service (except IFE which was rather limited) impressive: the meals were particularly good and service excellent. The seats on the outward flight (a Boeing 777-200) and return leg (Boeing 747) were comfortable. For the price I was very impressed by AI's first class product and would certainly use them again.

Air India review - by Simon Marsden
22 September 2005

Birmingham UK to Amritsar executive class. No separate boarding for business class passengers at Birmingham, so it was a bit if a scrum to get on board. Aircraft was a ex United airlines B777 so it was bit tired and frayed round the edges but not as bad as I had expected. Also it was in transit from Toronto and some of the transit passengers went missing during the stop (why do people do that?) meaning a 1/2 hour delay to unload their bags. Amenity kit was excellent (no socks though) meals were good, gin and tonics flowed effortlessly and I did not to have to ask for more they offered. Smiles were there but only if you smiled first. Flight entertainment was poor, only 2 video channels were working. Overall for the price it was value for money. It was £ 1000 cheaper that BA and although the BA seat and inflight service would have (probably) been better, Air India was worth the experience.

Air India review - by HYenk de Jong
21 September 2005

FRA-LAX Trip began with 9 hours delay caused by fog in Delhi. Very aggresive security interview by the checkin agent. Passengers were provided with hotel rooms and vouchers for dinner and lunch. Flight itself was okay. All meals were indian style. Restrooms were a mess! Really disgusting! I was lucky that I got 12Q which is the first row in economy class (when they use the cargopax mixed 747) - so I had enough room for my legs. Be carefulrl when returning from LAX. Even I arrived two hours prior to the STD I almost missed the flight because I had to stand in the line for chickin so long.

Air India review - by Michael Likely
19 September 2005

First Class LHR-BOM-LHR. My first trip with the carrier for 14 years (the last one still sticks in the memory !). Polite, hassle free check in at Terminal 3, directed to the Maharajah Lounge. Adequate stocks of food and drinks, but no toilet or shower facilities! Once onboard the aircraft (a leased United 777 with original, but comfortable cabin decor), plentiful pre take off champagne consumed, my travelling companion and I were the only two in First Class. Cursory safety procedures. After take off more champagne, and a steward who basically offered a 'dine on demand service'. Started with three helpings of caviar, followed by excellent Indian food accompanied by French wines. Excellent amenity kit provided. IFE poor for Western tastes, but that doesn't matter if you've got someone to talk to or a good book. On time arrival in Mumbai. Return journey - AI offer a curbside meet and greet for premium passengers which navigates one through the potentially confusing emigration procedures. Poor lounge in Mumbai. Onboard the aircraft a good cabin service ,meals etc. Personal DVDs distributed, but choice limited. Flight again on time.

Air India review - by Ian Hubball
16 September 2005

London Heathrow to JFK 11th September 2005. Aircraft suffered a bird strike to one of the engines on landing at Heathrow. This was not communicated to any of the passengers waiting to board the aircraft for JFK. All passengers then board aircraft after 30 min delay- the announcement telling us that this was due to the cleaning of the aircraft. We then sit on aircraft for 90 mins a meal is provided ( which was awful ). Internals of aircraft very very "tired" extremely low-tech and very smelly. Then the first announcement about the birdstrike and advising us that flight now cancelled ! we will have to "de-plane". Bounced to a Vigin Atlantic Flight 3 hours later. Finally made it to JFK six hours late. Air India had not bothered to transfer any of the baggage from their aircraft to the Virgin flight despite having over 3 hours to do so ! Return trip no problems, I did not check in any bags with them because original bag lost. If you have to fly Air India review - good luck- otherwise I recommend Virgin Atlantic. Maybe more expensive but worth it !

Air India review - by Jay Sitlani
31 August 2005

Newark to Paris in Business Class. Air India use the SAS lounge at Newark which is quite good with a good choice of beverages and a relaxed Scandinavian setting. Since the AI flight leaves at 915 pm - well after all the other Star Alliance carriers - the only passengers who are using it after about 7 pm are AI premium passengers. So, you have the whole lounge to yourself. The aircraft itself was an ex-Singapore Airlines 747-400 : Business class was on the upper deck and featured the old Business class seats. The recline is quite good and you get a reasonably good sleep, but I can see why Singapore AIr upgraded their seats - they are nowhere as comfortable as the new generation of lie flat seats. Good selection of magazines on board; welcome drink of water, OJ or apple juice, good amenity kit; restrooms lacking in any kind of amenities though. Poor emergency procedures demo (the overhead screens didnt work). As far as the inflight service goes, AI cabin crew mean well, but their knowledge of wines is lacking. There was no drinks menu - meal was ok. Not very well presented - all on one tray. I think the quality has declined since my last flight 2 years ago - no choice of desserts as there was earlier. IFE consisted of 6 channels on a rather old PTV system. I doubt if AI have maintained it since they leased this aircraft from Singapore Airlines as not all channels worked. The overall experience on AI was a B, made palatable by the truly amazing price, half of what you'd pay on other carriers on this route.

Air India review - by D K Dilip
19 August 2005

JFK-LHR-DEL - The original flight on 14th Jul was cancelled so there was a mad rush at JFK to get into the next day's flight. Added an extra leg for DEL, first JFK-BOM and then BOM-DEL. Flight came in 2 hrs late and departed 3 hrs late from JFK. No communication. The IFE did not work. Made to sit inside the aircraft in LHR. In the BOM-DEL leg, our assigned seats were missing in the aircraft! CCU-BOM-LHR-ORD : What a mess at Check in at CCU! Absolutely no organization, free for all. Came into ORD 1.5 hrs late. Another mess in luggage carousel, took 30 min to find and collect bags after lots of pushing and shoving.

Air India review - by U V Naresh
19 August 2005

Recently completed an economy roundtrip to Singapore from Delhi on an A310 aircraft. Outbound flight was on time, the inbound was delayed an hour. Cleanliness of aircraft interiors are close to being unhygenic. There is smudged dirt and dust everywhere. The aircrafts are not cleaned as the turnaround times are tight. Seats and armrests are broken, sound system is appaling. Cabin crew service continues to be inconsistent. They are generous with liquor, but not with smiles. It's like saying "because you are travelling economy, we will intentionally economise on our service and smile." It's kind of obvious and very complexed. Food is tasty but there is not much in the tray. A plain onion salad, cold roll, yoghurt, entree, and an Indian dessert. There is no chocolate, cheese or crackers. Presentation is poor. The coffee on board is lousy, tea is weak. It's a very skeletal meal for a six hour flight. Crew grooming is laughable. Prior to landing in Delhi, there was a panic PA announcement by a crew member that the cockpit instruments were malfunctioning as a passenger was using a mobile phone. Frantic searches were done down the aisles and it was all so scary. Fortunately we landed safely, but it all goes to show the ignorance of passengers in India about the use of mobiles phones on board. The Indian laws prohibiting this are none. This sort of thing should be taken more seriously. All in all, unless there is major overhauling of aircraft interiors and the general product, this airline can never improve. Cheap fares alone cannot justify such an inferior product.

Air India review - by Mehtab Rahman
15 August 2005

DAC-CCU Executive Class. Flight departed on time (rare for AI I hear). Aircraft B777 (ex-United) in pretty good condition. The whole executive class cabin was empty apart from the members of my family and I. Greeted with smiles from three cabin crew on boarding and offered a wide range of magazines to choose from as well as an amenity kit for a flight lasting only half an hour! Amenity kit quite good, consisting of a wide range of amenities (moisturisers, toothbrushes, combs, lip balms, etc.). A snack service was offered, options either veg or non-veg. Chose non-veg but served veg - consisted of a vegetable burger, sweets and a fruit plate, served on AI china over crisp linen. Service excellent, cannot fault it. Seating in executive class was good with seats that recline upto 160 degrees (manual). In seat PTV's also present but no IFE in this short flight. Would fully recommend AI for short haul intl flights, but cannot say the same for long hauls.

Air India review - by S Etchells
4 August 2005

EWR-CDG and CDG-EWR flight in late July. Although it is not up to British Airways or Lufthansa par, it was not a bad way to cross the pond on short notice for a lower than average price. Opted for 1st class, and the seats were comfortable. They reclined to a bed, but not the full lie-flat type of bed. The 747-400 was older, but I experienced no problems. We were 4 hours late leaving CDG, but that was due to conditions in Bombay, and I'm almost surprised the flight made it at all, after all the flooding. If you like Indian food, this is a good flight. I love Indian food, and although it was not very spicy, the food was certainly very good. The Bollywood movies are a slap in the face to entertainment, however. Maybe the English translation is not good, but the airline would just do well to not even show Indian movies at all. If this is what the entertainment industry in India is all about, then they should just pull the plug right now and subtitle American films into Hindi. If you are going to go this route, do yourself a favour and fly premium (1st or business). I guess the overall travel was not bad, and the flight and ground staff were very professional, so I would fly with them in the future.