INDIAN AIRLINES review : 30 June 2008 : by A Phadnis

Customer Rating : 4/5

Mumbai-Chandigarh return via Delhi. Both flights with new A321, clean. Flights on time, check in was efficient. Ample quantity of food served. Cabin crew efficient and polite. IFE consisted of mix of Blockbuster hindi films - missed live TV news channel available on Kingfisher flights.

INDIAN AIRLINES review : 31 May 2008 : by O Purandare

Customer Rating : 4/5

BOM-DEL on the new A321. Flight good, but not that great. Kingfisher and Jet Airways would give you bit better service onboard. We did not get any lime juice, food was tasty, FA's nice nothing special to write about. IFE consisted of PTV's which had a good selection of programs. To summarize a pretty vanilla flight.

Indian Airlines review by Krishnan Chitoor

19 May 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

BOM-CJB-BOM on A320. Whilst the outward flight was FULL, the return was two thirds empty. Pretty much on time and excellent food. Quite okay if you're flying within India.

Indian Airlines review by Aman Kumar

27 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

A last minute change of schedule had me booked on the Indian Airlines flight from Dubai to Delhi. Once onboard the pre-historic A320 complete with broken and cramped seats (in business class). The cabin crew were perfunctory and we were in the aircraft for over one hour before take off without any explanation. On take-off, the meal service made an economy class meal on an average airline seem inviting, and the drinks selection was poor. IFE was non-existent. Not even headphones were available! Toilets in the business class section were deemed out of service and hence the entire aircraft had to use the 2 toilets at the rear of the economy cabin.

Indian Airlines review by U Goel

14 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

SIN-BKK-DEL-DXB. Check-in and boarding at Changi were good, though the flight was delayed by an hour (customary of IA). I was given an exit row seat (no recline) despite specifically asking not to be. The flight to BKK and onward to DEL after an hours stopover were good. FA's were polite, but unattentive. The passenger beside me pressed the call button at least 10 times before someone attended to him. They ran out of the non-veg meal at the 5th row from the front. Water was leaking from the roof and falling onto people while the aircraft was being cleaned at Bangkok (with the people still inside). After 7 gruelling hours to Delhi, I was made to stand in the immigration queue despite being a transit passenger and then after an hour in the line, was told I needn't have done so. To add to this, no one from IA showed up (apparently because of a shift change). I was left in the immigration area with all the noise from the expansion taking place. After sitting there for two hours, someone finally showed up. He managed to help me clear security check etc fast, but then left me at the wrong gate. After trudging back upstairs, I realised that the flight to Dubai wasn't going to take off on time either. Despite several complaints, the IA guy incharge offered a simple apology, and nothing more. The flight was decent, except everyone had decided to swap seats with each other. Was relieved to finally reach Dubai after 15 hours of travel (SIN-DXB direct on SQ took me 6.5 hours). Sworn never to fly IA ever again, as they just don't care about passengers.

Indian Airlines review by Candice Shah

27 December 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Pune - Dubai Business Class. Flight was not too bad overall and convinient. Service was surprisingly good, but presumably a higher level of attention was paid to biz class. Presentable, but ageing FAs as compared to other airlines. FA regularly checked if I would like coffee, snacks etc apart from the set meal. Seat and general aircraft condition was not too good and not very clean either. I found used tissue stuffed in the armrest when I attempted to open up the tray table. I used to think Emirates used their oldest aircraft on the Bombay Dubai sector, now I know there's much worse! Of course, you're paying a much lower fare for biz class on IA, so in general I think you get what you pay for. On the return trip, I travelled economy, and leg space was quite good and strangely it seemed cleaner!

Indian Airlines review by N Hopkins

1 November 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Check-in personnel were perfunctory if not outright rude. On-board service during a two-hour (DEL-BBI) flight was grudging to poor. I'd booked a business class seat on-line (deserving that comfort after traveling 28 hours SFO-TPE-DEL). Indian Airlines had meanwhile substituted a one-class, economy-only aircraft for the flight. At check-in I was told to contact IA for a refund. Two e-mails to IA have gone unanswered. Within India Jet Airways, Kingfisher, and Deccan are all better choices.

Indian Airlines review by Rohan McCarthy

15 August 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

DEL-DXB, Economy-Class. For some reason my travel agent booked me onto IC instead of my usual EK (Emirates), and I flew them then out of curiosity. A pretty uncomfortable airline. I guess they aren't really competing with other airlines flying from India into the Gulf, but the standard still shocked me a bit. As a transit passenger from SIN, I had expected some sort of 'transfer service' (which I had had in a very similar situation at IGIA a couple of months ago with WY (Oman Air), but was kept waiting for over four hours for someone from IC to process my check-in. Once on board, the food was very basic (though the International, non-vegetarian option was still quite edible), there was no drinks service and no IFE (not even mainscreen). For a three and a half hour flight, I had expected a lot more. The flight attendants appeared very disinterested, but I think this is because IC and AI (Air India) are still government-owned, with no competition (at least from other Indian carriers) into the Gulf countries.

Indian Airlines review by A Jhunjhunwala

22 May 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

BKK-CCU return and BOM-BBI one-way on A320 aircraft, and BBI-CCU on Boeing 737-200 aircraft. A320s have excellent seat pitch making it the most comfortable economy class option of all domestic Indian carriers for tall passengers, but suffer from excessive vibration and noise on landing. B737s are old but well-maintained, and have more leg room than the competition's next generation B737 jets. Flight delays of atleast 30 minutes have become the norm and the airline personnel seem to have a casual attitude towards punctuality. In-flight meals are excellent, in contrast to US airlines which do not serve meals anymore. Indian Airlines has implemented an efficient telephone ticketing service (dial a ticket) which lets you book cheaper, non-refundable fares. However the toll-free number is only accessible from India, which makes it a hassle for travellers from abroad. They also have a functional website which lets you book e-tickets, but only for domestic sectors, which is again inconvenient for those with international sectors on their itinerary. Air hostesses have the standard attitude of Govt. employees but respond to firm, polite requests. There is no in-flight television or duty-free shopping. Overall, Indian Airlines is a safe airline, and if it can improve its on-time performance, it can match Jet Airways.

Indian Airlines review by Niraj Rayker

22 May 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

GOI-BOM. Check in was quick and the ground staff was also helpful and polite. The aircraft was a new A319 which I think was leased. Economy class looked full. The seats clean and comfortable and legroom was spacious. FAs helpful. No juice served, and their age old tradition of serving toffees is still in place in spite of so much competition. Flight departed on time. Meals were served minutes after take off, was fresh and tasty. However there was no entertainment. I didnt even find the Indian Airlines magazine anywhere, except a few crumpled newspapers. The service was basic and simple as far as a one hour flight is concerned.

Indian Airlines review by Catherine Martell

27 October 2006   Customer Trip Rating : n/a

I've flown several times on Indian Airlines - it isn't that bad. The Delhi-Jaipur link was fine and punctual; Chandigarh-Delhi a lot less punctual, but basically OK. The planes are basic, and a tad old, but sufficiently clean and functional, with pleasant staff. I would definitely inspect the food before diving in, though - the Indian sweets they give out are often quite pleasant, but the ketchup sandwiches are evil. The present two-star rating is definitely justified as far as I'm concerned, because Indian Airlines is still a budget airline at a premium price (especially for non-Indians).

Indian Airlines review by Rujicha Luuktaan

9 May 2006

Bangkok-Kuala Lumpur on Economy. For some strange reason the Indian passengers were all put at the back of the aircraft. Service was basic, but the Indian meal was good. On the return flight, departure time was written on the ticket as 12.40 p.m. I arrived at the airport at 11.30 and was shocked to be told the plane had left. The staff told me I should have reconfirmed, for it would have been then that they would tell me there had been a change in timing. They told me to come back the next day for the flight. I demanded hotel accomodation and money for the train fare to downtown Kuala Lumpur. They refused, but were gracious enough to put me on a Malaysia Airlines flight the same day. This airline proved to be much superior in service and attentiveness.

Indian Airlines review by Thomas Schoenfisch

20 April 2006

BOM to GOI and return on Indian and pleasantly surprised . Flights almost on time; was informed about a slight schedule change of return itinerary via e-mail. Warm meals as well as hot and cold drinks were served on both legs. Considering the short (40 minutes or so) flight and a packed cabin this is impressive if one compares to service levels on short hauls of European or US carrriers. A320 aircraft made a safe (however on return not very clean) impression and female crew members were nice enough; some even smiled. All in all a good experience and would not hesitate to fly Indian again; especially since their fares are usually lower than the ones of 9W or Kingfisher (booked online for USD137 return including all taxes). By the way; legroom is rather generous.

Indian Airlines review by Harvey Brant

7 April 2006

Mumbai to Nagpur and only Jet Airways and Indian Airlines flew this route in the early morning the day I was travelling. Unfortunately both these airlines discriminate against foreigners when it comes to fares. Although not cheap, Indian Airlines came out by far the cheaper of the two. The flight was rescheduled to half an hour later - despite the fact I'd only booked it a few days before departure. This was a minor annoyance, although the airline did at least tell me in advance by e- mail. Once on the plane, I was surprised by the amount of leg room, and the quality of enormous and tasty breakfast. This was very welcome, since I'd just spent the night in Mumbai Airport, and was quite hungry. The flight took off half an hour later than rescheduled for reasons that were unclear and never explained, and was about 20 minutes late arriving in Nagpur. Overall not too bad, but if Indian Airlines want to woo cost- conscious foreign customers like me on a more regular basis, then they'll have to follow in the footsteps of their no-frills competitors like Go Air and Air Deccan by charging us the same fare as everyone else. Nobody likes to feel as if they're being discriminated against.

Indian Airlines review by U Naresh

18 January 2006

Delhi Mumbai business class on the rechristened "Indian". The terminal used by IC is far more spacious and comfortable, though the basic infrastructure has strong hints of a bad railway station. Laser printing is now used for printing boarding passes and luggage tags. The look of the boarding passes have changed too. Gone are the days of dot matrix printing. Evolution is taking place I believe. The flight delayed yet again by an hour due to ATC delays. On board an old A320 the aircraft looked like it hadn't been cleaned. Seat pockets were full of old newspapers and the general look was poor. On board the product remains much the same. I was served identical food as I had been 2 months back. No menus offered. Smiles were more apparent though. In conclusion, airport infrastructure in India is very poor, and until this improves, I do not believe the airlines can do much to improve. Delays are now part of the system and those flying within India should prepare themselves for long delays on ground and in the air too.

Indian Airlines review by Tobias Sextl

3 December 2005

Bangalore - Singapore. Check-in friendly, but very slow. The flight was delayed by one and a half hours due to technical problems. They had to change to another plane and could not take the normal route. Service on board was non existant (no drinks, no meal for 5 hours flight). Toilet flush was not working. The back of most of the seats could not be adjusted. All in all a very unpleasant experience and I will try to avoid this airline in the future if possible.

Indian Airlines review by U Naresh

24 November 2005

1 hour 10 minutes delay out of Delhi to Mumbai. Delays seem to have returned to IC. Air traffic congestion and poor airport infrastructure in India seem to be the main reason, but apathy on the part of ground staff cannot be ruled out either. On board VT-EYF business class, the cabin looked brighter. The aircraft is on lease - that's why! Business cabin served by two female attendants. The senior one had a perpetual frown and seemed to be holding back on any warmth. The junior attendant was short in confidence and rarely made eye contact. Dinner was great, included a salad soup, entree, and dessert. Catering done by by Taj SATS, so I suppose the credit lies with them. Hot towels were offered twice. Magazines and newspapers were available too. Toilet was clean but no amenties. Landing into Mumbai was further delayed due to ATC congestion. IC terminal in Mumbai has aerobridges, so deplaning is much more convenient. Luggage took forever though. In conclusion, their domestic service far exceeds their international one. I would fly them domestically only.

Indian Airlines review by U Naresh

15 November 2005

On my return from Singapore to Delhi on once again an old A320 VT-EPP, the incoming flight was late so we were delayed an hour out of Singapore. On enquiring what the flying time was, I was informed that as the flight was a full payload, this A320 did not have the capacity to fly non stop to Delhi and we were to make a technical stop in Benaras, India to refuel. So this added another 2 hours to the overall flight and what was supposed to be a 5+ hour flight was nearly eight hours including the delay. On board, service was cosmetically better. Seat pitch is very poor, no amenity kits either. Food was edible, presentation poor. If you've travelled on first class on the Indian railways, the service and product is near identical. Toilets are maintained in the same manner too. I cannot understand why IC would schedule a non stop service to Singapore when the aircraft do not have the range to fly them. It makes no sense. Unless they expect that loads will always be light??

Indian Airlines review by U Naresh

13 November 2005

Recently flew non stop Delhi Singapore on this Indian Airlines A320 business class. Flight delayed 40 minutes due to late arrival of domestic service from Bangalore. On boarding this 17 year old aircraft, it looked fully worn apart and filthy. Crew grooming is hilarious - pot belly for the male steward, a buffon for the female. The only alcohol available was JW Black Label (in miniatures) and beer. Win, vodka, cognac is unheard of. Service was much like a train journey. Supper was a sandwich, kathi roll, and shammi kebab. A high carb meal. Seats do no not recline much, and to sleep on this 5/30 flight is very difficult. There are no leg rests either. Toilets are unhygienic with no amenities in them. Let me also add that there is no IFE on any IC aircraft, neither were there any magazines. It's a very boring flight. On arrival, there is no beverage service. Just a cold towel. In conclusion, I would say evolution has just not taken place on Indian Airlines International service. Avoid it at all costs.

Indian Airlines review by Michael Hartmann

20 October 2005

Kabul to Delhi and return. For additional $60 each way you can upgrade to business, with 2-2 seats instead of 3-3, and the planes (newish Airbus) are new and wonderfully maintained, good seat pitch (I am 6'4") and great service. Planes clean and new, food excellent. A wonderful ride. Happy with it and far superior than the other options out of Kabul.

Indian Airlines review by U V Naresh

12 April 2005

There's definitely a "change in the air" at Indian Airlines, though there is not much change on the "ground". Recently flew Delhi to Mumbai on their late evening flight on business class. The IC domestic terminal is much more spacious compared to the private airline terminal. Luggage tags surprisingly are not computer printed. They still use the pre-printed elastic ones. Check in was done by a charming member of staff who kept insisting that IC was getting back its' old customers who had migrated to the private airlines. Business lounge had adequate snacks, but the service is done by stewards which resemble those from the railways. Attitude is the same too. Ground handling at IC is poor too. This applies to both Delhi and Mumbai. The aircraft (a leased one VT-EYF) has seen better days. On time departure and the cabin crew take over. Two female attendants (one senior and one mid level) attended to us. The warmth and service was natural. The food was well presented and ample. Prior to take off, there was selection of orange juice or coconut water. Boiled sweets were offered too, followed by hot napkins. The meal was soup, choice of two vegetarian or non vegetarian entrees (big portions), salad, yoghurt, bread sticks, Indian breads and rolls. This was followed by a choice of Indian sweet dish or cut fruits, tea and coffee. All this while, water was always topped up. Service was never rushed. The on board product is perhaps not as stylish or does not have the finesse of Jet Airways, but the attitude and effort is very evident. I would rate this airline much higher than Air Sahara, and just short of Jet. If the condition of the aircrafts improve, the service is there to match it.

Indian Airlines review by Chris Penfold

11 April 2005

Goa/Kochi 29thMarch returning 4th April Travelled as part of a Somak holiday to Kerela. Pre-booked seats were comfortable and spacious with plenty of leg room. I'm a large chap who had no trouble fitting in the seats, on this Airbus 320. The meals were hot but i'm not a fan of curry for breakfast ! but it tasted OK and filled a hole. The cabin crew were polite and efficient giving to safety demo's in both Hindi and English. The outbound fight took off on time and the return was 30 minute late due to the late arrival of the inbound flight but there was plenty of information at the airport which kept us updated. Return food was similar but I just had the drink and water.

Indian Airlines review by Tanveer Singh

15 March 2005

Amritsar to Delhi because the ticket was very cheap. Rs.1100 Only (around US$25). The A320 came from Sharjah therefore all passengers from Sharjah bound flight got off. The plane wasn't clean. Nobody sat according to their respective seat numbers. I got myself a seat next to the emergency window. I was provided food boxes at the airport only. The packing and quality of food was low. It consisted of a Sandwich, a Sweet, a Kachori and a pouch of ketchup. The food provided in the trains of India is far more better than that provided in IC. There was no back cover of the seat in front of mine. There was not much of legroom.

Indian Airlines review by Kurt Müller

7 February 2005

Being a Platinum Level member of Jet Airways' FFP, I only use IC when there is no alternative, and I have done so twice over the last six months. Yesterday's flight IC609 from BOM to BLR again reminded why: departure delayed by one one hour because engine(s) would not start - they towed the plane back to a bay for repairs. During this wait, flight attendants provided bottled water upon request (but considering almost everyone wanted water, it would have been wiser to simply come through the cabin and hand out the bottles rather than respond to dozens of service button calls). Eventually touched down at Bangalore at 22.52 hrs, but incurred yet another delay in being allocated a parking bay. Finally deplaned at 23.18 hrs, and - with no tarmac transportation provided - walked some 250 yds to the terminal. Baggage took another 15 minutes to be delivered.

Indian Airlines review by Gareth Duhig

1 January 2005

Varanasi - DEL. Check in relatively quick, but the security checks to board woefully slow. First row of econ seats very comfortable with good leg room. While on the ground I started to cough & the stewardess fetched me 2 bottles of water without being asked. For a short flight we were served a selection of very tasty hot indian snacks with soft drinks. Flight on time & baggage handling good & friendly staff.

Indian Airlines review by D Balasubramaniam

2 December 2004

Chennai to Mumbai. Firstly my wife didn't get vegetarian food and had to go hungry as there was no veg food left. Then when we asked an attendant as to why they had not carried enough food, he started abusing that IA was not charging for the food and it was being given free. He also asked us to wire a complaint in the complaint card. We called for the senior flight stewardess who promised to give us a complaint card and later apologised that they didnt have one. The rude and abusive attitude of this FA make Indian Airlines a bad airline. Why do they spend so much money on advertising 50 years of flying. Spend on attitude of your staff.

Indian Airlines review by R Ashutosh

2 November 2004

I feel that people are expecting too much when they say the flight needs entertainment. It's a domestic airline! I must agree that the cabin staff were inattentive. I remember asking for a pen and never got one until I went to the galley and discovered the stewardess sleeping! It was on a SIN-BLR flight. Food was good. All in all it deserves a 3 star for its effort.

Indian Airlines review by F Lirtis

21 October 2004

I resent the fact that non-Indians must pay 30%-50% more than Indian nationals for domestic flights on Indian Airlines (and other domestic carriers too?) This has been the case since the days of the Nehru/Ghandi governments. It seems that India trumpets egalitarian piety and has adopted free market economic policies - except where it hasn't. That is, except where it suits the government to retain policies wherein they can continue to gouge foreigners with discriminatory policies that Indians abroad would quite rightly protest against if they applied to them. Imagine the uproar if British Airways announced that non-Brits would have to pay extra for the same seat and service. The geniuses at policy level don't seem to understand the reality that it's not well-heeled 'executives' who pour money into the coffers as much as the greater numbers of budget travellers who would take more flights if they were fairly priced. And, to add insult to injury, the service on Indian Airlines is surly and disinterested on the ground. We won't be taking any more domestic flights in India until your airline policy makers emerge from the dark ages and stop this racist practice.

Indian Airlines review by Brian Lowe

31 August 2004

I used to fly SIN to BLR often on Indian Airlines. Indian Airlines is equivalent to a Low Cost Carrier in US or Europe except their price. Their planes look and feels dirty. Seat pitch is tight and service is inconsistent. Not a very high standard for an "international" airline. I'm happy now that Singapore Airlines flies to BLR.

Indian Airlines review by K Sagdeo

19 July 2004

IC from Mumbai to Nagpur - strange experience really - flight was delayed twice out of Mumbai, the first delay was posted, but the second delay was completely unannounced. Fortunately the delays were caused only because the inbound aircraft was late, but the only reason I found out about the second delay was because I heard the airport official discussing it in Marathi! Seat pitch was tight, but then again I'm tall for most Indians (6-1), but having just connected from the US, I was taken aback when they served a delicious hot meal on such a short flight (1 hr 15 min), and the attendant even woke me up from my nap to serve me! All in all the plane (A320) felt cramped and a bit shabby but I'd definitely fly IC again (as long as it's cheaper than Jet).

Indian Airlines review by Badal Rag

21 June 2004

I fly Indian Airlines regularly on the Metro Domestic Sectors in India. The aircrafts, mostly A320s, are quite comfortable & have found that many of them are also being refurbished. The crew are not as glamorous as Jet/Sahara but are quite efficient. The meals, like other Indian carriers are excellent even on short 25 min flights like CCU- DAC sectors. The frequent flier programme is innovative, they allow tele check in for all frequent fliers, unlike Jet and you can check your points online again unlike Jet.

Indian Airlines review by N Bhat

22 January 2004

I am a regular visitor to India and often use India Airlines (IA) for travels. IA is a standard airline, with over 40 A320 aircrafts. (They also operate few A300 & B737-200) Since most of their flights are 2/2.5 hours, there is hardly any IFE. But I wish to highlight that though they are plain & simple in overall appearance (externally & internally), they are good when it comes to aircraft safety and overall ground services. They have good maintenance facility and their timings have improved in recent years. IA deserves 3 star and not 2 star that it currently has.

Indian Airlines review by Mayuri Kango

1 December 2003

Indian Airlines was once the metaphor of everything wrong with aviation in India - in spite of having some of the best service and engineering facilities.  Flying IA was a nightmare, but at times pleasant. Never consistent.  I happened to fly IA over this month out of choice, logging over 24 hours in total across various sectors, and they are getting their act together. Clean aircraft are vacuumed (not swept with broom as was case earlier), reassuring security, good service and punctual flights with a wide network - though the flight attendant service loses out to the private airlines.

Indian Airlines review by  Ganesh Natrajan

23 November 2003

I have been flying IA for the past thirty years and they are a lot worse than they used to be. Strangely, they were a much better airline when they had no competition in the form of Jet Airways or Sahara. They seem to have fallen by the wayside these days, and are surviving only on the labourer flights to the gulf and the far east.

Indian Airlines review by  R Kalia

22 November 2003

Indian Airlines (mainly a domestic carrier, some short international flights) is a lot better than it used to be. Admittedly that is not a very high standard since they were the world's worst airline, but they really have improved dramatically after privately owned airlines such as Jet Airways were allowed to operate. They are now generally punctual, and much more eager to please. They even serve soft drinks now, not just the glasses of water they used to pour! The aircraft are still old and the seat pitch is tight.