Air India

JFK-DEL-JFK in Economy over the Christmas period. Flight from JFK to DEL was excellent. The aircraft seemed new was very clean and the IFE selection was good. Boarding etc. were far smoother than I am used to on BA my usual carrier on this route. Food was good and the inflight staff were young professional without being stiff and/or overbearing. My experience was enhanced by having been given an exit-row seat. But even the return flight was good and this time I had a ghastly middle seat. Nevertheless the staff kept up well- fed and hydrated; there was an ample supply of cookies/chips/drinks in the galley and the flight was quite pleasant. Timings again are superb - essentially an overnight flight; leave home in Delhi after dinner; arrive in JFK in time for breakfast. Overall I was pleasantly surprised.

Seoul to Hong Kong round trip. Flight to Hong Kong left and arrived early. The inflight entertainment was good although the English movie selection was a bit outdated. The flight crew was pleasant. Food was really good. Return flight left and arrived on time. Same thing for inflight entertainment. My headphones were broken but the attendant promptly got me a new set. Breakfast (omelette and croissant) was again really good. Overall great value for money.

25 Dec flew Chicago-Delhi connecting Ahmedabad. Check-in was quick and departed on time. Inflight meals plenty with beverages and alcohol offered free of charge. 2 full hot meals and small snacks during flight. Sky bar open for extra snacks with beverages. Comfortable seats and lots of leg room with foot rest a plus. Courteous staff ready to help. Transit in Delhi a breeze. Baggage arrived promptly at Ahmedabad and was out within 45 minutes. Return Ahmedabad Chicago via Delhi. Again no issues except 1hour delay in Delhi. All in all very good experience and would recommend.

DEL-DXB on an A330-200. There was no personal television and shared TV's were not in a good condition. The toilets smelt and there was a shortage of vegetarian food so I did not eat anything. The crew was co- operative but had limited English skills. I will never fly Air India again Emirates is much better.

Hong Kong to Seoul on a Boeing 777-300 - had 2 check-in counters open for the entire flight. Took me an hour just to get to the check-in line and all I had was carry-on items. After boarding and finding my seat I discovered my assigned seat with a used blanket and pillow and a used water bottle stuffed in the seat pocket in front of me. Along with stains on the seat in front of me and dirt and grime covering the fold out table. The floor alongside the cabin walls were covered in dirt and trash and the plastic shielding for many of the seat parts were cracked. I tried to find reprieve in another seat but the rest of the cabin was in similar condition. Worst flight I have ever taken.

BOM-DXB-BOM. Outbound flight on an A321 was on time. Only six channels on IFE and no headphones in seat-pocket. Meal (non-veg) was good both ways. Return flight delayed 3hrs. It was an A320 and IFE had same channels but there were headphones this time. Overall the aircraft and service is nice but the delays cause dissatisfaction. Flew AI just because the fares were much lower than other airlines.

DEL-IXU via Bhubaneshwar. Both flights were on time on a CRJ 700. Naturally comfort factor comes down to zero. No IFE and almost nil leg space. Seats are cramped and offer almost no push back. Meals were served well and decent keeping in mind that airlines in India are all trying to do away with the catering concept entirely. The ticket prices are quite stiff for this route and yet there is no business class on this aircraft. Its a small plane that can accommodate only 70 passengers. I have been flying Air India for a while but this experience will make me think before buying a ticket for another flight. When you are flying for 4 hours and paying a high price you certainly wish for a comfortable journey.

BKK-DEL. Only one food option. Seats almost do not recline entertainment screens are faulty flight info unavailable or not working no paper towels in WC. They did not distribute immigration forms onboard causing a delay later on during immigration formalities. A321 a wrong jet for a 5-hour flight.

LHR-DEL-BKK economy. I flew Air India for its generous 35kg baggage allowance. LHR-DEL 777 had tired seats with ironmongery sticking into my back but seats are spacious and many were unoccupied so plenty of room. Inflight entertainment - seat-back screens worked intermittently and the neighbouring seat had buttons missing from the controller. Choice of non-Indian movies very limited anyway. Plane held at the gate for about an hour after 21.30 scheduled departure and no attempt made to serve drinks. Drinks eventually served 2 hrs 40mins into the flight. No wine with the meal. Chicken curry was excessively greasy. Breakfast coming into DEL was also poor. Indian airports offer tediously repetitive security checks at different points and DEL-BKK was delayed 1 hr 20mins. After boarding we waited at the gate for another 40 mins whilst passengers from a delayed flight straggled on. The Airbus looked pretty tired but seats were more comfortable again not overly busy and service was somewhat better on this flight with water offered frequently. Drink service was limited again. Dinner was better quality than LHR and tasty but tiny portions were disappointing. They didn't seem to make up any time on this flight so although I'd allowed 3 hrs for my transfer to domestic in BKK I missed my connection. Timekeeping was consistently poor DEL is a series of queues cabin service was disinterested the planes are relatively new but shabby food and entertainment lacking - and the tickets are expensive.

YYZ-DEL-CCU in business class. Clean plane working seats with recline for sleeping (not flat bed) reasonable Indian food service and hospitable staff. Slept for 7 hrs and enjoyed the flight especially the early arrival in DEL. Fair selection of video considering almost all of their passengers onboard are Indian. Air India staff supported my transit in DEL in an efficient manner and customs was provided on arrival in CCU.