Air India

My husband and I took Air India from Kolkata to Singapore. Our domestic flight was good but the international flight was horrible. We were given different seats no blankets were provided and the food was cold and very small in quantity. Even the inflight entertainment was zero as nothing was working in order. Whole journey we suffered a lot.

Delhi-Mumbai-Jamnagar and back during Jun 2014. Poor Management. The seats booked online are often changed without any information and family members are split up. Non-Veg food finishes within first 2-3 rows (either side). Food quality is poor. Inflight entertainment system does not work.

Overall the service on the flight was inline with other international carriers. The food was acceptable curry was the only option and I suggest that all passengers opt for the "veg" option. Entertainment is mainly aimed at Indian audiences and I expected and agree with this. I suggest taking a tablet loaded with your favourite movies or shows - but I would do this on any airline. The 787 is by far much more comfortable that the 777. Very impressed with the 787 (Dreamliner) - leg room is normal the seat pitch is incredible the cabin environment is lovely and the atmospheric conditions are noticeably better on the 787. (I didn't think this after the outbound journey which consisted of two 787 sectors. The return journey was a 777 sector followed by a 787 sector this is when you notice how great the 787 really is). Transit via Delhi: Information around this process is extremely hard to find on the internet with mixed reviews on sites such as this. If you are an international transiting passenger (i.e. you have landed in Delhi and are connecting with another Air India flight within 24 hours) then you do not need a visa so long as you are not exceeding 24 hours and are not leaving the terminal. There are two options inside the terminal for accommodation. I have done both. Eaton Smart Hotel - transit hotel - This is the option for a transit greater than 4 hours. If you stay here you can also leave the hotel and access any facilities in the terminal - just keep you passport and boarding card with you. Sams Pods - Ideal for less than 4 hours. $10US/ hour. You have access to a bed TV and desk in a small pod in the terminal building. No access to wash facilities other than those provided in the terminal. If you have a flight with Air India and have a long transit it would be well worth you questioning your ability to get a hotel paid for by the airline. I paid for mine as advised for by my flight centre agent. All other passengers on my flight managed to get this included in their ticket free of charge. If you pay for it you are looking at $190AUD.

I boarded Dreamliner AI 130 LHR-BOM on 1st July 2014. The flight was to leave at 13.30 hrs. Our plane was delayed due to a technical fault. We were served food around 14.30hrs but deplaned around 18.00hrs. We were taken back through immigration and left to stand in the exit lobby for 3 hours. We were bussed to Heston Hotel but no accommodation was available. After waiting outside for over an hour we were bussed to accommodation in Bentley Hotel reaching well past midnight. No meal provided. Next day (July 2nd) we were bussed after breakfast to Heston Hotel for lunch then to the original departure lounge at LHR. Flight was scheduled for 14.30. Then 16.00hrs. At 19.00hrs we were given meal vouchers. Finally we boarded after 22.00hrs. The flight took off at 11.30 hrs 31 hours late. At no time was information given voluntarily. Air India agents mostly left it to LHR staff to take care of angry passengers. No provision was made for passenger comfort particularly families with small children and the elderly. Passengers were made to stand for hours in areas where there was little or no seating. No effort was made to provide meals at reasonable intervals. We had to ask for vouchers. Passengers were not informed about the plan of action resulting in frayed tempers. Our luggage was not handed over to us. Aisle seat 11c restricts free passage quite severely. Passengers occupying this seat are trodden on and bumped by boarding/disembarking passengers. Except for the centre block row 11 has nowhere to stow small belongings not even under the seat. Many passengers did not know how to flush the toilets resulting in filthy conditions. Instructions must be given along with the safety check. Buttons operating screen light etc on the inside of the armrest can be accidentally knocked.

Flew on the brand new Boeing 787 Dreamliner to Amritsar from Delhi. Fascinating experience. The plane met all my expectations with beautifully designed cabin and lighting. The meal was also served despite being a 45 minutes journey. Surely would like to fly one again.

Traveled from NY (JFK) to DEL (IGI) in May 2014. The ticket was slightly more expensive than other airlines but the flight was half empty. The plane was a Boeing 777-300ER with a very nice cabin and a 3-3-3 configuration (unlike 3-4-3 on most other airlines). I requested the air hostess to move me from the front row to some empty seats behind and she happily did so. I was in the center aisle and both seats besides me were empty I could sleep (laid on 3 seats) all the way through without any disturbance. The food was excellent staff was good and the in- flight entertainment was nice (not the best but you will like it esp. if you are an Indian). Flight was on time. I would certainly recommend Air India it esp for the JFK-DEL route.

I travelled on Air India from London(LHR) to Chennai via Bombay. The first leg was a brand new 787 it is great product seating 3-3-3 and much better leg room then any other airline. I am tall 6.2 ft still I find very comfortable seating. On board we had 3 servings one drinks service with beer wine and spirits one good full meal with choice of Chicken fish or veg options and one snack before landing. For 8 an hours flight - lots of food. Good quality food and we enjoyed it and there were desserts too! Inflight entertainment was good with choice of new Hollywood and Bollywood movies TV shows sports and business section - enough to keep us busy for 8 hours. FA's were good lots of smiles and caring for kids and elders. Toilets were kept clean all the time. Flight landed in Bombay full 30 minutes ahead of schedule. The second leg was an A319 again good product hot breakfast served with choice of either Scrambled eggs and potato or South Indian Veg. We all enjoyed the breakfast. Air India has improved a lot and now stands on par with other international airlines. I will fly again and recommend fully.

5th June flight AI 302 and returned on 16th June flight AI 301. Traveled to Sydney from Delhi and back on Dreamliner very convenient timings excellent staff service. Nothing better than a direct flight will travel again on Air India to international destinations.

Flew BOM-GOI and back (AI 661 and 662). Outbound: A321- Check-in smooth flight was delayed by 30 mins due to airport congestion was kept informed by the cockpit crew with regular updates. Crew were attentive friendly and responsive - although only peanuts juice and water was served. Inbound: A321 - Check in smooth flight was delayed by 20 mins and received the revised time SMS well in time Flight took off as per revised schedule again crew was attentive friendly and responsive although same thing was served for snacks. Overall a good experience and would recommend.

I flew from Amritsar to London via Delhi on flight AI115. Early morning departure from Amritsar with 2 hour stop over in Delhi then it was 7am when we took off from Delhi. The flight to Delhi was 50 mins on an airbus A321. Was given juice and a snack. No complaints. On the international leg it was a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The flight was brilliant. I cant complain. The leg room was great (I flew economy). Even when the person in front reclines their seat it isn't uncomfortable. The IFE was excellent. Fast and easy to use. Plenty of movies to choose from mainly Bollywood with a few regional choices too. Maybe not so great on the Hollywood selection. The breakfast wasn't the greatest but for airline standards it was ok. Later in the flight lunch was served. It was lovely. I had the non veg option. It was chicken rice and also saag. It was probably one of the best airline meals I've had. The crew were well presented and hospitable. The flight was ahead of schedule too. Plane was spotless. I would definitely recommend Air India.