Air India

Not Verified | A very bad experience. It was a 12.5 hr flight from Delhi to Sydney. Supposed to take off at 2:15pm on 13th Jan from Delhi. Firstly I reach the check in Counter at 11:45 am and stood in the queue. There are so many counters for air India but any counter is not for a particular air India flight which males is so difficult for passengers as almost every passenger is asking the staff is this line for Sydney or Dubai or London or xyz destination. Secondly there were so long queue that by the time I reached the actual counter 1hr and 15 mins have already passed by. So finally at 1pm I reached the counter and handed my passport to the staff so they can check in and initiate a baggage drop. While the staff was checking my flight details I just got an sms that my flight has been delayed by 2 hrs and will now take off at 4:30 pm instead of 2:15 pm . Then the staff had a look and told me since your flight is now delayed to 4:30pm we cannot check you in you are too early for the flight, go and rest and come back in 1 hr and we should be able to check you in. So which means I had already waster 1hr and 15 mins in the queue then the flight is delayed by 2 hrs; after that I have to wait for another 1hr then stand in line again and then check in my luggage. What a waste of time. 1hr later at roughly around 2:15 pm I went to the counter again to check and she said your check in was already open about 2 hrs ago and that the person you spoke to earlier had given wrong information. Finally I did a baggage drop and went further for a security check. After security we went and waited for boarding as now the boarding was only going to happen at 4pm I still had another 1 hr with nothing to do. I had thought I will be in flight already 2:15 they would give food but now the flight is late by 2 hrs so no food for another 2 hrs and they did not compensate us with any complimentary food at the airport either. Slowly some time passed by and at 3:45 there was another announcement that the flight is now further delayed to a 5:30 take off. This meant that there has been a 3 hr delay from the original scheduled time of take off. Then at 4:45 finally they started the boarding so finally I had some relief and thought ok no more delays now . Almost everyone was seated in the flight and at 5:15 i heard another announcement that they are waiting for 1 passe ger as they have not yet boarded the flight. 10 minutes the passenger finally came. The flight finally started a take off at 5:45 pm. After all this once the flight was in the air around 6:15 pm they made an announcement that the seat belt sign is off and they provide snacks in some time. Finally at 6:45 they provided snacks and drinks. Also from the time I sat in the plan the TV was not working at all. I informed them and they said they are serving food so they will do a reset after they finish with the food. They started serving food at 6:45 pm and finished by 7:45 pm . I told then again about the TV and they said they will go and reset now and it would then take 20 minutes to reset and come back up. So I thought probably by 8:15 at least I should be able to watch something . Once the reset was completed and I turned on the TV but still it was not fixed. Basically I had to stay for the entire 13 hrs flight without TV. I had no option left but go to sleep. first long wait for check in ; second flight delayed by 3 hrs and third no TV

✅ Trip Verified | I recently traveled business class with my daughter and elderly mom, and my experience with Air India left much to be desired. Our luggage was lost with no support or communication from the airline. The lack of empathy and remorse in the way customers were treated is unacceptable. Seeking assistance from a supervisor resulted in extra-long wait times, only to be met with dismissive attitudes. Holding a grudge for asking for help is not the kind of service one expects. I had essential medication in my suitcase, and despite carrying only a 2-day supply in my hand luggage, the lost baggage left me in a dire situation. It's now day 3, and there's still no news on the baggage. Additionally, there's been no communication regarding a claim or compensation for the inconvenience caused. The airline changed/cancelled my flight without any prior notification, causing unnecessary stress and inconvenience. When faced with a modified flight, I had no flexibility and was forced to choose their option. Exploring alternatives was impractical due to last-minute expenses from other airlines and the urgency of an expiring visa the next day. Despite the hospitality and care provided by the cabin staff during the flight, the numerous issues encountered throughout the journey overshadow this positive note.

✅ Trip Verified | I had mixed feelings as I booked this flight, due to the many negative reviews on this page, but on the contrary I held optimism for Air India since the Tata takeover. I booked this trip (WLG to STV via MEL and DEL, 1st leg operated by Qantas, last leg by Air India Express) as it was almost half the price as other airlines on this route, but also because I wanted to give Air India a go again. Honestly, I had a very pleasant experience. The check in process, baggage handling, comfort, boarding, cleanliness, ground and cabin crew, food and service were all excellent - on par with what you'd usually expect with the likes of Singapore Airlines. Crew member Pranali on MEL-DEL flight on 12 Jan was particularly kind, attentive and excellent at her job. Honestly I'd fly this airline again. As an Indian based abroad I would always prefer to fly an airline which feels like home as soon as you board and honestly I had no complaints.

✅ Trip Verified |  Third class experience. All seats torn, cloth of pockets as well as seats. Looks like a state transport bus. Never travel with air India. Total waste of your money

✅ Trip Verified | My experience was nothing short of amazing, thanks to the outstanding service provided by the airline's dedicated team. From the outset, the ground staff at Mumbai Airport showed an exceptional level of support. The efficiency and warmth exhibited during the check-in process by the executive at the counter set a positive tone for the journey. I was pleased to find myself in a new and well-maintained plane. The seating was comfortable, and the cleanliness of the cabin was impressive. The culinary offerings were delicious. The diverse meal options and attention to taste were much appreciated. One of the highlights of my journey was the exemplary service provided by the guest relations team, which included Chhaya, Yash, and ABBU. Their dedication to ensuring passenger comfort and satisfaction was evident in every interaction.

✅ Trip Verified | This is not even a comfort issue. When an airline thinks it's OK to put a plane into service for a 14-hour long haul fight where the seats are falling apart, many tray tables were, loose on hinges and can't stay up when opened and barely latched when closes; and emergency floatation devices were detached from under the seat and on the ground. Most of the TV screens not working. I have 3 more legs on my travel plans, this is just very terrible how they're getting away with it!

✅ Trip Verified | I was pleasantly surprised by the new A320Neo this time and it was clean and comfortable seats. The seat included a cup holder and a phone holder and the seats have USB Charging points. This flight had great crew and refreshment service which included a snack box. I asked for one more sandwich and the crew gave me another snack box which I appreciate. Overall a great short flight and I'm very impressed by Air India and would fly them again.

✅ Trip Verified | Air India allows 25kg check in Baggage which I feel is very generous. I loved my experience onboard despite a 16 year old aircraft, A kind crew and delicious snack box made this short flight very comfortable.

✅ Trip Verified | Avoid like a Plague. We booked tickets at 3 times the normal price due to black dates of travel which offered us very little flexibility. Old worn aircraft, non functional entertainment screens, rude ground staff, seat recline not working, no time management. There was not even one leg of journey where the flight was not delayed by 3 hours. Last leg from Hyd- Del- LHR was the nail in coffin. For Hyd to Del leg, passengers were asked to board after 2 hours delay and then asked to sit in Aircraft further for 1.30 hours. The ground staff and flight supervisor told repeatedly to connecting 27 passengers (to London Heathrow) that connecting flight from Delhi AI 165 is waiting to accommodate them. To our shock, the flight had departed 50 mins before we landed. The whole ground staff is rude. Eventually after so much fight for a place to reach final destination, we boarded AI 161 after 13 hours of actual departure (of AI 165) from New Delhi and have just arrived in LHR. We faced 16 hours delay on a 11.5 hours travel.

✅ Trip Verified | Don't ever fly Air India. Both my flights were delayed. One by 5 hours the other by 7 hours and they didn't give any information or water or food and the food on the flight was disgusting too. Their delays meant I spent 25 dollars in the airport and still they offered zero compensation. Everything about this airline is disgusting.

✅ Trip Verified | The flight was delayed by some 4 hours (delays by Air India are very common) from YVR. When the flight took off, I noticed my seat was not very clean, but ok. The flight attendants served a tasty meal (no issues here) and then the next service was around 4-5 hours later. No attendants were seen anywhere. I went to the back galley, no one was there. I called the attendant by pressing the button, still nobody came. My reason was that my entertainment console was not working. On top of this, the lady seated on the aisle (in was window seat) was now taking up the aisle and middle seat and her head was almost on my lap. Wasn't happy about this and I had to ask her to keep her distance. Other than the food, did not enjoy the flight.

Not Verified | Save yourself by not booking with Air India. They cancelled our flight just 2 hours prior from Delhi to New York. No apologies or any kind of sensible solution was provided, instead they gave us the worst possible alternate flight i.e Fly from Delhi to Singapore with layover of 6hours and Singapore to New York. Which we didnt opt and had to re-book through an actual reliable flight which bought us home comfortably and safely.

✅ Trip Verified |   Awful, just awful - never again. If you are considering flying this airline, think again. The personal entertainment systems never work. This is my second time flying with them and found exactly the same problem. This like torture for 19 hour of flying. They tell you they will try to restart the console, but this is just an excuse as one of the attendants told me that 70% of the don’t work and they don’t try to fix them. Then, my transit flight’s time was changed from a 15 hour layover to 21 hours without any explanation. Delhi airport is not great for long transit. This also caused me to miss out on spending Christmas with my family. When I complained, no one from the airline seemed interested or even cared. Terrible service, terrible airline.

Not Verified | AI 537 was cancelled on 23rd December 23, on 24th December 30min of boarding time, they announced due to maintenance issues the flight will not take off. At 4:15pm they announced change of gate from 30 to 42B and displayed the flight will fly tentatively at 5:45pm. How can an airline make such a big blunder when people are traveling to celebrate Christmas with family and friends. Worst experience and wouldn't recommend this nasty airline.

✅ Trip Verified | A below average, stress-inducing experience on a 16-hour direct flight. I paid ~$2200 for an economy seat on a direct flight from San Francisco to Delhi. The frame of the seat in front of me had two cracks that went all the way through the frame of the back support. Do not expect a comfortable seat. Do not expect the seat to recline. Do not expect to fit in your seat if your hips exceed 39 inches. Do not expect your food to be cooked well. Do not expect a functioning entertainment console. If you’re traveling with children, good luck. Do not expect an outlet and latest USB charging ports. Do not expect world-class service in economy. I do not recommend you fly with Air India.

✅ Trip Verified | I had a horrible experience, they over booked the flight I was supposed to fly on and had me fly through an extra 9 hrs and inconvenience of transferring luggage plus a very paltry compensation of $100 for an inconvenient international flight. I highly suggest to fly another carrier, but not Air India.

✅ Trip Verified | Flew JFK-HYD-JFK between 26-Nov-23 and 11-Dec-23. The onward journey was quite disappointing with a dilapidated aircraft. The tray tables were falling apart and had to be carefully assembled into place and up. Though there were seat back screens, only very few lucky passengers enjoyed any IFE but none in my row. The crew offered some inane apology and reset the server but there wasn't any improvement. But for my backup on my phone, it would have been an excruciating 15 hours to Delhi which the passenger next to me endured. Of the three meals served, two were almost the same. The caterer or the menu designer have to be changed immediately so that the passengers are not fed almost identical ill-prepared meals in quick succession. The toilets deteriorate rapidly as the flight progresses ending up as unusable as the flight nears the destination. Can the crew please provide enough TP for the entire flight? Overall it was a disappointing experience but for the friendly crew that toils away despite the heavy odds against them.

Not Verified | Travelled on 20th Nov 20023 back on 4th Dec 2023 from Singapore to Bangalore return. While going flight was delayed by 14 hrs, coming back 5 hrs. No early information on delay while coming back. Stayed in the airport for alomost 6 hrs waiting. Suggest not to travel by this plane if you have another airline connecting flight.

Not Verified | Worst airline ever. The flight was delayed by 2 hours and finally after boarding the flight hasn't left the gate for 2 hours now. The captain just mentioned that it's a technical issue. No food was offered. Also the airline was out of blankets and no inflight entertainment for international flights.

✅ Trip Verified | I booked a flight from JFK to Kathmandu for February of 2024 in October 2023, but unfortunately had to cancel the flight within 24 hours and book via another airline. When I cancelled, I received a cancellation confirmation email from Air India confirm the flight was cancelled and I would receive a 100% refund for cancelling in a timely manner. However, two weeks later, I had not received any refund. I reached out to Air India's customer service and they insisted I never cancelled the flight. I was passed between multiple representatives and finally told to create a Case. I did so, including all documentation, and followed up with Air India two more times. The second time, a representative confirmed I would receive a 100% refund within 24 hours. No refund ever came - I followed up multiple times, and never received any further responses other than insisting I cancel myself via their online portal, which would cost me $700 for a bogus cancellation fee. I did nothing wrong in this scenario, and yet Air India is attempting to profit $700 from me, in nothing less than criminal fashion.