Air India Reviews

I flew Air India from SF to Delhi with a connection to Bangalore in 2022. The flight was delayed more than 10 hours. I live an hour away from airport so me and my 2 kids (4yr old and 9 yr old) came back home before going back to airport. In addition to that, flight was super old, unfriendly staff and bad food quality. Upon reaching Delhi none of the air india staff had a clue about the connecting flight. After a lot of chaos and me yelling on the clueless air India folks they finally decided to help me. Half way to the Air india boarding gate, the guy named Rahul didn't wanted to help me. When no one else came to replace he had to unwillingly help me and my two little kids to board the plane. Even after all of this, the shameless staff never shied away from asking for tip. Worst experience ever.

Worst airlines ever. They changed the connecting flight whilst I was mid air in an international flight, after issuing the boarding pass. Had me waiting in the airport for more than 12 hours with no food or water provided. Customer service is infinitely negative.

The Supervisor “Tizyzu” was an excellent guy and his team is very customer service oriented. Great maturity for his age and very Customer oriented. Fabulous crew and team. The whole experience in SFO airport was awesome.

We were waiting at the boarding gate at Delhi for 4 hours and no one checked our visa to Canada. They showed up just before the flight and we almost lost our flight waiting for approval since visa was on an old passport. The flight was pathetic. Food terrible, no choice for continental or gluten free food. In flight system didn't work for a 14.5 hours flight including the route. We didn't know where we were. There was no wheelchairs at Canada. My husband is a heart patient 77 years old. The airport staff was very arrogant too. Were served half cup of coffee and juice. Nothing in between too.

Have a plans to book a travel to Delhi, it’s challenging for me to overcome reviews here. But will give a shot under the impression that Mr. Tata has done wonderful turn around in the past, So give chance one time!

Air India is an extremely awful airline. Long queue at the check in counters. In fact shift change happened at peak time and counters were unmanned for 10 mins. When it was pointed out for the slow process, the person at payment counter had the audacity to say that is how it happens in India. Wow...Tata group should pull up their socks else whoever flies once in air india they never will fly with them again...I for one and all my family members will never put foot in air india flight again.

Nothing changed, same service, same staff, same harassment. I don’t think it will be change. Doesn’t matter who owns it. This is my second time in Air India. 1st time I travel I decided not to travel with Air India. But I thought now it’s different. But not at all … still Mera Bharat Mahan.

I bought a Business Cass RT ticket (Feb. 29, 2024- April 16, 2024) on Air India and encountered issues with luggage upon arrival to BOM. I missed the connecting flight to Kochi and was booked on the next available Economy flight by Vistara Air. On the return trip, the TV on the Delhi-SFO return flight # AI 173 did not work even for 1 minute of a very long flight. I called the cabin crew several times for help with the TV and also malfunctioning seat adjustment and tray table. They are probably used to this and have not documented this. I am asking for a 50% refund on this ticket because the inconvenience encountered. This was not the only seat with problem. My husband who sat next to me on the same flight did not have working audio even though the TV came on for him. All the seats are worn out and should not be passed off as business class. The cost of a business class ticket on Air India is more than 3x the cost of an Economy ticket, so I expect a lot more than what I got as value of flight. So overall, it was a very negative experience.

Respected Concern, I’m passenger of Air India flight AI185 from New Delhi to Vancouver at 05:20 AM & flight attendant given the excuse to all passengers that flight will not be onboard due to technical fault at aircraft and we were waiting in airport more than 24 hrs which is really pathetic in between one person lost of his life due to set back and suffered with heart Attack. It’s really shameful in such a brand but service is worst & required more attention to make service perfect. #Tata Group #Air India

The moment government sold the Airlines, these greedy people started robbing people. I was booking a domestic flight and when I was about to pay, a message appeared, "ERROR- something wrong went on our end" when I tried to book again, these robbers increased the price. SHAME ON YOU AIR INDIA. #CHEAP.

I’m very much disappointed with your team that you are still unable to connect with me for my refund, as you have committed to me on Friday 17th May 2024 that your supervisor will give a call back and resolve this issue of refund & this Case # 05079862 is still going on from last 25 days without any solution from Air India. This kind of an experience with Air India is really shocking and no one would prefer to travel by Air India flight. This type of service support from your side is not customer friendly to say the least. I want you to resolve my case immediately failing which I will have no alternative but to ask for the penalty along with the refund amount for the delay in this refund for reason best known to you, as Air India is not going to entertain me with any relaxation if the ticket payment is not made forthwith. Awaiting your immediate response.

Worst experience travelling in air India.. When we went from Vancouver to India it was worst travelling experience that no quality of food, no tv is working, air hostess are so rude… Worst thing happened to us when we are travelling back from India to Vancouver, we checked in our all luggage with the help of porter according to airline baggage allowance.. We are with a baby. When there are just 15 minutes left for boarding Air India staff harassed us that our baggage is overweight. We have to pay 35000 extra. We have just our baby bag.. When we talked to them they said, "Throw your items in garbage bin" or other staff said. "You don’t able to catch your flight if you did not paid 35000 rupees..and nothing get back of your flight tickets.." It was harrasing with baby and at the moment we have to pay 8000 rupees.. We have proof of it… Most of the travelers are dissatisfied with air India.. Nobody want to take this flight again.. Worst customer service. No value of money, no facilities available for baby..

Air India flight Delhi to Washington DC on 7 May 2024 for 14hrs and 50 minutes is in worthy condition. No entertainment devices was not working. I pay money for extra leg space. But our tv set was broken, it couldn’t able to work. And 50% of flight, tv was not working. Remote of tv also broken. No mobile charging point was working. The flight was most outdated. They don’t have USB charger.

I am writing to lodge a formal complaint regarding the appalling treatment my family received at Mumbai Airport by your staff on Air India staff is harassment with mother with 2 kid traveling after legal right allowance 7 kg the staff refused to take cabin bag and asking extra money. Lot of harassment. Not recommending to any one and they never resolved and staff so rude.

Non-stop flight to DEL from SFO 15hrs 45 minutes had 3 toilets out of order. In-flight entertainment was broken in 75% or more of the seats. Individual reading lights were also not working. Seat-back trays on which you place food was cracking. My theory is that ** crew possibly prefers janitors back in India to clean toilets and so possibly locks them as out of order if clogged or dirty. This is just conjecture, but could explain why 3 toilets were not working at the same time.

I flew from Canada to India on April 7. I must say even after privatization, the flight conditions are very poor- toilets out of service, sinks clogged, out of all and any type of tissues facial or sanitary, broken seats, broken and tilted trays in seats which cannot support food in a stable position, no electronics working, no screens working, no alarm bells work, lights cannot be turned off, signal lights out of order, the more I write the less it is. Wish I could share some more pictures.

Both my wife and I are senior citizens. My wife also has severe knee pain and is unable to sit in cramped places for extended periods of time. Taking these into consideration, I booked both our tickets in Premium Economy on the AI 119 flight from Mumbai to New York. The flight started more than five hours later than scheduled, due to "operational issues". Upon boarding the plane, we were shocked to discover that we were allocated seats in the economy section. There was No Premium Economy section in the aircraft. All the passengers who had paid and reserved Premium Economy were forced to sit in the economy section. There was no explanation. I was told to give the ground staff my email ID and that they would offer compensation at a later date. The callousness and complete lack of accountability was shocking. One of the ground staff who was called to sort out this problem even had the audacity to ask us to leave the plane if we were not satisfied! Upon talking to other passengers and reading reviews, it appears that this habit of switching to a smaller plane when there are several empty seats is not new to Air India. They did not care anything about downgrading passengers to a lower class, as long as they were saving money by using a smaller aircraft. Any other international carrier would have made concessions in such a situation, even offering a free upgrade, but not Air India. Their primary goal was to run a profitable business at any cost. It is almost a week since we arrived in the US. In spite of telling us that we would be contacted by email, we have not heard anything. We feel cheated as we thought that the legendary TATA taking over the Air India would improve services. It is a matter of shame that my own country airline would treat people in such a disgraceful manner. We make two trips to India every year. In 40 years, we have flown on several international carriers and never had an experience as bad as this. I expect that Air India will refund the difference in fare between Premium Economy and Economy. Premium Economy seats cost more than three times that of Economy seats. I also hope that the airline will focus more on customer satisfaction than simply making changes merely for profit.

Air India put me on an earlier flight without any information. I had booked For travel from USA to India 10 months in advance and after three days of booking, they change my flight without any information to me. Just received an email with the change that we have been booked on an earlier flight. My wife and I are employed and cannot just take time off without planning. This means the loss for the employer and also for us and getting really difficult to accommodate such behavior, I was surprised that they did not have the courtesy to check with us Beforehand.

I traveled with my wife on Air India IAD to DEL and DEL to EWR via BOM. I must say that the service from Crew members were flawless. The crew is Professional, Polite, Courteous and above all Tolerant to all passengers needs and ask. I saw them helping a wheel chair bound passenger picking him taking him to bathroom and back with a smile and compassion. The food was hot flavorful and plentiful. Only airlines which will provide three meals during the flight. Yes granted the aircrafts were 10 to 15 years old or leased but they were clean. Maybe one way my IFE was not working but it didn't bother me knowing that in future when #AirIndia will be getting new aircraft it will be a game changer and we will have our country's class airline. I don't know why some passenger complain for #AirIndia but will shut up when they are on other airlines and not treated well. At least on Air India you will get a warm welcome, food and smiles. I am not being compensated for this review. I love my country and the airlines. Being in the hospitality industry my utmost respect for the CREW for flawless service. I really don't care what anyone says but in coming years AIR INDIA will be one of the top airlines in the World. Mark my words! THANK YOU!

We purchased two premium economy class tickets on Air India Flights 626 and 119 from Lucknow-Mumbai to New York (JFK). Flight 626 (Lucknow to Mumbai) on March 29 and Flight 119 (from Mumbai to JFK, NY) on March 30. When we checked in at Lucknow airport, boarding passes for both flights were printed. While walking away from the counter, I realized that on Mumbai to New York, about 16-hour flight, we were assigned seats in the economy class instead of Premium class, though I had paid for the premium class which is about 3-times the cost of economy class ticket. Next two hours I argued with Air India staff (Air India Duty Manager and Head of staff at Lucknow airport) without any success; they refused to honor our premium tickets. While in the Air-India office, Air-India duty manager (March 29 at 1 pm) asked me to go away and seek help from their call center! I handed over them my phone and asked him to connect to the call center. Somebody at the call center picked up my call after 40 minutes while I was in their office. Call center person was also puzzled that I was in the Air India office and the duty manager was asking me to seek help from the call center. Call center staff refused to help and asked airport staff to resolve it. After reaching Mumbai, I went to Air-India office at Mumbai airport and spent 90 minutes arguing with them. In the end, I ended up sitting in a cramped economy seat for 16 hours. It appeared that there were not enough passengers for the big aircraft, therefore Air India down-graded plane on that route on March 30. Downgraded smaller plane was without premium class seats; therefore, Air India dumped us in the economy class. Any other airline would have upgraded our seats in this situation, but Air India staff asked us to buy new full-price business class tickets for the upgrade (that was beyond our budget). The downgraded plane came to the gate around 12:30 AM (March 30) for a scheduled take-off at 1:45 AM. But soon engineering crews were all over the plane and opened the side panels and found major mechanical defect, and did not clear aircraft to fly. After 3 hours of repair, boarding started at 4:45 AM. As soon as we walked into the cabin, we realized that it was a very old plane with non-functional analog TV screens hanging from the ceiling. It was clear that any maintenance or upgrade was not done in the cabin since this plane was put in service about 20 years ago. Cushions on seats were compacted over years and it seems that we were sitting on wooden chairs without any cushion. Cushions on the seats were slipping off exposing metal frame underneath (see picture). Wires and cable towards the window side of the seats were fully exposed and loose (see picture). Plastic cover over the seat frame were duct-taped (see picture). All tray tables (on the back of the seat) were broken (see picture); it could not stay straight and stable. Entertainment system did not work at all. Screen and remote were not functional (see picture). I checked with other passengers, and everybody complained that it did not work. During the 16-hour flight, it appeared that the wash-room was not cleaned or serviced at all. You will be very lucky if you get any refund (difference between premium and economy class). If you are persistent and follow through, somehow, they block your email address and your message (or argument) will bounce back undelivered after successfully sending emails to care@airindia.com. When they were unable to deal with my arguments, they blocked me. After a long-convoluted process and providing them with a copy of our passport, e-ticket, boarding pass, case Id and complete details of our bank account, Air India offered to issue a credit voucher that will be valid for one year. Who wants to fly with Air India again after this experience? I came across several complaints where premium and business class passengers were down-graded to economy class and were not given any logical reason and compensation. It is not only very poorly maintained old tattered air-craft but also Air India ground staff and management are incompetent and are not customer friendly at all. In summary, Air India is the worst airline that I came across after flying on international routes for 36 years.