Air India’s Business Class appears to be getting worse even after it introduced new sleeper style seats. Well, very often, the electronic controls on the sleeper seats do not work or have been damaged either by unruly passengers or through neglect.
Moreover, there is still no decent personalized inflight entertainment. What you get is a dusty overhead TV showing a grainy (probably pirated) copy of a Bollywod film. In this day and age and for a Business Class product, that is unthinkable. The lavatories have no amenities - no lotions, soaps, cologne, like other carriers provide. The meal service is presented terribly, and looks no better than an Economy Class meal. At least the food is tasty, I guess. There is no wine list or list of aperitifs like the airline used to provide. The crew are in general disinterested, which is a departure from my flight with Air India in 2003, where at least the crew were charming and knew how to describe the wines provided. Nowadays, some sloppily dressed babu or behen-ji with her paunch hanging out over her saree will say ’’nice wine.’’
At least in the past, Air India’s biz class cost half as much as say British Airways (with which AI can’t be compared). Nowadays, the fare is right up there with the best, which leaves no incentive to travel AI.
The entire product is shoddy and designed to serve babus in the govt of India who have no idea of what an International Business Class product should be.