I recently took this flight from Chicago to Chennai via Bombay.
Ticketing: The ticket is reasonably priced and on-par with other airlines serving the same route. The airline promptly confirmed my ticket and assured me that there was no change in schedule planned, when I called them. The staff who answered was quite cordial.
Check-in/boarding: Check-in was smooth. But, the flight was delayed for an hour because of the delayed arrival of the in-coming flight. The staff explained the reason for the delay and started boarding promptly at the newly scheduled time.
The aircraft: It was a Boeing 747 Jumbo jet from Chicago to Bombay. The aircraft itself looked a little worn-out on the outside, going by few specks of loss of paint/rust on the body. Although the cabin looked pedestrian, it was clean. The seats were all perfectly set-up. Air-conditioning was good. The seats do not have much legroom in the Economy class (but this is no different from any other long-haul flight I took). Toilets were clean. There is no individual entertainment system for the seats. The ear-phones provided are antique. It is better to bring one’s own entertainment system as the programmes broadcasted are not very entertaining. The in-flight magazine ’Namaskar’ is average. There is no mention of any religion in-particular anytime during the in-flight broadcast.
In-flight service: There are two distinct groups of attendees. The first group are the young and neatly dressed men in Air-India uniforms. These hard-working and polite individuals make us feel like Maharajas indeed. They are sharp, responsive and carry a big smile. They are helpful in seating and stowing of luggages overhead. The second group comprises of the senior attendants/supervisors. They obviously lack etiquette. I was quite apalled at them loudly criticizing the young attendees in front of the passengers. Some of them do not even fit ’’the physical appearance criteria’’ for in-flight attendees and are very indifferent. Neither they are approachable nor affable. I tried my best to avoid these ’elderly’ attendees. Interestingly, I found the same phenomenon even after change of crew and even in the connecting flight to Chennai. Safety procedures are average. The safety video, interestingly, was shown after takeoff (I do not find this inappropriate, but, was unique). Pillows and blankets were given to only those passengers who requested for them. Duty-free shopping was available on-board.
Food: Even before the take-off, refreshments were served. Alcohol is available as a compliment even in the economy class. Once reaching the cruising altitude, delicious Indian cuisine is served. Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian (chicken/lamb) food are available. Again, the ’young’ attendees serving food are worth mentioning for their politeness and smile.
Flight: The take-off and landing were smooth. There were very few turbulences and the cruise was remarkably stable. Most of the time the flight cruised at 1000kmph and 11000M altitude.
Stop-over: The flight stopped at Frankfurt international terminal for re-fuelling, re-stocking of food and cabin cleaning. Passengers were to remain inside the aircraft for an hour due to security reasons preventing them from getting out of the plane. This might be of concern for smokers. The flight captain apologized for this inconvenience which is due to no fault of the airline itself.
At Bombay: The flight reached 15 minutes later than the scheduled time. The ground staff were efficient and helpful in guiding the passengers headed for connecting flights. The airline also held the departure of the connecting flight and made special security clearance for those headed for the connecting flight. Baggages were swiftly moved from one plane to the other. The Bombay airport, or atleast the part of it I encountered, was comparable to any average international terminal. It was clean, well-lit, well-ventilated, well-staffed and secure. The airport personnel speak good english and are very welcoming. The connecting aircraft was a Boeing 737 jet and it appeared very new. The inside was neat and clean.
Destination: The flight reached chennai with a 30 minutes delay. The baggages arrived safely and the officials at chennai airport appeared sharp and well-behaved.
Conclusion: Overall, a pleasant flight. Air India needs to concentrate on three areas :
In-flight attendants (specifically the ’seniors’)
In-flight entertainment system
Airplane quality
I see a good potential for this airline to emerge as a top international airline.
I would also like to add my point of views :
Nothing to offend anyone, but, to the contrary of what many assume, I think that it is the passengers who expect to be treated like kings and queens, just because it is a Government airline. When I was travelling in Southwest airlines (a local airline within the USA), the flight attendant was distributing peanuts, violently hurling a pack on me when I was quietly reading a magazine. No apologies! And another airline by name airtran (inside the USA again), cancelled my booking without notice and the check-in staff casually advised me to dial that toll free number and ask them instead (the flight was about to depart in five minutes). I have loads and loads of stories like this, even in BA and Singapore airlines. I do not think Air India is any different, infact, it is better. I think it is in the eyes of the beholder. People lack open-mindedness and have preconceived notions. For me, that explains the tons of baseless scornful reviews written about an airline which is on-par with anyother trans-continental liner.