Apparently a lot, based on the ratings I saw when I found this review topic. But my unbiased opinion based on flying with them only once, is that there really isn’t much to dislike. My husband, daughter, and I flew with them very recently.
The check-in was quick. The boarding was super fast and efficient. Makes me wonder why we need that much time ahead of boarding in US domestic airways. The aircraft was kind of old, and the seatback pocket was falling off. But hey, that didn’t really matter for such a short flight (less than an hour).
I’ve heard so much about the lack of charm of old lady flight attendants wearing frumpy saris in Indian airlines. I think that the IA uniform is the best one I’ve ever seen anywhere. The flight crew was not super friendly, but they were not indifferent. The seatbelt sign went off very soon after the flight took off. They quickly served up a snack of sandwiches (that were pretty good too). By the time they cleared up the trays, it was time to land.
Buses arrived at to drop us off from the plane to the airport building. The walk would have taken us approximately two minutes, but I guess they either didn’t want us to strain ourselves that way, or to have unruly toddlers running around the tarmac (which my daughter might very likely have done). By the time we went to baggage claim, our luggage was waiting for us! This was a first for us. Considering how quickly we made it off the plane and to baggage claim, I’m amazed at their efficiency.
My uneducated (I don’t fly very often) opinion is that this is a good airline. I’d definitely travel with Indian Airlines again.