Do not fly Air India. That’s really all you need to know.
But if you need reasons, here is my personal experience. I apologize
for the length of my complaint, but with Air India, you are apt to have
more than one bad experience within the same flight.
I am Indian, and every single person I know who flies to India avoids
this air line. I have seen a father in the Air India Terminal begging
and crying with the agents because his flights were canceled two days
in a row, and he was going to miss his daughter’s wedding (Flights
are canceled very often and for unspecified reasons. And when they are
canceled, you will usually not be able to fly until the following day).
Now I can empathize with those fathers. I am so frustrated and
angry at this incompetent airline, the only way I can vent is by
writing this review.
Yesterday we found out my grandmother is very ill. So we looked for a
ticket for my father to fly to India. Unfortunately Air India was the
only airline with seats available in such short notice. So we booked
the ticket leaving out of Newark this afternoon. Then after booking the
ticket, a few hours later we called to confirm the ticket (because you
can never trust anything this airline says). They said tonight’s flight
has been canceled. No reason given. And we wouldn’t have found out
unless we called. Why they let us book the tickets in the first place,
well it’s pointless to ask.
Luckily (or unluckily) there was another Air India flight leaving
out of JFK today. Since my dad needed to get to India as soon as
possible, this was the only option. It was to leave at 7:40pm. Then
this morning we get a call saying, the flight will not leave until
tomorrow at 1am. Again, no reason given. I give them points for at
least calling us. Then a few hours later, they call us to let us know,
by the way, even though the flight doesn’t leave until 1am, you need to
check in by 8:30pm or you are out of luck since our gates will be
closed. Which means waiting at the gate instead of leaving from home a
little later.
Finally my dad gets to the gate and they tell him that the seat he
was assigned and was confirmed over the phone was given to someone
else. At this point you just have to laugh and learn the art of
meditation. Then they tell him that because they had to cancel a couple of flights the day before, they will be adding another leg to the flight so that it can also stop at New Delhi. Which means he will miss his connecting flight in Mumbai.
Anyways, I am writing this while my dad is waiting at the gate with no
guarantee that even this flight will leave on time - if at all. So with
enough already on his mind, he now also has the stress of dealing with
the world’s worst airline - Air India.