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Recent Experiences of Flying Air India – How much better it is?

You may have seen recent television ads of Air India, where senior executives from many companies vouch for the punctuality, quality of food and in-flight entertainment system on Air India flights. The promo ends with a quote, ‘Every time I fly Air India, I realize, how much better it is’. News reports also indicate that Air India is about to join Star Alliance and is trying to ensure smooth operations to meet the quality requirements set by the alliance.

A week ago, I had a chance to travel on Air India and to evaluate a part of what the television advertisement was claiming. I took three AI flights in a span of three days, travelling from Trivandrum to Delhi, further to Varanasi and later on to Agra. I was flying Air India after twenty months and was eager to see if their services have got any better.

If you are looking for a quick answer to the question, read no further! It is a big NO! Read on if you are curious about my experiences.

Air India
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Flight 1 – Trivandrum to Delhi

The problem of delays began well before I took off on first of the three flights, from Trivandrum to Delhi. Our flight–AI466–was expected to depart at 0600 hours and arrive at Delhi at 1025 hours with a brief halt in Kochi on the way. A communication from Air India on the evening before departure informed that the flight is delayed by 165 minutes (2 hours & 45 minutes). That meant we would depart at 0845 hours and arrive in Delhi at 1310 hours.

On a normal day, I would not have a problem with a planned schedule change. I usually choose to fly on days when I am completely free, and any time of the day doesn’t trouble me much. However, I had to catch a connecting flight from Delhi to Varanasi (AI 433) at 1320 hours, which created a problem.

We were booked under the same PNR number all the way from Trivandrum to Varanasi. With Air India being a full-fare airline, they accept the responsibility to take us to the final destination (Varanasi) in spite of delays and connection problems. Technically, we could just let Air India know of our problems and let them juggle things to ensure that we reach Varanasi that evening. While I was contemplating on calling AI to discuss this, we heard from Air India that they were trying to put us on a Jet Airways flight to Delhi (9W814) departing at 0605 hours from Trivandrum to Delhi.

This would have solved our problems for good and get Air India some praises. But we never received a proper confirmation about this change of flights. I called Air India call center to get more information (I must appreciate that there was zero waiting time to get someone on the phone. As soon as I pressed the right buttons on the IVR, I was online talking to their support personnel without having to wait for ages in a queue). After patiently listening to my problems, the AI staff on the other side of the line told me that they had no information about accommodating us on Jet Airways flight, and only the airport staff would be able to provide me with a clear picture. From his side, he tried to see if we can be put on any alternate route options (such as a TRV-BOM-VNS connection, or the next flight to Varanasi from Delhi). But there wasn’t any other way they could fly us on AI flights to Varanasi on the same day. He suggested that we can change our travel dates or opt for a full refund. But if we are looking for confirmation on transfer to a Jet Airways flight to Delhi, only AI staff at the airport would be able to help us.

That was still alright, I thought, as long as the airport staff help me out. But there was no Air India staff present to pick up my call at Trivandrum Airport. I kept trying every fifteen minutes from 1800 hours till about 2130 hours on the evening before we were to fly, but received no response. I called AI call-center again, only to be suggested that I should reach the airport well in advance and try to have this sorted out (‘two to three hours before 0600 hours, I was suggested’).

The next morning, we reached the airport at 0400 hours, two hours before originally scheduled departure of AI flight and 2.05 hours before the Jet Airways flight was to depart. Jet Airways office/counter at the airport opened a little after 0400 hours, while a sign at Air India office indicated that they open at 0430 hours. Why did the call center staff forget to mention this? 

Between 0400 hours (when we reached the airport) and 0430 hours, I kept contemplating between buying a Jet Airways ticket (which, I was worried, may get sold out or it may be too late for me to buy a ticket) and just waiting for AI staff to arrive. I also called AI call-center in between, just to see if a solution is now available with them, to no avail.

After all the trouble that I went through, this is a story that ended with a good note. Lights came on at AI office at 0430 hours. But the staff who came in had no information either, and we were asked to wait for the duty manager who would give us more details! Thankfully, the manager on duty arrived by 0435 hours to finally give us some clear information. They had indeed transferred our bookings to Jet Airways flight. Just that no one bothered to communicate this clearly, making me go through all sorts of trouble including having to reach airport at 0400 hours. I nearly cancelled my AI ticket to Delhi and booked on Jet Airways at 0425 hours, which would have cost me dearly.

While I am happy with AI for accommodating us on a Jet Airways flight, the communication from them needs to be much clearer and precise, which could have given me a lot of peace the previous evening and also would save me good 45 minutes of sleep in small hours of the morning.

Flight 2 – Delhi to Varanasi via Gaya

After all the pains that we had gone through to get to Delhi on schedule, the next flight seemed to be on time, thankfully. We boarded in good time and hoped to reach Varanasi on schedule. It turns out, I was very optimistic.

We were made to wait for a long time after boarding the aircraft. There were no explanations from the staff about the delay, and why we were made to wait. My first reaction was to assume that there may be some kind of a VIP–perhaps a minister or an MP–who is still on his/her way and AI decided to wait for this person to come on board. While I am unsure if this is still in practice, I had read many stories years ago about AI delaying flights to keep VIPs in good spirits. Half-way through our waiting, a crew member walked in to the aircraft, but no passengers boarded the flight.

Nearly thirty minutes later, the crew announced that we are taking off now and apologized for the delay, without explaining the reasons. While reason for the delay remains a mystery, this bit of news (‘Air India sacks 10 flight attendants for reporting late’) I read two days later may have clues.

Even in Gaya, our stopover on the way to Varanasi, there was a noticeable time gap between completing the boarding and closing the doors for takeoff for reasons I could not comprehend. Some ground staff lingered in the aircraft holding some papers in hand and talking with the crew for a while.

When we finally reached Varanasi, we were delayed by 45 minutes and ended up missing some photography opportunities for that evening.

It is also worth mentioning about the refreshments served on board. Being a full-fare airline, and being an afternoon flight, I was expecting them to serve lunch or some snacks during the flight from Delhi to Gaya. What we did receive instead were two cookies and a cup of coffee! I wasn’t hungry enough to eat something in Delhi Airport, and when I did wish for something to eat during the flight, the pair of cookies seemed to be laughing at me. Later on, I came to know that this is a ‘low budget’ route and this is all that they serve the passengers. Instead of this, I wouldn’t have minded some refreshments that I could have paid for.

Flight 3 – Varanasi to Agra

Little did I know that the worst was yet to come. As if two consecutive delays weren’t enough, there was a third one in the making, a really painful one.

We checked in, completed security checks and waited for our flight to Agra at Varanasi Airport. There was no indication of delays. However, there was no sign of our aircraft when it was time for us to board. The airport displays did not offer any updated information either. An online look up indicated that the flight had left Delhi thirty minutes behind schedule, but for some mysterious reasons, is expected to arrive in Varanasi 45 minutes behind schedule.

Our flight AI 406, which was expected to depart from Varanasi at 1220 hours arrived in the city only at 1230 hours. There were some confusions in boarding as well. AI staff opened the departure gates, had passengers standing in queue and suddenly decided to stop people from boarding. As usual, there weren’t any explanations, but I overheard some people talk–hopefully just rumours–that one of the passengers (who should have deplaned in Varanasi) was missing! I do not know how true this is, but boarding was restarted after short delay.

Well, this was a 55 minutes hop in Agra and I had plenty of time. So the delay did not bother me much. Once on board, I was hoping to enjoy those ‘delicious pair of cookies’, get off in Agra in less than an hour and be done with it. But fate had other plans!

The AI 406 did not have clearance to land in Agra, an Indian Air Force runaway. The Air India version of the story (as the staff told angry passengers) goes like this: ‘there are some air-force exercises in progress at Agra and AI406 doesn’t have clearance to land. There are three air-routes to Agra and two of them were initially free. We we were cleared to travel and hence we commenced boarding. However, the permissions are now revoked and we are awaiting further communications. We have to wait until we get clearance’.

This meant we wait inside the aircraft indefinitely until we are cleared to take-off. After half-an-hour or so, some passengers began grumbling and started asking the staff for explanations.

‘How much more time is it going to take?  (Answer: we do not know)

‘Allow us to go back to the terminal. We are hungry. We will pay for our own food, but please let us out’. (Response: you can’t go back to the terminal)

‘Give us something to eat’ (Response: This is a low-budget flight. We only have some cookies on board. No food)

‘Please get something to eat or at least let us go out’ (Response: we don’t mind if you go out of the aircraft. But airport security will not let you enter the terminal. We can’t do much)

After an hour and tired of sitting in the aircraft, some passengers decided to go for a walk on the air-bridge between the aircraft and the terminal. AI staff maintained that it would take 90 minutes to prepare lunch, but we are likely to take off in an hour. Eventually, they decided to supply sandwiches and packaged mango drink.

In the meanwhile, passengers were getting restless in their chairs. A British lady who sat next to me asked the passengers who were walking on the sky-bridge if they have ‘fresh air there’. A Japanese lady wanted to go out of the aircraft and said, ‘we can’t sit here. This is unusual’. ‘The situation itself is unusual ma’m,’ came the prompt response from AI staff.

Sandwiches were served and the waiting game continued. We waited inside the aircraft for more than two hours before the green signal came from Agra. But story wasn’t going to end yet.

As we saw River Yamuna and Agra City appear on the window, the speakers came alive and captain spoke to the travellers –

‘We are now arriving in Agra. Air force exercises are still on and we are waiting for clearance to land. If you look through the window, on your right is TAJ MAHAL’. The two words ‘Taj Mahal’ came with an emphasis and those sitting to the right immediately leaned to have a look. The pilot had successfully converted what could have been groans of agonies from passengers to a sense of excitement. While we waited for clearance, he circled Agra many times over, ensuring that everyone gets a good satisfactory view of Taj from the top.

AI 406 reached Agra a little after 1700 hours against the scheduled time of 1315 hours.

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