A disgruntled passenger took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his severe dissatisfaction with Air India following a business class trip from New Delhi to Newark, New Jersey. Vineeth K described his journey as a “nightmare,” despite spending ₹5 lakh on a round trip ticket.
HORROR STORY 🚨🚨🚨 with #AirIndia business class flight from New Delhi – Newark (AI 105)
After flying with Emirates for a few years, I recently moved to Air India as they offer direct flights to NY, Chicago & London which are my frequent travel destinations
Yesterday’s flight… pic.twitter.com/STf2xrPich
— Vineeth K (@DealsDhamaka) June 15, 2024
Vineeth recounted a series of issues he faced during his flight. He highlighted that the seats were not only unclean and worn out, but five out of 35 were also non-functional. He also mentioned that the flight was delayed by 25 minutes. Upon discovering that his seat could not be converted into a flatbed, Vineeth requested assistance from the crew and was eventually moved to another seat.
Dear Sir, we understand your disappointment and regret the hassle you faced. Believe us, we never want our passengers to have this kind of experience. We are highlighting this internally for further review.
— Air India (@airindia) June 15, 2024
“The food was served and it was uncooked,” Vineeth continued, adding that the fruits were stale and had to be returned by everyone onboard. Furthermore, the in-flight entertainment system did not work, displaying a “Not Found” error.
The final straw for Vineeth was discovering that his luggage had been damaged. Despite considering Etihad Airlines, which offered a cheaper fare, he chose Air India for its direct flight services, only to regret his decision due to the poor experience.
Vineeth also shared a screenshot of Air India’s now-deleted response, where the airline apologized and requested his booking details to investigate the matter further. Air India responded in the same thread, acknowledging Vineeth’s disappointment and promising an internal review.
The post garnered numerous reactions on social media, with many users sharing similar experiences with Air India. One user commented, “As a policy, I always avoid AI for international flights and keep it as the last option for domestic. Can’t spoil the trip.”
Another user shared, “Had a similar experience on an AI flight from Delhi to Singapore. Worn out seats, non-working screens, flight delayed by 30 mins, and the AC was not functioning properly until we took off.”
However, not all feedback was negative. One user noted a positive experience, stating, “Flew AI Dubai – Delhi last month in A380-900. Brand new aircraft, fantastic food, and was on time. Maybe I was plain lucky.”
Others expressed a preference for alternative airlines. “Stopped flying @airindia last year after repeated ‘technical problems’ leading to rerouted flights for emergency landings. Switched to @SingaporeAir and though it’s not a direct flight from BLR->SF, I feel safer and better taken care of,” another user remarked.
The incident highlights ongoing concerns about Air India’s service quality, with passengers voicing frustrations over various operational issues.