Horror Story Shared on Twitter
Mr Vineeth chose Air India because of its direct flights, even though Etihad Airlines was cheaper. He spent ₹ 5 lakh on a round trip in business class, but the flight journey was a nightmare.
On Twitter, he said, “Horror Story. After flying with Emirates for years, I moved to Air India for their direct flights to NY, Chicago, and London. Yesterday’s flight was a nightmare. I booked a business class for an office trip. The seats were dirty and worn out. Five of the 35 seats were not working. The flight was delayed by 25 minutes.”
Regrets and Complaint
Vineeth’s seat couldn’t turn into a flatbed, so he asked the crew to move him to another seat. Later when he woke up he was served with the uncooked food, and the fruits were stale. Everyone on the flight returned the food. The TV screen didn’t work, showing a “Not Found” error. To make things worse, they also broke his luggage.
He regretted choosing Air India, saying, “BAD FOOD, WORN OUT, DIRTY SEAT COVERS, NON-WORKING TV for ₹500,000 (round trip), Damaged my luggage.” He posted pictures of the seat, food and the non-working TV on the flight.
Air India Response
Air India responded, apologising for the discomfort and asking for his booking details to look into the issue. They also said they would review the incident internally.
Mixed Reactions from Multiple Users
Many people reacted to his post, sharing their own bad experiences with Air India. One user said, “As a rule, I avoid Air India for international flights and only use them as a last option for domestic flights.”
Another user shared a similar experience from a flight to Singapore, mentioning worn-out seats, non-working screens, and a delay of 30 minutes. They added that the air conditioning was working properly when takeoff.
A third person said, “I had the same issue years ago. I swore never to fly with them again. It’s hit or miss. If you get a new aircraft, it’s okay. Otherwise, it’s a mess. I’m shocked by the food. It’s usually the highlight.”
Another user had a different experience “I flew Air India from Dubai to Delhi last month on a brand-new A380-900. The food was fantastic, and the flight was on time. Maybe I was just lucky.”
Final Thoughts
Out of so many comments, thousands of negative and positive comments there was another user who mentioned they stopped flying Air India last year after repeated technical problems and emergency landings. They switched to Singapore Airlines, even though it’s not a direct flight from Bangalore to San Francisco, and felt safer due to their better service.
-Prisha Jaiswal