There’s no denying the fact that Air India has a bad reputation. I thought much of it was due to unfortunate accidents and unruly, misbehaving passengers. But I was mistaken. At least some of it is because of the airline itself. A journey to Bengaluru last week was enough to convince me Air India can be its own worst enemy. See if you agree.
I was booked on AI 2819, which was meant to depart Delhi for Bangalore on Wednesday at 3.00 pm. Boarding was fixed for 2.00 and I arrived at the airport at 1.30.
We boarded on time but, shortly after the plane started taxiing, it stopped. For half an hour, we were not told what the problem was. Then, in the briefest, most incoherent announcement, the captain said there was a “technical issue”, and it should take five or ten minutes to fix.
But that didn’t happen. Instead, the doors opened, and teams of engineers boarded the plane. A further hour passed whilst we waited, uninformed and forgotten. Meanwhile, the cabin crew had completed their duty hours and were changed. A new crew boarded the stationary plane. But still no one informed the passengers what the problem was.
Another half hour later, the captain announced the “technical issue” had been cleared, and we would depart in ten minutes. But we didn’t. In fact, the plane didn’t move an inch, and the doors remained open. After another long wait, we were asked to disembark. A new plane had been summoned. The present one, it seemed, was beyond repair.
Buses then took us back across the tarmac to the airport building where, on entry, an Air India staff member toldus to take the escalator up, and someone would guide us to the assigned gate to board the new plane. But there was no one there. In fact, Air India staff were nowhere to be found.
At this point, groups of helpless passengers wandered around the terminal seeking assistance that wasn’t available. Some of us were advised to try Gate 37. Others Gate 42C. Neither lot had any luck. Eventually, by process of trial and error, we discovered it was Gate 43, which is nowhere near 42C! They’re on different floors.
But our problems weren’t over. We simply waited at the gate expecting to be boarded soon, but we weren’t. Again, no explanations were given whilst our anxious queries went unanswered. Another two hours passed before that happened. By then, the original flight would have long reached Bengaluru. Meanwhile, we were still stuck inside Delhi airport.
When we finally boarded, it was to discover there was no pilot. Now, his duty hours had ended, and the replacement had yet to turn up. It took him a fair while to do so.
Eventually, we took off at 9.30, six-and-a-half hours later than scheduled. Never mind, I said to myself, I’ll relax and enjoy dinner. But there was none on offer. The airline probably didn’t realise dinner was the meal to serve after this enormous delay. Air India only had tea snacks.
I finally reached Bengaluru well after 11.30. A flight that should have taken two-and-a-half hours had altogether lasted nearly ten. At some point, Air India did apologise — but cursorily and matter-of-factly. But that’s not my real grouse. What irked was that the airline staff were unable or, more likely, unwilling to inform and explain and, back in the terminal, to even assist and help. It seemed as if the passengers were a nuisance, and they were left to fret and fume.
Technical issues on planes will occur and sometimes cause great inconvenience. But an airline has a duty to respond to passenger concerns. They’re paying for the service. Air India forgot that.
After most of their flights, Air India sends its passengers a WhatsApp message asking for their feedback. The key question is: “How likely are you to recommend Air India to a friend or colleague?” Mercifully, after the Bengaluru flight, such a message was not sent. But had it been, the airline knows my answer.
Karan Thapar is the author of Devil’s Advocate: The Untold Story. The views expressed are personal
