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With numerous complaints piling up over the past few months, the airline’s reputation continues to take a hit
The complaint has sparked widespread criticism of Air India, shedding light on the persistent issues passengers have faced in recent months. (PTI file photo)
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s complaint about Air India’s service has once again pushed the airline, owned by Tata Group, into the spotlight.
On Saturday, Chouhan shared his discomfort after being assigned a “broken and sunk” seat on a flight from Bhopal to Delhi, stating that while the airline charged passengers full fare, they made them sit on defective seats.
The senior BJP leader also claimed that several seats on the flight were in a similar condition.
“Fellow passengers insisted that I exchange seats with them and take a better one, but I didn’t want to trouble any of my friends for my own comfort. So, I decided to complete my journey on the same seat,” Chouhan wrote in a post on X in Hindi.
The Union Minister’s complaint has sparked widespread criticism of Air India, shedding light on the persistent issues passengers have faced in recent months.
However, this is far from the first time the airline has found itself embroiled in controversy. Over the past few months, several complaints have surfaced, ranging from food-related issues to mishandled luggage, further tarnishing Air India’s reputation.
Cockroach In Omelette
One of the most shocking complaints came from a passenger aboard Air India’s flight AI 101 from New Delhi to New York in September 2024. The woman, travelling with her 2-year-old son, found a cockroach in her omelette. The incident, which left both mother and child suffering from food poisoning, was shared on social media.
The passenger, Suyesha Savant, posted a video showing the disturbing discovery, tagging Air India and the aviation regulator DGCA. The airline quickly issued a statement, promising to investigate the matter and improve its food quality checks.
Mishandled Luggage By Indian Hockey Star Rani Rampal
Another complaint came from Indian hockey star Rani Rampal, who expressed frustration over her damaged luggage in October 2024. Returning from Canada, she was disappointed to find that her bag had been mishandled by Air India’s staff.
Rampal, a Padma Shri awardee, took to social media to share a photo of her broken luggage and sarcastically thanked the airline for the “wonderful surprise.”
Thank you Air India for this wonderful surprise. This is how your staff treat our bags. On my way back from Canada to India this afternoon after landing in Delhi I found my bag broken.@airindia pic.twitter.com/xoBHBs0xBG— Rani Rampal (@imranirampal) October 5, 2024
Air India did apologise for the incident and requested more details, but social media users noted that this was not an isolated incident, with many having similar experiences.
First-Class Nightmare For Indian-American CEO
Anip Patel, a CEO of CaPatel Investments, shared his “nightmare” experience on an Air India flight from Chicago to New Delhi in September 2024. He had paid Rs 5.27 lakh for a first-class ticket but encountered numerous problems during the 15-hour flight.
His complaints about the poor service went viral on social media, leading Air India to issue a full refund. Although Patel did not file a formal complaint, the airline reached out to him after his post gained attention.
Downgrade For Grammy-Winning Musician Ricky Kej
In August 2024, Grammy-winning musician Ricky Kej shared his frustration over being downgraded from business class to economy class without explanation. Despite booking and paying for a business-class ticket on a flight from Mumbai to Bengaluru, Kej was told that his seat was no longer available.
Wow.. 3rd time this is happening to me in one year. I booked and paid for a business class ticket on @airindia from Mumbai to Bengaluru. When I reach departure gate, the staff rudely tells me that I have been downgraded (for no reason) and they cannot give me a refund. What’s up…— Ricky Kej (@rickykej) August 3, 2024
The incident was the third time in the year that Kej faced such a downgrade, leading him to accuse Air India of poor customer service and false promises regarding refunds.
Passenger’s Business-Class Seat Given To Crew Member
Nilesh Bansal, a passenger travelling with his young son, also shared a troubling experience with Air India. He claimed that his business-class seat was given to a crew member. After waiting at the Delhi airport for over 1.5 hours, Bansal and his son were informed that their seats had been allocated to a pilot.
The airline then downgraded them to economy class, and worse, left his son’s stroller behind in Delhi. Bansal slammed the airline for prioritising its staff over paying passengers.
Poor Service And Bad Food Complaints
A food vlogger also took to Instagram to share a video about his dismal experience on an Air India flight from New York to Delhi. He complained about broken headphones, damaged seats, and poor-quality food served during the journey. His post, which labelled the entire experience a “disaster,” quickly garnered attention from fellow passengers who shared similar concerns about the airline’s service quality.