Air India Review. Review on Air India

Had stayed in Singapore for about a year and was returning home. As usual my habits were spoilt expecting prompt response with the Singapore people. Evening 30th April 05 I was here in front of Air India counter at the Changi Airport, Singapore. The attitude of the person at work on the counter already made me feel I was back in India. He took more then 45 mins to find out if my confirmed ticket was confirmed at his place on that day.

Surprises next. While I reach my seat was shocked to find that the seats were some temporary seats kept in the area where normal airlines will have walking aisle. The problem of this was that there were no hand baggage cabinets for me above. (Others had lavishly filled up theirs). (Had similar experience when as a student I traveled from Banglore to Ooty on 10 rupees ticket. The bus driver brought a small stool and kept it in the walk way and made me sit on that.)

The problem started when the head airhostess came down and started scolding me for having kept the hand bag below the front seat. She asked me to immediately put the baggage at the main entrance where she will make appropriate arrangements to give it to me once in Mumbai.

Reaching Mumbai I realized that both of my handbags were left behind in Singapore. Here I was in Mumbai with three big suitcases, no keys for the suitecases and no money at the airport. Initially thought of begging some money just to create scene at the airport but then got a better idea. I asked a travel agent if he arrange for a Qualis and I will pay what ever he charges after reaching home at Baroda. He agreed. (Saving me of embarrassment)

Air India still had no regrets for the incidence. They asked me to come to Mumbai to collect my baggage after one week. And after all this they paid me $75 as compensation (I paid them $1600/- to buy the tickets).

Lessons learned, don’t get hanged for being patriotic. Don’t let you family suffer for you being patriotic. Let Inefficiency die its natural death.