Sep 21, 2005 02:24 AM
2455 Views
(Updated Sep 21, 2005 03:23 AM)
Before flying the first trip ever aboard an Air India flight, the sheer prospect of flying by Air India appears very exciting - you can expect full-fledged desi in-flight entertainment, the best Indian food and crew who understand our language. This pre-flight excitement is the beginning and the end of the feel-good about Air India, since the Maharaja's palace begins to crack and fall down on you as soon as you have checked-in.
It is necessary for me to narrate my experience as I think it will provide the best review you can benefit from. We were leaving for a trip to Germany for vacation. On a fine Saturday evening, our Air India flight was supposed to leave Los Angeles for Frankfurt (continuing thereafter to Mumbai). After boarding us in an hour late, they made us sit inside the airplane for 2 hours and then asked us to vacate the plane citing technical issues. After an uproar from many passengers was settled, a lot of commotion followed to get the passengers checked into hotels since it was night time. However, nobody was willing to say what time the plane will finally fly. Air India even refused to remove checked-in bags from the airplane which caused further furore from the passengers who wanted to get their bags and find their own way out to travel. So everyone was mandatorily stranded.
After a tense night at a shoddy hotel where we were put up, we returned to LA airport on following (Sunday) morning only to find that there was even more commotion at the Air India counter - the passengers that were due to depart on Friday were also stranded and demanding that they be flown out. Air India couldnt tell anyone, neither the Friday passengers nor us of the Saturday flight, about when all of us will be flown out. Our individual travel programs were tossed up in the air and remain suspended in air until we got a word from Air India - but there was none.
Finally they flew us out on Sunday evening after much deliberation - about 25 hours after our original travel time. Air India's information management and passenger care during these 25 hours is the worst I have seen. Confusion and commotion reigned supreme at LAX near their counter - the first of it's kind I have seen in America.
Last thing about Air India : Make it the last airline you want to fly with.
Regards,
Deepak
