Decent when all is ok, bad otherwise. Review on Simplifly Deccan

My family members and I have flown air deccan at least 20-30 times in the last few years.  Seems to have gotten slightly better recently, but in the end it is is still a no-frills low cost airlines.

Cost:

However, don't let that moniker "low cost" fool you.  I have sometimes gotten the same price on Spice jet and Jet Airways as well.  It seems the lowest you can get is Rs 500 + prevailing taxes (as of this writing, , its a whopping 1725 Rs - one of the highest taxes in the world).  Also, remember that you can take only 15 kg check in baggage on Deccan where as other airlines allow 20 kg.

Staff:

They used to man only one check in counter before (which was a night mare), but recently I have noticed them opening 2 counters most of the time which has eased of the congestion a bit.  The cabin crew is fairly proficient, neat and polite just like most other airlines.  I was also glad to see them hiring staff of all colors (unlike some airlines which will hire only the fairer skinned staff -  I hate to admit it, but most Indians are still deferential to the fair color and can be highly racist).

Comfort:

The lack of reclining seats can be a bit of a bother for some, but is not typically a problem for the short 1 hour flights.  However, I do find the leg space a bit cramping (and I'm only 5'10").  The other airlines offer at least one extra inch of leg space which makes a substantial difference (and kingfisher offers even more leg room).  In short, I feel really cramped and the only thankful point for me is that in India, flights are no more than 2 hours unlike in the USA where domestic flights can be as much as 6 hours.

Food:

Don't blame them for trying to make a little on the side by selling food (I have seen the same being adopted by Spice jet as well).  However,  I would advise against buying their food.  Why spend almost a 100 Rs for a soggy cold sandwhich when just an hour later you could be dining out at some restaurant having a full course meal for the same price.  I shake my head in wonder when I see people buying airline food.  Futher more,  I don't see the point of it - I mean why make the crew work extra hard for a measly 20-30 extra sandwhichs sold.  Also, they are meant to be a "crew" to assist and see to it that the passengers are generally taken care of in basic needs and safety matters.  Some how I feel uncomfortable seeing them play "sales people".

Condition of the Aircrafts:

Deccan uses various aircrafts in airbus, boeing and ATR.  Their condition is generally good (at least no glaring cosmetic defects or damage internally or externally).  However, I have noticed that the seat pockets and floor are not always cleaned out properly before the new set of passengers board the aircraft.  I have often found water bottles, tissue papers and choclate wrappings lying around when I take my seat.   Of course, the biggest concern to me is always the mechanical condition of the aircraft.  While I have no clue how their maintenance records for the mechanical components are, I have not observed any shakes or rattles during takeoff / landing (if you have ever flown gulf airways or kuwait airways or the old Indian Airlines aircraft a decade ago ... then you will know what I am talking about).

On time Performance:

Same as any other airline and when things go bad .. they really go bad.  No explanations of the delays or at best some inane excuse will be thrown at you (do they really think all their passengers have an IQ < 50).  Of course, it is never the airlines fault .. its always the traffic congestion or the weather.  However, I have not heard anything yet as bad as the Air India fiasco recently (when 6 flights were cancelled in a single day).  As far as on-time is concerned, even the premium airlines like King Fisher fares no better.

Connectivity

Pretty good.  They fly to many places that other airlines wont.  I believe capt Gopinath is taking this airlines in the right direction of providing connectivity to many of the smaller places rather than just the larger metros.  They still have a long ways to go of course, but I have seen the increases in connections over the years and that makes me happy.