Ed_M

Hi,
We are looking at a package to India which utilizes Air India for the overseas flights. I have heard mixed reviews about Air India. How have your experiences been? Thanks

CaliNurse

It's been decades since i flew Air India, and they were fine then. However, nearly everyone I know who used the airline recenlty now says to take another airline...with the caveat that all else--price, schedule--is equal.

For me, the airline would not make or break deal, if other factors were good (i.e. the pkg is lower priced than using other airlines).

Alos, how LONG is the flight? 6 hours? 12 hours?

As you've received no other replies to this query- check sites specific to airlines, such as Flyertalk, and/or this link:

http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/air_india.htm

Happy travels, and remember...no matter how you get there, India is AMAZING!

Cicerone

I fly Air India about once a year to see if there is any improvement in them over the 18 years or so I have been going to India. Sad to say, I cannot notice any. The main issues I have are (i) old aircraft, and (ii) their on-time record. But Air India (international) is better than Indian Airlines (domestic) so if you can avoid them within India, perhaps the international flight would be doable. If the price is really substantially cheaper than other international airlines, then it may be worth it. Only you can decide. Seats will be older and not as comfortable, their business class cannot compete with others, but in economy perhaps this is not such a big issue. Don't expect things like in-seat power plugs for your PC or other electronics. Overall, the service can be spotty, and you probably won’t have the vast array of video entertainment options that you would have on other airlines. You probably should expect some delays, esp on the departure side in India. But if you have non-stops and don’t have to connect to another flight in the US or India to reach your final destination, then the delays may just be tedious as opposed to disastrous.

I assume you have looked at good Indian carries like Jet and Kingfisher as well as other carriers like Cathay Pacific which can take you to many Indian cities via Hong Kong.

tongsa

Avoid! I have flown several times with them from Hongkong and Singapore and its been disappointing each time - the relative low cost is just not worth the angst and heartburn, whether its super-delayed flights, last minute changes to routes, attitude of service staff and I am not even starting on the in-flight service/conditions.

galactus

Though I do admit that Air India and Indian Airlines do not have the standard of service of Jet airways, they do have some advantages in all fairness.

Because they were the first, in smaller towns (i.e. not the big 5 metros), they have the best timings for tourists, like a comfortable 9:30 AM or 4:00 PM flight. Also in case there is bad weather, I've usually seen that these two airlines fly after the weather clears up a little. The private operators cancel flights, but this is a rare occurrence.

However, if all other conditions being same, Jet Airways is better than both of them by far. Another decent and slightly cheaper option is JetLite. For a budget airline, you can't beat Kingfisher Red (formerly Deccan).