annetti

Have you used this web site to book a flight to Europe from the States? What is your opinion of them? Also, what is your experience flying Air India? Thanks

annetti

Is there anyone out there with an answer to my question? I would love to have some information before buying a plane ticket. Thanks.

nks267

I would equate flying Air India to having a root canal...to some people the pain is overrated while for others its the most painful experience.
I fall in the middle. The flight attendants are rude..even in business,once I saw a roach on the plane but to the airlines the flight attendant was kind enough to stomp on it and kill it when she saw the fright on my face. Then on to the washroom, where there was a constant lineup- I soon discovered that many of my co-passengers thought that the long flight warranted a shower or atleast a body wash. By the time it was my turn, the washroom looked like the venue of a swimming competition, (after the competition ofcourse!)...Cant really blame this on the airline, but gives you an idea of the passengers..and there was no toilet paper, when I requested the FA for some, I was told that they didnt have any(!!). Luckily for me, I always have some in my backpack...
The food is good only if you order the Indian meal. Not sure why, since you would think that a flight leaving the US would have meals prepared in the US..If its a matter of a couple of hundred $$ I would say skip Air India...I read that they're cleaning up their act/planes/staff so who knows what may happen later..

annetti

NKS267: Thanks for such a candid reply about air india. It sure does not sound attractive. It is a couple hundred cheaper. It does fly direct from LAX to Frankfurt and it DOES offer a mostly refundable ticket minus a couple hundred or so if you need to cancel. All very attractive options, but . . . . ? Yout experience sounds awful. How long ago did you fly with them?

Seamus

Can't offer a personal experience from flying AI, but we considered Air India when planning a trip to Europe, mostly because they offered fares well below what anyone else did. The fare difference was enough that I wondered wy they were doing it. In checking around various sites for reviews, though, I found consistently negative reviews, ranging from bellyaching about nonsmiling FAs to outright horror stories. Recognizing complaints get more press than praise, I did a lot of checking. In the end, I decided that it wasn't worth the risk of starting (and ending) a trip on a bad note. If you do wind up going with AI, please let us know how it works out.

annetti

I'm getting cold feet about flying Air India. I think I may forget it. What about the web site Travel hub?

flanneruk

Mrs F, like all educated Britons, can'r really see India as a foreign country, assumes decent Punjabi or Keralan food works better on planes than most Western cuisines and doesn't see how a long queue for the loo surrounded by Indian women and children differs much from life at home.

So she was quite looking forward to her transatlantic flight with AI, based on generally good experiences on domestic flights with Indian Airlines.

She understands that the noise of many crying children wasn't AI's fault (eastbound, the transatlantic bit hits the poor things after they've already had an 8 hour flight from Delhi or Bombay)

She'd failed to factor for cramped seats.

But she couldn't forgive the disgraceful food. How it's possible for bad Indian food to be prepared at Heathrow (within a samosa's throw of the best Indian restaurants in the western hemisphere and traditionally staffed almost 100% by Indians) passes understanding: the only possible explanation is that Heathrow can't afford Indians in its catering system any more and is importing cheap labour instead from third world countries like Russia.

Her conclusion after the flight? India should stick to what it's good at - like software, biotech or rocket science. For low-tech stuff like pasenger comfort, she'd rather fly Tarom Romanian Airways or Uzbekistan Hava Yollari.

AI even makes Virgin look professional

nks267

annetti: The last time I flew Air India was in 2001. I doubt anything has changed since. Private airlines in India like Jet/Sahara are awesome. I travel to that region a fair bit would recommend flying Jet/Sahara when travelling in India for a taste of Indian hospitality. Indian Airlines and Air India are government run agencies or atleast operate that way, so lack any infrastructure or sense of responsibility on part of the staff.
Not used travel hub so cant help you there!

annetti

Thanks all for your replies. I did not expect so many horror stories. I'm glad I asked. We have decided that we will spend more $$ (sadly, lots more since we want to fly direct and non-stop)and fly another airline. But, have to agree with Seamus, that flying Air India sounds like no way to start a trip. Mrs. F:It is weird that being so close to London and good Indian food, that the food should be so bad. To pararphrase/corrupt an old advert: Is this anyway to run an airline?

P_M

When I first saw this post I started to reply, then I decided I shouldn't since it was 1980 when I flew Air India from JFK to London. I was hoping they had improved with time. But after reading these replies, I can see that nothing has changed in 25 years.

As I recall, the plane had a foul odor and the food was completely intolerable. Most people in our group took one bite of dinner and ate no more. One guy in our group ate most of his food and spent the first day of the trip in bed sick. I like the comparison to a root canal.

annetti

My husband feels so lucky that we posted this query and that we are not flying Air India. One root canal that I don't need is one too many!