What he actually got was a lesson in why Air India remains synonymous with dysfunction.
The ordeal began with a glimmer of hope. The check-in process was smooth and the flight departed just 15 minutes late.
But soon, the usual cracks showed. The in-flight entertainment system was broken, and the alternative offered was an embarrassing streaming service for personal devices. The passenger gave up and tried to sleep.
Midway through the flight in Vienna, where crew change and refueling were scheduled, the situation worsened. A technical glitch required a shutdown and reboot. What was promised to be 20 minutes stretched to nearly an hour, only for the flight to be cancelled altogether. Passengers, many of them elderly and unable to understand English, were left confused and distressed with no Air India staff in sight.
Manual record-keeping with pen and paper in 2025 was the height of absurdity. Of the promised 200 hotel rooms, only 25 materialized. Most travelers slept in the terminal on foldable beds. Meals came in the form of €15 to €20 coupons at overpriced airport restaurants.
Eventually rebooked on Emirates after 24 hours, the traveler reached Washington 72 hours later, without one of his checked bags. To make matters worse, his return flight was rescheduled a day earlier without any notification.
Air India’s service model seems to involve broken planes, missing staff, and a complete lack of accountability. Even at a discount, this level of chaos isn’t worth it.