Air India
reviews and complaints

i booked air India flight (AI188) for may 9th 2012 for 2:30pm and the haven't informed or email me regarding flight cancellation. i got to know after reaching the airport.how come the air lines is so irresponsible regarding customers inconvenience! i came to the airport spending $200 and you guys made me fool after reaching there and the customer service says they are irresponsible and they just kept my phone on hold for 15mins without any response.i am so upset for all this from air India as i lost my valuable time and money.i expect to get some refund for all this and i wish to never choose this airlines in my life again.

Air-India-Complaint-note-30-11-2011. Dear Sir, I travelled by Air India flight No. AI 849 from Delhi to Pune on November 30, 2011. I reported at Delhi air port at 15.30 hrs having boarding No. 106 and Etk No. 0983573609587C1. I had submitted my baggage having No. [protected] at Delhi air port. While depositing the baggage I had kept Rs. Around 3500/- in the same bag. My flight was reached at Pune around 17.50 hrs. and collection of baggage was started at 18.05 hrs. But my baggage came at last around 18.25 hrs. Then I moved to my home around 19.00 hrs.

I started to open my baggage, it was not opening properly, because of slight damage of chain. Finally I opened my baggage and I found that there was money at all. It was kept in side top shelf of baggage. I am sure that somebody has opened my baggage and taken out the money and relocked. It is difficult to say where it is opened. But I feel that it might be opened at Pune air port. Because my baggage came at last, even though I depoisited my one hr early.

Kindly ask to your staff members who carrying the baggage and kindly return my money. There is no provision of attachment of scanned copies of tickets.

I have booked a ticket with name pole bhakthavatsalam pradeep kumar for Chennai-Colombo-Chennai date of departure 16 March, 2012 and return date 26 March, 2012. with PNR no HW56T, Web Reference: AIBE3136977, and the ticket no 098-[protected]. The cost of the ticket was Rs.5711. On Feb 16 around 6pm I called customer care and asked if I cancel the ticket will I be getting any refund, they said that Rs.800 to Rs. 1000 would be deducted towards the cancellation charges and the rest of the amount would be refunded back to my account within 2 weeks. As they said that only Rs. 800 to 1000 would be deducted so I asked them to cancel that ticket because I will be getting refund of Rs 4500, But after 2weeks I got the refund of Rs. 1341 credited to my account. I called more that 40 times to the call center and nearly more that 50 email I have sent but I am not getting any proper response. I got one mail stating that if was a non-refundable ticket. If it was so the customer care executive guided me wrongly. Because of his confirmation that I will be getting my money I have cancelled the ticket. If not I would not cancel my ticket. Please do help me to get my refund money back. You can contact me on my email "[protected]@gmail.com" .

I had cancelled a group ticket from Kolkata to Bhubaneswar Ticket No. : 098-[protected] ( which I had booked on-line) on 18.01.12 with the assurance from Air India side that the refund amount will be credited to my account within next 7 days.Now more than a one and half months has passed and I'm yet to receive the said amount. The telephone number given to me to contact e-commerce people i.e. [protected]/76 is always busy and the on- line complain(no. WB-DCCU230212013) has no response.

I am disappointed at Air India, a well known airline company to find out that they have changed the booking flights times which we booked well in advanced. The times we have booked was well suited to our needs because we have elderly people travelling with us. I will be frustrated if I do not get an explanation on why the times have changed in such ways. This is my first time with elderly people travelling with Air India. I saw the some bad remarks about the airline but I decided to take a risk. Unfortunately the comments I have read became true and will not be recommending this airline to any other people. I will be waiting for an response.

Thank you and goodbye.

Due to Air India staff's unfair behaviour, we were forced to leave our luggage on airport. We had connecting flight to UK. They are non cooperative and see international travellers as the only source of making money. They misguide the passangers and force them to pay money. We booked the flight from Air India local office and they ensured that there will not be any issues with weight as we are international passengers but as the flight was of early morning. The AirIndia staff didnt consider the fact that their own staff had assured us with the luggage. We could not reach the concern person as it was early morning. They are cheating people and misguiding and harassing the passangers. ITs rediculues for some national air service to behave in this way.
I would like to complain on the same. this is not the first time I have experienced this. But i really want to take strong action against such behaviour.

Sir, I have try many time to Book a Ticket in Air India, But that web site is Showing the seat and the flight is not availble in such dates, if the same date and same flight i will confirm from through Toor Agencies it will confirm, if the Sita Travels the agent of Air India don't like to book on line just display contract to nearest Air India office, don't make fool to Guest, Some times when the Flight is compleetely Empty this site will take Booking. All world tell to Indians is Selfish and Cheater, even this Air India also make cheating, why like this let me Explain
Best Regards
Syed Mazher Ahamed
Director
S&M Building Materials Trading L L C
P.O.Box 85025
DUBAI- U A E

Sir,
Please note I had booked myself in your flight no ai 057 from bangalore to mumbai for the 16th of august but the flight has been cancelled as per call from your call centre.
Therefore I request your kindself to cancel my tickets without any cancellation charges.
My p. n r. no. yqlt5
Tkt no. 098-[protected]
Name neeraj vaid.
But I have recd arefund of just rs 2140 instaed of rs 2890 pls note I have not cancelled my tkt but you have cancelled your flight so I should get full refund. pls do the needful and credit my card with the bal amt.
Thanks
Neeraj vaid

I had booked tickets from Mumbai to Bangkok on 14th August 2011 by AI330 vide ticket nos. [protected], [protected] and [protected] for my family and done the web check in on 12th August and got seat nos. 12D, 12E and 12F but when went to the counter for luggage and boarding pass I was issued 15E, 15F and 9F, How can the seat nos. change when we were already web checked in.
[protected]@yahoo.com

Dear Sirs/Madam,
I Suresh Kumar Baid had cancelled an air ticket(Make my trip confirmation number for booking NF [protected]) on 25.05.11. But it is very surprising that till today i had not received the refund amount. You are requested to please look into the matter and release my refund for Rs 5870.
For your ready reference fare cancelation sheet received from Air India enclosed.
Your immediate action in this regard is solicited.
Thanks & Regards
Suresh Kumar Baid
(M) [protected]

Air India official asked 1000 Rs/- bribery for allowing me to carry excess baggage of 7kg even after I was ready to pay its excess amount at Kozhikkode International Airport on 24-June-2011 between 900 am and 10.30am during my journey to Muscat(Kozhikkode - Muscat Air India Express Flight -IX 337).
the ground handling staff in uniform followed me till the Gate and frightened me that he will not release the baggage if did not give 1000 Rs/- in hand . I have boarding pass with me which proves that they allowed me to carry excess baggage. Where should I complaint for this?

I arrived in Delhi on my way to Trivandrum last week. When I got there, two different Air India employees told me that since my baggage was checked through to Trivandrum I did not need to take it through myself in Delhi. This was a different procedure than I was used to in International travel (I am from America) but since two separate people told me this then I believed it to be the proper procedure. However, when I arrive in Trivandrum, my baggage was not there. The Trivandrum airport and myself have been trying to get my baggage for three days now. I have made countless phone calls. The people in Delhi are not answering the phone regularly and when they do they give me conflicting information. They tell me to call different numbers and to authorize my baggage to go through customs at one number and at another number tell me that the best they can do is send it to Chennai and I would have to fly there to pick it up...this, I assume, would be at my own personal cost. My main complaint is that the Delhi people have been entirely unhelpful. Even if they told me that my bags would not be here until next week it would be better than simply not getting any help at all. The people at the Trivandrum airport have tried several times to contact the Delhi offices but have not received any calls or emails back. I just want my bags back and everyone, except the people in Delhi, are being helpful and don't understand why this had become such a difficult situation.

I had booked a ticket from singapore to del and back with PNR number as Y7W2R, flying on 9th June and returning on 27th june, and i got my ticket cancelled on 6th June 2011, since then i have sent 3 mails for my refund to ecomerce but no one is replying to me, and now that you people have bought 777 to fly with you guys and this kind of service who would want to, the payment was made through my credit card, and am paying interest on it too. I request at least some awake and working in air india to refgund my money.

Vivek [protected]

Ticket refund
Subject: air india ticket refund not received even after a month of cancellation date.

I had purchased a air ticket ai-342 for 8th may 2011. For the very known reason that the air india was having a pilot strike during those days, I was forced to cancel the ticket & book some other airlines.
I did by airindia ticket cancellation on 6th may 2011 on phone & the customer care asked me to drop a mail to "[protected]@airindia.in" which will process your refund.

But not a single reply from the air india official has ever received even after constantly mailing them for the refund status.

Please see below the mails asking for refund status from me as well as from my brother sachin mistry;

—
— forwarded message —
From: sachin mistry
Date: thu, may 12, 2011 at 9:44 pm
Subject: re: air india e-commerce - fulfilment aibe595055 h1xs9 - refund
To: "[protected]@airindia.in"
Cc: ajay mistry

Dear webticketing dept,

Please can you update on the refund status for the subject ticket cancelled last week.

Thanks and regards,
Sachin (On behalf of ajay mistry)
Mob. [protected]

From: ajay mistry [mailto:[protected]@gmail.com]
Sent: friday, may 06, 2011 8:59 pm
To: [protected]@airindia.in
Cc: sachin mistry; ajay mistry
Subject: re: air india e-commerce - fulfilment aibe595055 h1xs9

Hello air india officials,

I had booked a e-ticket with pnr number: h1xs9 & ticket number: 098-[protected].
I have already cancelled the ticket through phone.
I request you to quickly process my refund as discused {minus rfa (300) & 5% of basic fare}

Please do the needful & also let me know the mode of transaction.
I would prefer it to be transferred directly it to my icici account.

Thanks
Ajay mistry
—

If this is the case of the customer service air india provide I will never recommend anybody to chose airindia, neither will I go for airindia in my life.

I am forced to put a written complaint for air india as I feel looking at this complaint air india will feel embarrassed at least & proceed for the refund asap.

Please let me know if you need any more information on this:

Ajay mistry.
Email: [protected]@gmail.com

Sir,
My Client Shrimati Percil Agnela Gomes and five others traveled from Goa to Hong Kong for a holiday tour on 13th may 2011.The details are as follows:

1) Percil Agnela Gomes E fernandes
2)Patrocinia Gomes
3)Nihal Gomes
4)Hezron fernandes
5)Mariah Gomes
6)Keziah Fernandes
flight no. AI 866 departure 7.00 AM PNR no.J7D65

my client and family arrived at the Honk Kong on 14th May '11, however the luggage did not arrived at the airport, after a long wait, we were informed that are luggage is missing from delhi airport and if it arrives we shall call you in a days time, they took down the details of baggage and where we were supposed to stay.we were delayed in reaching the airport ferry services to shenzen for which we had to stay for another two hours and had to book more tickets on our own expenses again.we were to go from hong kong airport to shenzen and then come back to hong kong.but till we reach hong kong back our luggage was not there.After many phone calls and trips to the airport finally on the day we were to leave to goa back we got news that the bags were on hong kong lost and found.We went and inquired why it took so long they said when youll reach India ask them.

The following items were in the luggage.
1) 1500/= USD
2) Medicines of senior citizen and children which were not available at hong kong.
3)creams
4)debit card
5)clothes, due to which we had to buy new clothes at a high price in an emergency
6)food expenditure as the food coupons and cash were in baggage
7)no sufficient money in hand as we had carried only 500 USD in hand.

Attached are the following:
- E-Ticket from goa to hong kong and back.
- baggage tags
- baggage lost claim paper from HKG intl airtport
- hyatt letter to airport customs
- hyatt letter to petitioner

Complaint concerning Electronic Air Ticket number:
ETKT 098-[protected]

On May 6, 2011 due to a strike by Indian Airline-Air India pilots, the flight: KTM DEL 060511 IC 0414 10h00 11h25 was not available! It was only much later that the Neplali Airline stepped in to take the stranded travellers from Kathmandu to Dehli. As a result, the connecting flight from Dehli to Paris: DEL CDG 060511 AI 0143 13h10 18h50 left also much later, so that on arriving in Paris I missed my train Paris/Nantes/Batz-Sur-Mer and had to spend an additional hotel night in Paris before travelling on to my home address . The original train ticket, that I had bought in advance, was not reimbursable, so that I had to buy a new ticket for 47, 80 € in addition to the 88 € for a hotel night from May 6, 2011 to May 7, 2011. Please give me a refund for the additional cost of 135, 80 €.
I count on your friendly cooperation, otherwise I might be compelled to be assisted by my lawyer

KONRAD ZELLER, Batz-Sur-Mer, France

Attached please find scanned copies of Electronic Air Ticket, Train Ticket, Hotel bill, My International Bank Account Number

I travelled through airindia from Chicago to Hyderabad on 24th April'11. I have not seen such a worst customer service, I talked several times with Air India customer service to re-route my ticket and change of date from Boston to Hyderabad on 24th April'11, but everytime I was given a standard answer to get it done through city office in US and due to long weekend the city office was closed for 3 days from 22nd April. And whenever I talked to customer office it call was getting diverted to India call center, none of them were able to help me, ultimately I had to book a separate ticket from Portland to Chicago which costed me 200$, moreover the baggage handling was so bad I recieved my baggage with damaged/broken handle, when I talked to baggage handling department was told these damages to baggage are quite common and they cannot do anything about these. In this regard I request Air india to compensate me the same.

Does India need a Flagship National Carrier?
My brother had a booking on Air India, Dubai – Toronto via Delhi at 6:20 pm on 30th April and in light of the strike, seeing there was no authentic info about flight status until 1 pm, despite constant follow ups for 2 days, we decided to visit their Dubai office. It was then that we learnt that this flight is probably going to get cancelled! They said alternative arrangements are being looked at, however were oblivious as to how to handle a passenger who has a through ticket to Toronto at midnight from Delhi.. The supervisor then went a step ahead to say they could offer an endorsement on a ticket on any airline if we could get seats from Dubai-Delhi as the Delhi-Toronto leg was still on. Thanks to the back up reservation we made on EK Dubai-Delhi after noting the status of the strike, things looked bright. Then they discover that they cannot endorse this ticket as we apparently got it at a very low fare and their system does not show this fare at all….! For heaven’s sake..we booked it couple of months ago, they gave us the fare, issued a ticket with the ticket no, seat no.. we didn’t ask them for a discount..! When asked about their option to get this student to Toronto who needs to start University on Monday, they were clueless. They offered to cancel the ticket and refund the amount without any penalty…wow…that is benevolence isn’t it?
Another discovery they made that if the passenger did not travel Dubai to Delhi the Delhi – Toronto booking can get cancelled…! Yes…you read it right…if the passenger did not travel on a cancelled flight….urgh..! After an hour of making noise in the Air India office, we managed to get through a message to Delhi office to let him take the Delhi-Toronto journey, we paid for an Emirates ticket from Dubai to Delhi and also paid excess baggage fees of AED 900 at the airport as the baggage allowance to the Toronto leg was 46kgs whereas the allowance on Emirates for the Delhi leg was only 30 kgs!
The Indian Government will perhaps bail out the Indian National Carrier once again from the estimated losses of Rs. 26 crore in two days and more to come, but…who will bail out an Indian student who lost approximately Rs. 25, 000 in one day, just because the flagship carrier of India could not get their Industrial Relations right..! What about the mental turmoil he and the entire family had to go through for almost 24 hours as the airline did not bother to update with any kind of information, did not extend any solace. Is anyone surprised why the Private airlines/ International airlines are grabbing a mammoth market share in India and from Indians worldwide and making huge profits when the Flagship National Carrier is struggling to break-even..?
I don’t know how well I will be heard but I am going to write and send this story wherever possible.

Dear Sir,
I have procured online air india tickets for travel from Abu Dhabi to Delhi for me and my family. The PNR number is YV4L9 . However on 19.04.2011 I have sent an e-mail requesting them to cancel all my tickets and refund the amount to my credit card. After waiting for one week for reply, finally I had to call up their Bombay office for ticket cancellations. Subsequently they cancelled my tickets but still advised me to write a mail to them to get the refunds which I promptly did. However till today, 28.04.2011 I am yet to receive either acknowlegdement of my mail or refund amount to my credit card.

My Wife travelled by Air India flight AI 380 on 24th April from New Delhi to Singapore. On boarding the flight she immediately pressed the service button for air hostess’s attention to get a blanket as she was not feeling well. No one paid attention to the light and only after the flight took off one of the attendants passed by whom my Wife could catch hold of and asked for a blanket. But to her surprise the flight was not carrying enough blankets to give her one. My wife had no choice but to freeze in cold. On landing at Singapore she had high fever and was severely traumatized.
Why does Air India provide a blanket to every passenger like any other flight service (at least the ones I’ve flown till date does). On an International route of approx 6hrs journey in the night if Air India cannot provide for blankets to it’s passengers they better be into some other business as they clearly do not understand the customer needs.
I’d never travel by Air India and would recommend others to do the same. One can much better in-flight service on other Airlines in the same cost or cheaper ones.

PS: Air India does not offer any personal in flight entertainment as well on SG-Delhi route.