Air India
Reviews and Complaints

I recently traveled from Hong Kong to Mumbai via Air India flights AI 315 and AI 2933. Upon collecting my luggage, I was horrified to find one of my bags (Tag No: 862806) completely drenched in what appeared to be human waste. The stench was unbearable, and all contents inside were destroyed.​

This incident is not just a case of damaged baggage; it reflects a severe lapse in hygiene and safety protocols. Such negligence is inexcusable and poses serious health risks.​

I urge Air India to take immediate responsibility for this appalling incident.

They send you link via email to upgrade to business, I click on the link - they charge my card and there is no upgrade and they claim there is no money received!

I reach out to them and they ask for transaction id. My bank not just provides that detail but also provides the authorization code. Then they sit on this for more than 24 hours! They don’t reply to my email sent either.

They are clearly conducting financial frauds with their passengers!

It’s the first time I booked with them and surely will never again!

I hope everyone knows what they do and avoid booking/ dealing with them! I am appalled at this!

I had tickets booked with AirIndia to go to Delhi on Business Class for October 2023. Since Indian government at that time was not issuing VISA to Canadian citizens I had to cancel the tickets. I was supposed to get refund after deduction . First email said refund has been issued but I never received any refund.

Then I called Customer service several times, was advised to fill out on line form which I did, still no refund,

I am at end of my patience as It is 2 months and there is no sign of my money .

Subject: Formal Complaint Regarding Mishandled Baggage and Unacceptable Service – Air India/British Airways

To Whom It May Concern,

Subject: Formal Complaint Regarding Mishandled Baggage and Unacceptable Service – Air India/British Airways

To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing to express my extreme dissatisfaction with the recent mishandling of our baggage and the subsequent abysmal customer service we received from both Air India and British Airways.
On January 10th, my wife and I flew from Dallas Fort Worth to Bengaluru via London Heathrow. Due to a two-hour delay with British Airways (BA192), we missed our connecting Virgin Atlantic flight (VA316). This disruption initiated a cascade of severe inconveniences:
* Lost Baggage: Three out of our four checked bags were lost. These bags contained essential items including:
* All our clothing, including expensive Indian wedding attire purchased for my nephew's wedding.
* Jewelry, purses, and shoes.
* Crucially, my essential diabetic and heart medications.
* Broken Promises and Misinformation: We were repeatedly given false assurances and incorrect information from Air India baggage staff (Meenakshi, Gautham, Jayanth) regarding the arrival and delivery of our bags. This led to wasted time, unnecessary trips to the airport at inconvenient hours (3:30 AM!), and significant stress.
* Financial Burden: The missing luggage forced us to purchase replacement clothing for daily wear and the wedding, incurring substantial unexpected expenses. Indian wedding attire is not inexpensive, and this added a significant financial burden to our trip.
* Severe Emotional Distress and Health Risk: As a diabetic with heart problems, the stress of this ordeal, coupled with the physical exertion of multiple trips to the airport, negatively impacted my health and well-being. I was placed at serious risk due to the lack of access to my medications.
This entire experience was unacceptable. The lack of communication, accountability, and basic customer service from both British Airways and Air India was appalling. This was not simply a travel inconvenience; it was a deeply distressing situation that jeopardized our trip and my health.
I demand a full investigation into this matter and expect appropriate compensation for the following:
* The financial losses incurred due to the purchase of replacement clothing and other essential items.
* The emotional distress and potential health risks caused by this ordeal.
I have attached copies of my flight tickets, baggage claim receipts, and any other relevant documentation. I expect a prompt and satisfactory resolution to this complaint.
Sincerely,

Dr.Satish Nayak, MD
Member
Texas Medical Board
Austin, Texas

From,

Sekhar Henry 9 April 2024

1335 Russell Road

Berryville, VA 22611

TO,

Air India

To whom it may concern,

My wife and I aborded the Air India flight AI104 on 9 January 2024 from Washington Dulles, USA to New Delhi, India with a connecting flight AI801 from Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram, India. We upgraded our seats to super value economy seats # 11A and 11B a with a return business class tickets. We were disappointed that the TV screens and the phone chargers did not work for the entire duration of the flight, which was inconvenient for the 14-hour flight. We did not expect to sit without any entertainment during our flight. We were bored and frustrated on this long flight. We wanted to report our boring and bad experience on this trip and wanted to bring it to your attention to ensure that the entertainment systems work properly.

We had never booked our flights with Air- India all these years due to friends complaining about the service. However, we were informed lately that the services have improved lately. We took our chances this time and booked our flights to India which turned out to be a disappointment. I hope this letter will encourage Air India to provide better services for future customers. I do not want to come across as rude, but rather provide my feedback that will enable Air India to improve their flight services. Please contact me if you need any more information about the flight services. Hope you compensate us for the inconvenient flight.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Sekhar Henry

Hi

We were travelling on your Air India flight AI382 from Delhi to Singapore on 31st March 2024. We were 3 passengers and our PNR was RPRFVP and for Sunita Gupa and Yuvan Sivanandan and Ticket number -[protected] for Sivanandan Varadarajan.

My flight was good but we did face some problems..

1) We had pre booked non veg  meals but we're informed it was not and were served vegetarian meals (which was quite a disappointment for my son)... I have the ticket copies to prove it

2) I had booked seats 21 D, E and F but while Web check in it asked us to select seats again and we had to pay extra for it.

3) I Sunita Gupta am a frequent flyer member but am not able to retrieve my number hence not able to add these points to it.

Hope to hear from you soon

Regards

Sunita

Dear Sir/Madam,
I want to know the payment status of my booking still not yet refunded. I tried many times in your service center but unable to refund my payment.
Please find the attached booking details which are using to booking.
Name: Mohammed Abdul Nadeem.
Passport no: T6497790.
PNR NO:C5F3RT.
Contact number: +966 [protected].
Email Address: [protected]@gmail.com
Date of Booking: 21 Feb 2024.
Time of Booking:9.50 pm.
Payment deducts from my account:
I have proof of payment in my account. if you fail to refund my payment i will file a complaint on Consumer forum and then whatever should happen it was all about your company (Claiming fees and also Charges done by court of law).
For further information if you have any queries, please contact us on below contact details.
Regards
Mohammed Abdul Nadeem
+966 [protected]
+966 [protected].

Respected Sir/Madam

Kindly send my GST invoice for the tickets booked in your airline

Details as followed

Ticket no 1

Ticket Issue Date : 19th Jan'23

Ticket No. : [protected]

Name : HARSH UDANI

PNR : 6WPEG5

From : Guwahati to Kolkata

Travel Date : 07/02/2024

Ticket no 2

Ticket Issue Date : 19th Jan'23

Ticket No. : [protected]

Name : DIVYANSHI SHETH

PNR : 6WPIU3

From : Guwahati to Kolkata

Date : 07/02/2024

Please share the GST INVOICE as soon as possible.

Send it to me by email : [protected]@gmail.com

CONTACT ME ON [protected]

Thanks for the support

Regard

Subject: Request for Transparency in Baggage Policies

Dear AirIndia Customer Care,

I hope this message finds you well. My name is Anjanram Atmaram, and I am writing to share my recent experience with AirIndia, which left me feeling both frustrated and disappointed.

On January 17th, 2024, I traveled from Dubai to Chennai on Flight # AI 906 (PNR: SSBNA2). Upon arrival at the airport, I was surprised to learn that my duty-free purchases (two 1-litre bottles of alcohol, three 500g packets of chocolates, and two small bottles of perfume) were included in my baggage allowance. This was in addition to my laptop bag, which weighed 8kgs, including the laptop.

To my dismay, I was charged for 4kgs of excess baggage, amounting to AED 220, which I reluctantly paid. I noticed that many fellow passengers were also caught off guard by this policy, leading to some having to discard items they had purchased for their loved ones.

I understand that each airline has its own set of policies. However, I believe it is crucial to communicate these policies clearly and in advance to passengers. This would allow us to make informed decisions and avoid unpleasant surprises at the airport. For your information, I have not encountered such charges with other airlines.

I kindly request that AirIndia consider providing clearer communication regarding its baggage policies, particularly those concerning duty-free purchases. This small step could significantly enhance the travel experience for your passengers.

Thank you for taking the time to read my message. I look forward to seeing improvements in your service.

Best Regards,

Anjanram Atmaram

Hey,

I flew from Frankfurt to Singapore with a stopover in Delhi on the 18th January (arriving in the 19th).

Sadly, my luggage got stuck in Delhi for days. So I had to buy new clothes, chargers, … in Singapore since it’s not easy to get new stuff in Sri Lanka. So I couldn’t wait.

After a few days in Singapore I continued my journey to Sri Lanka (22nd January). Until then no information about my luggage. And air India never contacted me.

A few days later, I’ve received a WhatsApp message, that my luggage arrived in Colombo, but they can’t bring it to my accommodation, because they need a certain document from Air India. Since then air India isn’t replying anymore. So I’ve been waiting for my luggage for almost two weeks now. I definitely can’t go back to the airport in Colombo right now, because it would cost me a lot of money and time.

I already contacted Air India, that I want to get the money back for all my expenses plus a compensation for all the stress which has been caused by air India.

They are not replying anymore, I definitely want to get the money back due to the fact, that it’s their responsibility to get my luggage to my destination on time.

Dear AirIndia Customer Care, My name is Melvin TILLE, and I am writing to express my extreme dissatisfaction and frustration regarding the handling of my recent travel experience with AirIndia. I traveled from Delhi to Chennai on January 19th, 2024, and unfortunately, I am facing a significant issue with my flight has been delayed at 3:30. Actually, my flight had to take off at 10:25 am in Delhi and had to land at 1:05 pm in Chennai.

However, my flight had to take off at 1:30 pm in Delhi and had to land at 4:00 pm in Chennai.

I request to be compensated with a commercial gesture on your part.

Yours faithfully,

Melvin TILLE

[protected]@gmail.com

+ [protected]

Dear AirIndia Customer Care,

My name is Shreya Khandelwal, and I am writing to express my extreme dissatisfaction and frustration regarding the handling of my recent travel experience with AirIndia. I traveled from Durham, NC, to Delhi on January 25th, 2024, and unfortunately, I am facing a significant issue with my checked baggage.

I commenced my journey from Durham to JFK, New York, via JetBlue Airways, and then proceeded from New York to Delhi on the same day with AirIndia. To my dismay, upon arrival in Delhi, I discovered that one of my checked bags is missing. Despite being assured that the missing bag would be delivered the next day by a staff at customer care, I have not received any updates or information regarding its whereabouts.

Attached to this email, you will find the details of my ticket and travel itinerary. The reference number for the missing baggage is DELAI73028/26JAN24/0915GMT, and the tag number is B6217668. The missing bag is blue in color and belongs to the company Aristostat.

My primary concern is the lack of communication and support from AirIndia. I have attempted to contact your customer service multiple times, but the responses have been unhelpful and vague. There is no traceability or tracking information available, and your staff members have failed to provide any concrete details about the location or status of my missing baggage.

Additionally, during my baggage inquiry, your staff suggested that I bubble wrap a portable monitor and pack it in my checked bag. I now fear that this advice may have contributed to the delay or loss of my bag. I find it distressing that such crucial information was not communicated clearly, leading to potential issues.

Furthermore, the unresponsiveness of AirIndia's customer care is adding to the distress of an already inconvenient situation. As an international traveler, it is challenging to deal with communication difficulties, lack of internet access, and unavailability of contacts. The promises made by your staff regarding the delivery of my bags within two days have proven to be false, impacting my entire stay plan.

I implore you to investigate this matter urgently and provide me with concrete information about the location and delivery timeline of my missing baggage. The current lack of support and communication from AirIndia has left me stranded without my belongings, and I am facing significant disruptions to my travel plans, especially in the harsh weather conditions.

I request your immediate attention to this issue and expect a prompt and satisfactory resolution. If you require any additional information or documentation, please feel free to contact me at [protected]@gmail.com or +[protected].

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter, and I anticipate a swift resolution.

Best,

Shreya Khandelwal

Claimed loss: Missing baggage

Desired outcome: I would like an apology, prompt notification about my missing bag and get my bag delivered as soon as possible, along with compensation for my loss.

Contact name: Shreya Khandelwal

Preferred time for contact: 8 am to 10 pm (Delhi time)

Preferred Method of Contact: Phone or Email

Order ID or Client ID, other information:

Dear Air India Team,

I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to express my concern as I recently discovered that my flight reservation for Air India (Flight No. AI570) has been cancelled due to overbooking.

I experienced that unforeseen circumstances may arise, but the cancellation.

has significantly impacted my travel plans, I requested the boarding counter to get my boarding pass, and they have informed that your flight is already filled, and you need to wait for next day with the same time (5:15 am).

I requested them to provide me prompt assistance in finding a suitable alternative or a resolution to this matter, Additionally, I would appreciate information on the compensation or alternatives available for affected passengers in such cases, but they didn't bother anything about it, and they've asked me to book a ticket with next availability in my own expenses.

I booked a next available flight with another agency with cost Rs 20409 actual flight cost from Riyadh to Chennai were Rs 13341.

Your urgent attention to this matter is highly appreciated.

I have been travelling with many flights in last 6 Years, and I never faced such kind of irresponsible answer/ situation.

Due to Air India flight today, I completely loss all my travel plans.

Seeking your support to bear my ticket cost.

oday the 14th of January 2024 a tragedy was cast upon me and my husband and it was Air India's doing.

Our booked flight AI-670 was delayed from being at 7:10 am to 12:05 pm.

We were notified by Air India merely 2 hours earlier.

By the time we were notified about the delay, it was too late. Since we needed to reach Goa urgently, we were backed into a corner to purchase a much more expensive ticket with Indigo to get to Mumbai in time to catch flight AI-663.

My husband is a heart patient who has gone through two angioplasties and a Bypass operation on his heart, was put under a lot of stress and panic by Air India, risking his health which makes me very furious and dissatisfied with Air India.

Since we had to book with Indigo, we will have to check in all our luggage again before boarding flight AI-663 (Mumbai to Goa), we were not expecting this to happen as we booked a single flight (connecting) with Air India to Goa meaning, we will have to go through the unnecessary inconvenience of checking in our bags again.

We are frequent flyers of Air India, not just us but also our children who always choose Air India to travel in and around India and abroad. Air India has really hurt and inconvenienced their potential clients today.

We strongly desire to claim 15,000 rupees from Air India on the accounts of the following :

1. The flight was delayed more than a period of 4 hours;

2. Obligated by Air India to buy more expensive flights in exchange;

3. Major discomfort caused to my ill husband (recent heart operation) and myself;

4. Notified us about the delay of the flight less than six hours before. (2 hours)

According to DGCA, you have to notify us at least 6 hours prior about cancellations and delays.

I am attaching my Indigo and Air India flight tickets below, please find the attachments.

I hope Air India makes the right call and does the needful if it wants to retain our business in the future and avoid any bad publicity.

I and my wife travelled by Air India from London to Delhi on 4th October 2023 and from Delhi to London on 17th Nov. We had paid for extra leg room seats for each journey but were refused these seats due to our age. We had submitted our claim for refund of the amount of £180 that we had paid but got nothing for it. Our complaint number is Case # [protected] and submitted in December 2023. We are waiting for response andrefund amount.

PNR WAKJNF. Dilip Tengshe. FF no. [protected]

Case ID [protected]. Dt. 24 Oct 2023. Tickets booked on 31 march 2023

I have received email from AI simply informing me that above flights are cancelled and I should contact call Centre. I am now in USA at SFO.

I have called Call Centre in USA [protected] and India call Centre no.

[protected] and (020)[protected] but no reply ,it’s just ringing.

I need to reach Ahmedabad on 19 Nov. 2023 as I have booked Word Cup Final match as also Hotel Bookings and other social commitments.

I have taken up this issue with AI customer care team but it’s just taking time without any alternate booking arrangements for me on or before 19 Nov.2023

And return booking back to Pune. I can be put on Ahmedabad flight via Mumbai .

It is with deep regret I am to bring to your kind notice as follow :-

1. I am a Frequent Flyer of Business Class Air India between USA & India

2. In the past I had no problem at all but recently I travelled from USA to India by busines class

by Flt AI 174 from San Francisco to Delhi on 31.08.2023 & returned by AI 183 on 16.09.2023.

3. I firstly called customer service in. Delhi to record my milage for SFO-DEL with United Airlines and was advised to contact at the airport and accordingly contacted Air India Staff at the counter in Delhi brfore my departure but was not only refused but they were very rude.

However though milage earned on my return journey DEL-SFO was done.

3. I also called Air India but everyone refused to take the resposibilty to record my milage earned.

I was really sirprised & shocked at Air India staff attitude towards a very Senior Executive & regular

Business Class Traveller.

I have always been patronising Air India, but this kind of treatment and behaviour has compelled me to change my decesion

to opt out for other better options available.

I would therefore request to kindly ensure that my mileage earned be added on United.

You are further requested to kindly to advise action taken in this regard.

My details are given below for your kind perusal.

ANINDO ROY,

FREQUENT FLYER :- HQV53953

E-TICKET SFO-DEL ;- [protected]

Warm Regards,

Anindo Roy

I had a booking for a return journey from London Heathrow to Kochi on 28th march 2023 and the return on 3rd may 2023 from Kochi to London which was meant to be a direct journey. Few months before my travel date Air India has brought changes to the itinerary and both my flights were changed as connected ones through Delhi and Mumbai.

I had contacted the customer service for a change so that I can fly directly from London Gatwick to Kochi. However I was advised that no seats were available within 2 weeks or I will have to pay an extra fees for the change if I want to choose a date before or after 2 weeks of my scheduled journey. I was not happy to pay extra and was unfortunate to make any changes and managed to travel my outbound journey via the connection route and had a horrible time in the rush unnecessarily in the Delhi airport and had to go through an extra security check.

Taking into consideration all the mess that happened to me while travelling towards India I decided to change my flight and get a direct one instead even if I had to stay like extra weeks in India or had to pay an extra charge and contacted the customer care again. The customer care assistant who helped me again made a mistake and booked me in on a different date than what I asked for. I made the payment of 50,000 INR which they said will be charged since I am making a change in my travel date and completed the application online without knowing this until a confirmation was send to me and realized that a mistake had happened from the side of your customer service assistant. They had basically booked in for may instead of April. I was not able to make it on the date they mistakenly booked as there was a one month gap in-between and had to change it to the date I was actually looking for. For that they asked me to again pay like around 1 lakh Indian rupees to and advised the initial money paid for the change (ie, 50,000) will be automatically refunded.

I was desperate about the situation and was not happy to pay anymore and made a fresh booking with a different airline from Kochi to London. I had phoned back and asked for a refund for my inbound journey but haven’t received. I wish to let you know about this experience and wish to claim a refund as I think you have the complete responsibility for the situation.

I had booked my flight 1 year prior as I was not able to wait until the last moment and afford a huge amount which was completely out of my control and I had to pay a big amount to a different airline while booking my flight back at the last moment as I had no other option.

I assure you can have a look on the call recordings to make sure whatever I have mentioned is right and please do the needful so that I get the amount I owe from you.

Hi,

I had a booking to travel to Inida with Air-India Purchased through Expedia.com Vendor. My flight got cancelled due to technical issue and I had to alternative airline to travel and pay extra 100%.

Air-India is saying I need to get refund from Expedia and Expedia is saying Air-India has charged the money directly and they can not refund.

I am tired of call both parties and about to go for Small claim arbitration.

this is last attempt to reach out

Below is the details

AI Case id : [protected]

Document Number: 098 [protected] Booking Reference: 358WEN

* Confirmation: 358WEN

* Expedia itinerary: [protected]

-Srivatsa

Connecting flight rescheduled 3 times with a long layover at airport, complained to AI customer care about it, they simply cancelled my family's return trip with our consent, with cancellation charges. Purely arm twisting tactics. Mental torcher for our entire family right from the time we flew from JFK to BLR and back, could not book another as the last minute fares were too high as it was end of summer vacation in US. TATA's have been fooled into buying AI filled with goons.

Dear Air India,

I am writing to request compensation for the delay of my flight from Kolkata to London on 10 October 2021. My ticket is attached below.

According to EU Regulation 261/2004, I am entitled to claim up to 600€ per passenger for flights delayed by more than three hours, unless the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances. My flight was scheduled to depart at 4:30 am but took off at 10:15 am, which is a delay of five hours and 45 minutes. There was no communication or explanation from your staff at the airport, and no facilities or assistance were provided to me and my two-year-old daughter.

As a result of the delay, I missed my pre-booked cab from London airport to Winchester, and had to pay extra for another transport. I also suffered inconvenience, stress and loss of time due to the disruption of my travel plans.

I request that you pay me the compensation amount of 600€ per passenger, which is a total of 1200€ for me and my daughter, within 14 days of receiving this email. If you fail to do so, I will take legal action against you in the consumer court of London.

Please reply to this email with your confirmation of payment and the details of how you will process it. You can contact me at [+44 [protected]] or [[protected]@gmail.com] for any further information.

I hope that you will handle this matter promptly and fairly.

Kind regards,

Khushboo

I Bought flight through Lufthansa for my mother - Kolkata to Charlotte, June 6, 2923. Kolkata to Delhi flight was a code share LH5315/AI770 - AI cancelled very late, and she became a "no-show" for the rest of the journey. AI did not update the cancellation with Lufthansa, so they refused to rebook her on the next flight. Had to spend countless hours on the phone pleading and ranting; finally had to pay a penalty of 200 to issue a ticket for 7 days later.

[protected]@hotmail.com

I took a flight from Melbourne (Australia) on 20 May 23 reached New Delhi on 21 May 23. The entertainment on the entire flight was not working not only for me but also for approx 90% of the passengers suffered from same issue.In the last lap of the flight even the cups for water were finished and the air hostess were not able to serve drinking water to passengers as they ran out of cups, which is ridiculous. The overall service was extremely poor, where the toilets were filthy, no spoons for food no cups for water and 12 hr of flight with no entertainment working.