Would you travel Air India?

[Bell21]

I find it strange to be posting such a general question about a mainstream airline, but I'm going to fly my son on Air India (aeroplan points) home from Europe in July and I'm wondering what the 'community' thinks of the risk of flying with them?

I was actually meant to fly J in Air India last May but cancelled the trip for non-airline related reasons --- that was pre their airline disaster, but even then, I was reading about all the general choas on some of their flights (flights having to turn back for all kinds of unusual issues), and then the airline disaster happened, and then I think they had a plane(s) given non-conformance notices for flying without the proper certification.

I still think I'd take the risk, as in the scheme of risks (eg, driving a car), it's probably quite low, but it's the first time I've had any concern flying on a major airline.

 

[luxury-lizard]

Personally - if I had another option I would take it. My concerns are general safety, reliability and quality (of product) of Air India and also the hassle of transiting in India (often requires long layover / possible requirement for a visa). If the award is in Y I presume on Aeroplan there will be other options - in J, not so sure but worth having a look - closer in TG may have availability.

 

[Bell21]

Personally - if I had another option I would take it. My concerns are general safety, reliability and quality (of product) of Air India and also the hassle of transiting in India (often requires long layover / possible requirement for a visa). If the award is in Y I presume on Aeroplan there will be other options - in J, not so sure but worth having a look - closer in TG may have availability.

Thanks. It doesnt look like any other decent options in Y unfortunately. So his other option is a 2000 plus cash fare. Flight has a circa 4h layover from memory. Will check closer in as well. Compared to a cash fare would you take the risk? Cheers

 

[luxury-lizard]

Hum - not sure about the cash fare - it might be worth looking for Y awards just to BKK (not sure of your son's travel date or origin) but from LHR there are Y awards on many days to BKK then from BKK to PER, MEL or PER - again there are many days with awards in Y. You can use the stopover option if the days don't line up exactly. Of course it will cost $150 to cancel the AI award.

Of course - this is only my personal preference for airlines.

 

[Bell21]

Thanks it sounds like youd really prefer not to travel air India if you could avoid it. I will check out stop over options as I hadn’t really considered since i found a pretty good flight path

 

[lovestotravel]

Nope

Never

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I find it strange to be posting such a general question about a mainstream airline, but I'm going to fly my son on Air India (aeroplan points) home from Europe in July and I'm wondering what the 'community' thinks of the risk of flying with them?

I was actually meant to fly J in Air India last May but cancelled the trip for non-airline related reasons --- that was pre their airline disaster, but even then, I was reading about all the general choas on some of their flights (flights having to turn back for all kinds of unusual issues), and then the airline disaster happened, and then I think they had a plane(s) given non-conformance notices for flying without the proper certification.

I still think I'd take the risk, as in the scheme of risks (eg, driving a car), it's probably quite low, but it's the first time I've had any concern flying on a major airline.

Absolutely, it’s fine.

Mainline Air India has had a single major accident - of yet to be determined causes - in 40 years. The last one being in 1985. And only a single type of that aircraft has been impacted worldwide (the 787).

Service isn’t ME3 levels, but the champagne is chilled and the bed is flat. New management (SQ/Tata) is in place and the onboard experience has improved dramatically.

There’s a new flagship lounge in Delhi that is getting good reviews.

The downside is/was IFE. Don’t know if that’s improved with the changes. New cabins are also being rolled out, but don’t know kf they’ll be in place by the time son flies.

Family member flew them out to Australia a couple years ago, at the start of the changes and had no issues… food perfectly fine, bed comfortable, Tumi amenity kits and PJs. Connecting AI->AI at Delhi meant a smooth transfer process.

Have a quick look around google for the new food and service wear… looks impressive.

Are they my first choice? No, because there are other airlines I’m interested in trying. Would I fly them if they were the best option that suited my schedule? Absolutely.

 

[Bell21]

Absolutely, it’s fine.

Mainline Air India has had a single major accident - of yet to be determined causes - in 40 years. The last one being in 1985. And only a single type of that aircraft has been impacted worldwide (the 787).

Service isn’t ME3 levels, but the champagne is chilled and the bed is flat. New management (SQ/Tata) is in place and the onboard experience has improved dramatically.

There’s a new flagship lounge in Delhi that is getting good reviews.

The downside is/was IFE. Don’t know if that’s improved with the changes. New cabins are also being rolled out, but don’t know kf they’ll be in place by the time son flies.

Family member flew them out to Australia a couple years ago, at the start of the changes and had no issues… food perfectly fine, bed comfortable, Tumi amenity kits and PJs. Connecting AI->AI at Delhi meant a smooth transfer process.

Have a quick look around google for the new food and service wear… looks impressive.

Are they my first choice? No, because there are other airlines I’m interested in trying. Would I fly them if they were the best option that suited my schedule? Absolutely.

Thanks for that. I’m leaning towards taking them since it saves him a fair whack of cash and its a good itinerary and was trying not to over react to one undetermined cause accident but surrounding issues were giving me slight pause.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks for that. I’m leaning towards taking them since it saves him a fair whack of cash and its a good itinerary and was trying not to over react to one undetermined cause accident but surrounding issues were giving me slight pause.

Err… is the flight in business or economy?

Economy I might not be so quick! Not for the safety issue (and I’ve flown AI countless times), but simply because of the lack of things like IFE. In the main cabin *every* little thing that can add to comfort and help pass time is important (booze, IFE, even a refresher towel!)

As a back up… yes. Wait and see if Thai opens up, yes! If it is in Y, maybe not terrible… the first flight ex Europe is about 7 hours. Then you just need to hunker down for the long flight… but at least ‘home’ is at the end of it!

(putting the safety issue in another perspective, people are battling to get on Singapore Airlines, yet we *still* don’t have an accident report for SQ321, almost two years ago now!)

 

[Quickstatus]

Compared to a cash fare would you take the risk?

The problem is that no one can quantify risk in a way that its significance can be understood by the human.
The question to ask is: "If the flight was free would you still take the risk?"

There is some evidence that an organisation is often at its safest when it recently had a disaster and can be unsafe when it has never had a disaster.
- false sense of security, normalisation of deviance, complacency.

Work as imagined vs Work as done can be a major problem. Organisations at risk of safety failures think that the actual work done is exactly as the standard operating procedures prescribe but not realise that the actual work done has deviated from SOP.

 

[jase05]

I’ll try them again one day but it hasn’t been their safety that has kept me away it’s been their absolutely woeful product. If it was my only option for now though, yeah I’d fly with them

 

[Daver6]

To answer your question, yes I would, but would also avoid them if there were better options.

My only experience is domestically in India. I fly Air India because Vistara no longer exist and IMHO, they're not a low cost carrier like the other domestic airlines. If there was another full service airline, I'd probably give them a go over Air India.

Long haul, I'd be looking elsewhere. If it was Air India or not getting home, Air India it is though. They're not on my do not fly list like dodgy brother airlines than are banned from EU airspace.

 

[blacksultan]

Biz class is ok . Economy might be bad because of typical passengers

 

[jase05]

Vistara no longer exist

One of the best flights to Europe I’ve had in J. Amazing flight. If Air India could even just replicate that experience I’d look at them again

 

[Bell21]

Err… is the flight in business or economy?

Economy I might not be so quick! Not for the safety issue (and I’ve flown AI countless times), but simply because of the lack of things like IFE. In the main cabin *every* little thing that can add to comfort and help pass time is important (booze, IFE, even a refresher towel!)

As a back up… yes. Wait and see if Thai opens up, yes! If it is in Y, maybe not terrible… the first flight ex Europe is about 7 hours. Then you just need to hunker down for the long flight… but at least ‘home’ is at the end of it!

(putting the safety issue in another perspective, people are battling to get on Singapore Airlines, yet we *still* don’t have an accident report for SQ321, almost two years ago now!)

Economy flight

 

[jgm]

The planes are old and clapped out. The promised refits are continually delayed. The onboard staff are great, but the rest are a bureaucratic zoo. Delhi airport is a zoo, and delays are extensive, and are even worse if you have to go land-side. Be aware that if your transit involves separate tickets, your bags will not be through checked. If you are forced to go land-side, you will need a visa which is another headache.

Also, if you have to spend time in Delhi, be warned that apart from the airport Holiday Inn (very expensive), the details for ALL the rest are lies. The location maps showing them close to the airport are false; the one you book will be different to the one you're taken to; the photos on the websites are all false. Nearly everything (including hotels) is cash only.

 

[markis10]

Nope, never in a million years. They have a tendency for their planes to hit things, suffer from poor servicing and poor crew decisions. Faulty fuel switch, pretty sure that’s not on the MEL so let’s fly….. https://www.reuters.com/world/india...g-dreamliner-fuel-switch-incident-2026-02-04/. I would not be surprised if they are close to an EU no fly ban.

 

[Daver6]

The planes are old and clapped out. The promised refits are continually delayed. The onboard staff are great, but the rest are a bureaucratic zoo. Delhi airport is a zoo, and delays are extensive, and are even worse if you have to go land-side. Be aware that if your transit involves separate tickets, your bags will not be through checked. If you are forced to go land-side, you will need a visa which is another headache.

Also, if you have to spend time in Delhi, be warned that apart from the airport Holiday Inn (very expensive), the details for ALL the rest are lies. The location maps showing them close to the airport are false; the one you book will be different to the one you're taken to; the photos on the websites are all false. Nearly everything (including hotels) is cash only.

I'd personally disagree with several of these comments but agree with others.

Delhi is a pretty modern and easy to navigate airport. The only zoo component is security, but that's just India. It's really not that bad if you know what to expect. Eg, all electronics out including cables.

As for hotels, not sure what your comments refer to. Hotels near the airport at Aerocity are all modern big brand hotels. No cash needed.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The planes are old and clapped out. The promised refits are continually delayed. The onboard staff are great, but the rest are a bureaucratic zoo. Delhi airport is a zoo, and delays are extensive, and are even worse if you have to go land-side. Be aware that if your transit involves separate tickets, your bags will not be through checked. If you are forced to go land-side, you will need a visa which is another headache.

Also, if you have to spend time in Delhi, be warned that apart from the airport Holiday Inn (very expensive), the details for ALL the rest are lies. The location maps showing them close to the airport are false; the one you book will be different to the one you're taken to; the photos on the websites are all false. Nearly everything (including hotels) is cash only.

My cousin flew them return from Europe to AU and back, a little under AUD4500 return in business.

Everything was fine. The flight was delayed out of Europe, but that was absorbed by the transit time in DEL. The flight was on time to AU. Return they had a day transit at the Holdiay inn.. maybe expensive by India standards, but ok by western. And it did the trick,

Lunges and planes are being refurbished.

Indian visas these days are pretty easy! Not like the days of old. Did ours online in about 10 mins. Processing on arrival in Del was fast with priority… about 10 mins.

The price was right and it was good value for money.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Definitely an airline that is on my "Only if there is absolutely no others (including road or rail) options".

I made the mistake of once buying a J fare on Air India thinking, perhaps their service would be better for business class customers. Nope. Admittedly, my avoidance has meant I haven't stepped foot on them since 2007.