Anyone with any experience with Air India? I've had an Indian tell me that they are not very good, not reliable, and rather dirty inside. Is this true?

Whose got the best US to DEL service?

The thing with Air India is, well, its not very good. As nice as you want to be about it, you cant. Cabin Crew who are not friendly, Passengers who completely forget about the word hygiene when they get on board.

Being an Indian, it is somewhat embarrassing. That is what most people will tell you. Problems lying in 1, the Cabin Crew and 2, the passengers.

However, the aircraft itself are not in that bad of shape. With most international flight using the 747 - 400. Though, as nice as a plane you have, if passengers have no regard to anyone, it will be dirty.

I admit this could be on any airline, but I feel on AI, it is a lot worse.

This coming from and Indian who has flown AI.

You want to know what Air India is like?

Read these two excellent and detailed trip reports:
http://www.airliners.net/discussions/trip_reports/read.main/32532
http://www.airliners.net/discussions/trip_reports/read.main/32770

Whose got the best US to DEL service?

What route are you flying and what class will you be flying? That's the information needed to tell you who is the best. Till then we can not answer who is the best for you.

SR 103

The best USA to DEL service in my estimation has to be BA and VS when it comes to Economy class. The cheapest fare that you will find will be on Kuwait Airways most likely and theyre very fast to DEL from JFK as 2 of their 5 weekly JFK flights are JFK-KWI nonstop...transit in KWI for 4 hours approx and catch the daily A 310 KWI-DEL.

However remember that VS lacks in frequency to DEL as its a 3 weekly operation compared to daily by BA-AF-LH-KLM.

For Business class, if price is not a problem for you then try BA-VS-KLM-AF.

But if youre flying after June 1st, then you have the added option of experiencing and flying for the 1st time on an Emirates A 340-500 which has received raving reviews concerning their IFP in all 3 classes.

Lastly, since this is a very long route which will get u lots of mileage points...what Freq Flyer program are u a member of as you should base your decision around that!!!

Well, I've got lots of USAir miles - so I guess it would be LH now that I can get US miles on LH. The only problem would be the connection in Frankfurt though conisdering that I don't speak a word of German. Because of the language issue I was considering VS instead of LH because of the language thing.

Thanks for the Trip Report on AI - sure does sound like a rather "tired airline" I must say - worst experience I've read so far on this site (followed up by Aer Lingus)

Aguilo - I wouldn't worry about connecting in Frankfurt. It is an international airport - and you should have no problem with language. I flew through there years ago when DL used to stop there on the BOM flights.

Over the years, I have flown through many intl airports to BOM including CDG, ZRH, FRA, etc and have NEVER had a language problem.

Ok, if you have USAirways miles, LH is a good option, but if you are flying to DEL, Austrian would be a much better option than LH. They are still Star Alliance, have amazing service with PTV's. You should opt for them instead.

Regarding the trip report. You think that is a bad one, read about this "excellent" airline:
http://www.airliners.net/discussions/trip_reports/read.main/39053

SR 103

The problem with Austrian is that I don't think they fly to the US other than from JFK (if at all) and it is not easy to get from most domestic airports in the US to JFK. I'd be flying out of CMH. Also, the problem with Austrian is again the problem with the German language (my not speaking any) and the connection.

Emirates did sound pretty good from that trip report though, even if the FAs seem rather rude

Austrian flies out of Washington (IAD) and Chicago (ORD) in addition to JFK. Simply take UA to any one of those place and connect. LH would be same the problem as well.

As far as the German language thing goes. Like someone else said up above, don't worry. At the airport everyone speaks English and all the signs are in English. I have lived in Germany and have traveled extensively around Europe. You will be fine no matter which place you go through. English is understood everywhere at the airports.

Here are two quick visuals for you.

Lufthansa:

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Photo © Konstantin von Wedelstaedt

Austrian:

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Photo © Peter Unmuth - VAP


SR 103

I have not gone thru the AI trip reports mentioned above, but I can tell you from experience:

AA. Expect service as befits a state run carrier.
BB. The cabin crew look like typical uncles and aunties with their pot-bellies and 1970s style hair. I even saw one purser with a "choti" last week on AI164.
CC. But dont be fooled by their looks... these folks are capable of rendering absolutely wonderful service. They typically teach you the meaning of the old adage "do not go by looks".
DD. 'Familiarity breeds contempt'. This best defines the attitude of Indian passengers on board their national carrier AI. They begin to do all the things they would do back home in India, the moment they step into an AI flight (read dirty loos etc.). I think it is unfair to say the airline is bad, because of its passengers.
EE. IFE is excellent. Good selection of programs. Its not EK or SQ but definitely better than some of the trash which other so called world class airlines put out. But then I may be biased because I have a preference for Hindi music and Hindi films.
FF. Seats and interiors may be a bit dated. But I've heard good reviews of the new J/cl and F/cl.
GG. Now the AI speciality - ABSOLUTELY AMAZING FOOD irrespective of the class of travel. They are not misers when it comes to alchoholic beverages either.
HH. Prices are extremely competitive, a real bargain if you can put up with some of your fellow travellers. But then again its upon your luck. You might end up with a premier airline and yet have a boor for a seatmate who could mess up things for you.

Net net... try, fly, buy AI.

rgds//Vimanav

and catch the daily A 310 KWI-DEL.

Behramjee

KU has A300s coming in regularly into DEL these days upto 3 days a week (check sked) these will go down to twice weekly effective May on days 1,3. Other days are A310.

Can you tell me the lowest fares available at your end ex Canada/USA to India and the period of applicability?

Thanks/rgds//Vimanav

Vimanav...as far as I know the fares to DEL from YYZ are for the period :

Dep May YYZ Arr back to YYZ in Aug

**All figures in CDN$$$ and do not include taxes worth $ 120-150...route is YYZ-DEL-YYZ in Eco class...lowest fare class

1. Aeroflot : $ 1300
2. Royal Jordanian with AC : $ 1345
3. GF with AC : $ 1490
4. EK with AC : $ 1510
5. AF $ 1520
6. Austrian $ 1630
7. KLM $ 1610
8. Alitalia $ 1595 (they are though one of the cheapest to fly YYZ-DXB-YYZ via MXP)

***Though I know KU is v cheap from YYZ with AC (YYZ-LHR-YYZ), I do not know their fare however theyre usually $ 100-120 less than GF and EK. Qatar Airways is nearly always the same as GF-EK. Last summer in May 03...KU was $ 1100 plus tax YYZ-KHI-YYZ which was $ 400-600 cheaper than the competition because they needed to fill up seats due to the bad effect the Iraq War was having with their pax loads!!!

For more fares from YYZ/YUL to the Middle East-Europe-Africa and Indian Subcontinent check the following websites for "consolidator/whole sale" fares :

http://www.galatravels.com
http://www.airfareplanet.ca
http://www.flyforless.ca

There are however agents whom I know can better the fares offered by these 3 sites.

Many thanks Behramjee for your input.

rgds//Vimanav

If US AIR's ff program allows u to get mileage flying on OS-Austrian as its a Star Alliance member then please choose OS over LH!!!

However if it doesnt then choose LH but they dont have tvs in every eco class seat which BA-VS-OS-KU have from JFK to DEL via their respective hubs. If you dont care for a personal tv then take LH, but if u do and can get miles on OS from using US's FFP then please choose OS and fly via VIENNA-VIE.

So Austrian is pretty good huh? Better than LH you say? Surprising - I always thought LH was supposed to be a "premier" airline, like BA for instance (though have never flown LH)

Just my two pence worth...

I flew AI LHR-JFK-LHR back in the late 80's and have to say that whilst I did get a really cheap fare, personally I would never fly AI again. I appreciate that my flight was actually the final leg of a DEL-JFK flight, but the interior state of the 747 was appalling. As has been mentioned previously in this thread, the state of the toilets was nothing less than disgusting (the carpets being absolutely soaked in what I can only assume was urine, which rose up around the soles of your shoes as you stepped on it). There was a problem with the audio service to my area of the (Y class) cabin, so we could watch but not hear the movie. The cabin crew were surly and disinterested. Being a huge fan of curry, my spirits were lifted when the smell of the in-flight meal being heated up pervaded the cabin and I looked forward to tucking in to a tasty meal, however they were shot back down to earth with a bump when we found that the curry option was only being served to the Indian passengers - us westerners were instead lumbered with some kind of leathery roast lamb dish. Even almost begging the surly FA for a curry instead was met with a firm No, with no explanation as to why not.

My overall impression of the flight was one that lead me to wonder whether we'd actually make it to JFK in one piece, after all, if the interior maintenance was anything to go by, it gave little faith in the standard of exterior maintenance being applied.

I will of course caveat this by saying that yes, my flight was back in '89 and things may have improved since then, but that was my own personal experience of AI, and unless someone can prove to me that things HAVE improved, they will not be my carrier of choice ever again!

u flew an old haggard Boeing 747-200 which would be at least 15-17 years old in 1989 hence your bad experience with AI.

However now they fly B 744s to USA however the eco class product is very similar to their B 747-200s except for the better food and maybe a larger seat pitch from 30 to 32.

The only problem would be the connection in Frankfurt though conisdering that I don't speak a word of German. Because of the language issue I was considering VS instead of LH because of the language thing.

No issue at all, FRA airport in my eyes is the best to transfer


My biased opinion: I love AI because first of all, they are cheap, second, my experience: if you are nice to FA's, they are lovely and check with you every 10 minutes whether everything is OK. Food is superb, and drinks in large quantities available. A/C not too bad. But this is my subjective opinion. AI is not as steril as many european carriers, always something funny is happening on board...!

I've done this LHR to ORD and back. We know AI is an option, but we'd only ever take it if we physcially couldn't get on another flight (even if that meant a lay-over somewhere), or they were a couple of hundred pounds cheaper than BA/AA in a peak travel season.

Sure, they flew a 744, but that was were the perks ended. IFE wasn't good, space was cramped, and, yes, I'm sorry, a bit smelly.

The only time I think it warrants flying them is Easter and Christmas, which is when they always (unfortunately!) seem to come up significantly cheaper than BA/AA.

BritPilot777,

Though, as nice as a plane you have, if passengers have no regard to anyone, it will be dirty. I admit this could be on any airline, but I feel on AI, it is a lot worse.

Absolutely. I seriously don't know why. The first hand reports I have gotten from passengers and AI insiders are horrific. Hence, although AI flies EWR-CDG-BOM daily I prefer to fly AF on the same route paying $200 more.

cheers

I used to fly with AI between 1984 and 1989, when they still were operating GVA-ROM-DEL-BOM with 747 and then with A-310. From BOM I could fly again with AI to MAA. It was long but OK, as far as I was willing to accept last minute routes changing (GVA-LON-ROM instead of GVA-ROM, BOM-DEL-MAA instead of BOM-MAA, and so on) and even accept to check again my pieces of luggage in BOM when the transfer time was exceeding 6 hours. I suffered a AI strike but they have been helpful (I was myself very patient, I tell you).

Now I prefer to fly on Star Alliance Airlines only (LH : GVA-FRA-MAA or SQ . ZRH-SIN-MAA), but I must confess that AI was OK and even cheap sometimes , but not always. Service, food and crew was quite nice.

Every Airline can overcome the challenge of world competition, and I sincerely hope that AI is succeeding in doing it quite well now. They have their own personality, this nobody can change. But who can change an Indian ? And why should we ? They are so nice people !!

Cheers. Kilavoud.

"Everything is bad about India!" That seems to be what we all should say...
Even about the airline Air India. I think a lot of US airlines are much worse and the arrival or departure in Delhi or Mumbai is not worse than in JFK or ORD on a bad day. So try instead to go with another airline than your usual next time. I hate people who say "I can only fly with AA". OK, but you are not a frequent traveller to me...

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Photo © Oliver Brunke

even saw one purser with a "choti" last week on AI164.

Heck Vimanav! Thats a shocker! I think that a certain minimum professional appearance must be maintained, and a choti just doesnt cut it! I hope fo rAI's sake this isnt true.

-Roy

For the rest of us, what exactly is a "choti"?

Heck Vimanav! Thats a shocker! I think that a certain minimum professional appearance must be maintained, and a choti just doesnt cut it! I hope fo rAI's sake this isnt true.

Roy.. I hope I had taken a photo of the gent. He was quite a sweet guy though with large framed glasses.. quite Jassi-like (now please dont ask me who's Jassi )

In fact this is the second AI staffer I saw with a choti. In September last year again on AI164 we suffered a 24hr delay due to one of the crew (the FE) taking ill. The next day this gentleman happened to be seated a couple of rows behind me as he was dead-heading back home. And surprise surprise... he had a choti too.

As for choti... please somebody explain it.. its difficult for me to put it down in words.

rgds//Vimanav

"EE. IFE is excellent. Good selection of programs. Its not EK or SQ but definitely better than some of the trash which other so called world class airlines put out."

You have to be kidding, right?
Even if your preferences run to Hindi films and music.
You get films on a scratchy screen (Even in First Class and Business), and the Audio channels which are only an hour long and then go back and loop again have a fairly restricted selection. For a country that makes 800 films a year, its a disgrace that all they can dole out is one stupid channel playing one stupid film.
You cant even talk about AI's IFE and EK/SQ in the same breadth. Its a crying shame.
I agree with you on the potbellied aunties who may not look posh, but are certainly warm and service oriented for most of the part.