New Delhi: Political analyst and Swaraj Abhiyan founder, Yogendra Yadav, faced a challenging experience while trying to board an Air India flight to Kathmandu. He shared his ordeal on X following which the airline apologised and assured to address the issue.
Yadav revealed in his post that the trouble began when the airline rescheduled his flight (AI 213) by four hours, notifying him only a few days in advance. He and his wife found that their class of travel was downgraded without any prior notice or offer of a refund.
I hate to put my personal travails on a public platform. But today’s experience with @airindia is worth recording, for it may be of use to others. Do others have similar recent experience with Air India?
This is what my wife and I went through (flight AI 213):
Change in time of…— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) November 11, 2024
Problems with web check-in and airport chaos
Despite several attempts, Yadav was unable to complete the web check-in, as the system indicated that his booking was ineligible. At the airport, the situation worsened when they were made to visit three different counters for seat allocation.
Yadav described the customer service executive as “very rude,” adding that they were refused seats initially until a supervisor intervened.
Yogendra Yadav also reported problems while trying to lodge a formal complaint. Initially, he was told there was no complaints book available. After insisting, he finally received one but was not given any email address to send his feedback. He noted additional issues, such as discrepancies in the gate information, poor line management, and incorrect announcements.
Despite these problems, Yadav said that a floor supervisor offered a polite apology, but overall, he described it as a “very sad experience.”
Air India responds with apology
Air India’s official handle responded to Yadav’s post, saying, “Dear Mr. Yadav, we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused. We’re addressing this on priority and will get back to you at the earliest.” In response to his post, several other users also shared their negative experiences with Air India.
This is not the first time Air India has faced criticism for poor service. Earlier, musician Ricky Kej and actor Tilottama Shome also complained about their disappointing travel experiences with the airline.