[ads11]

Originally Posted by Suprit

Maybe someone should see the light at AI headquarters and remove all IFE at least in Economy Class even on long-haul. Instead, offer free on-board streaming, perhaps free wifi as well (don't know the cost implication), and power outlets at every seat! Frankly, I would like to carry my own entertainment!

I think having seats where the seatback essentially has a nifty holder for your personal device of choice, be it a tablet or phone is a really low effort high upside move, especially when you pair it with a nearby, workable power plug (be it a USB socket or full 3 pin plug). I've really appreciated that set up when I've encountered it on Vistara or SAS narrowbodies. Never quite tried using the onboard streaming service though - ironically I've encountered this feature mostly on intercity trains in the UK and Europe rather than on flights.

As for having WiFi onboard, imagine that's quite an involved process because it involves installing those domed cupolas on the top centre line of the fuselage for the antenna housing - you'll know which aircraft have onboard WiFi when you spot those blisters. Imagine members like V.Narayan can better comment about this.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

I won't call this an expert view but just sharing what little I know..

Love this comment! My lay person impression thus far has also been that most likely the broken parts, in this case the oft derided touchpoints within the cabin such as the faulty IFE, are just so long in the tooth that sourcing replacements or components isn't feasible anymore.

Originally Posted by Turbanator

They have already done. On last flight, one side worked well on my iPad and I could watch movies etc connecting with inflight wi-fi(no internet though) but on return it was broken.

This inconsistency is the baffling bit. This past summer we flew home via AI for a wedding, and while the DEL-CCU legs of the journey were humdrum (bar the unfortunate timing with the global Crowdstrike outage), we had two vastly different LHR-DEL experiences.

The LHR-DEL flight was your typical poor AI experience. It was an old tired 787 cabin and predictably about an hour into the flight, announcement came over the tannoy that the IFE was down. What made this amusing is across from me on an aisle seat there was a gentleman who was really keen on getting some shut eye, whose IFE display obviously decided to be the only one to not just work in the economy cabin but do so at full glaring brightness. Sometimes you can't write these things. Predictably the overhead lights didn't work, because all the remotes were dead and you had no way to call for assistance short of flagging down a passing crew member or more likely just getting up and going to the galley. The crew were really disinterested and one incident really sticks to mind. There was a father travelling solo with his toddler and really struggling to manage said toddler, especially so because his way of dealing with the errant child was sweet treats which only had the kid bouncing about like a dynamo. Sometime overnight when lights were dimmed I was startled to see the dad had decided to do a full diaper change at his seat!! Cabin crew walked past, took one look and just carried on, despite the discomfort of those passengers within the splash zone so to speak. I feel for that beleaguered dad, I suppose this being well into the night, most were asleep and missed this. Small mercy though the service ran reasonably on time.

Our return leg of the DEL-LHR on the other hand must've been on one of the ex Delta 777s because it had a cabin layout and seat systems I hadn't encountered before on AI. This was far better. Screens were fairly modern and responsive and all the controls for the remote and such like were in full working order. I normally tend to read on flights these days but I ventured to watch a film given the displays weren't those potato quality capacitive touchscreen IFEs on the 787s. Cabin crew were also far more engaged on this particular flight, doing regular rounds within the cabin and clearly responding to passenger requests. Meal service predictably ran much smoother on this particular flight compared to the last one.

Honestly beyond the obvious airframe differences there wasn't any demographic change I recall about the crew between those two vastly different experiences. Both seemed to have younger cabin crew teams yet vastly differing offering from each.

I hope AI does get its act together but it does increasingly seem like managements answer is that once these new jets enter the fleet, all will be well, despite some of the criticisms coming from the inconsistencies in flight crew. I'm still hopeful, mostly because I have a deep reluctance to fly via the Middle Eastern hub carriers, that AI turns a corner and starts to offer a reliable service for me. In fact if AI offered a direct LHR-CCU flight I'd probably put up with their usual shoddiness just for the convenience of a direct flight, no questions asked. I think the latter does go to show that the biggest boon AI has is essentially it's slots and the fact that it has access to airspace that many of the other carriers don't, thus being able to offer the most direct journeys.