[sinharishi]

Originally Posted by rev8

If I remember correctly, these aircraft are being operated on domestic legs temporarily to train the crew. Eventually they'll be shifted for use on the international legs. Certainly to be enjoyed while they last though!

They have been flying their old 77w between Delhi and Mumbai, IIRC these flights do Mumbai-Delhi-International Destination and on return the same route.

[rev8]

Originally Posted by sinharishi

They have been flying their old 77w between Delhi and Mumbai, IIRC these flights do Mumbai-Delhi-International Destination and on return the same route.

Yes they do the same for Chennai as well. But these A350s are still temporary.

[Sunday-Driver]

Originally Posted by rev8

If I remember correctly, these aircraft are being operated on domestic legs temporarily to train the crew. Eventually they'll be shifted for use on the international legs. Certainly to be enjoyed while they last though!

Hyderabad-Delhi-Chicago is a LH route used to be run by a Boeing 777

A fly joined us for meals, midflight.

[carhead]

Originally Posted by rev8

If I remember correctly, these aircraft are being operated on domestic legs temporarily to train the crew. Eventually they'll be shifted for use on the international legs. Certainly to be enjoyed while they last though!

Correct they fly wide bodies on domestic routes either to position aircraft for an international flight or as a crew training flight.

We need to be patient with AI. It's a herculean task to turn around an airline with the messy legacy of AI

[fhdowntheline]

Originally Posted by Sunday-Driver

I flew this flight too, the center column that houses stewards station kept shaking like anything. I felt it doesn't matter how new the flight is AI manages to mess it up. Additionally it was a hard landing. So I guess that vibrating station is from such landings.

If it was bad weather it doesn't matter how new and shiny the plane is. Hard landing is a relative term, most landings will not affect the airframe until significant thresholds are breached. A firm , short bounce and / or sideways shake is almost routine in certain conditions. Aiming for an ultra smooth landing at all times can be dangerous.

[ab500]

Credit Is Due where Credit Is Due. A last minute change in plan left me with no option but to book a Air India Express flight Jammu to Srinagar on 3rd December. I booked the tickets at 9am on 3rd of December for a 1240pm Flight. Great Staff at the check in counter, Air Craft was neat and clean, everything was working as it should have. On Board Staff was polite & efficient. It was a short flight but exceeded my expectations. Hopefully the change is round the corner and will be experienced in all sectors. Well Done Air India.

[Goutsdk]

I travelled from Jodhpur to Mumbai today in Air India. The airplane was A320.

I found the ground staff and flight staff to be courteous. In fact, there was an attendant helping everyone to put their luggage in the cabin holder.

The timing of the flight being 11:45 am to 1:45 pm, food was served- for veg it was dal, rice potatoes while for non-veg it was chicken biryani. Further, there was curd, pastry and bun- butter. The food quality was good.

However, they served tea/coffee after that, which was avoidable.

Overall, it was a surprisingly pleasant journey.

[BlackPearl]

Originally Posted by Goutsdk

However, they served tea/coffee after that, which was avoidable.

Great to hear that things are improving. One question, why do you think serving tea/coffee after a meal was avoidable? I am asking because I know a lot of people and that includes me who love a cup of tea/coffee after meals.

[emperor]

Over the last four months, I’ve flown the Delhi-Chicago and Chicago-Delhi route three times with Air India and will be flying two more times within the next four weeks. Here’s how my experience unfolded:

First Flight: August
This was my first time on a wide-body aircraft, and I went in with low expectations. The seating was comfortable enough, with decent legroom and a satisfactory recline. However, the in-flight entertainment system was non-functional. Thankfully, Air India’s Wi-Fi allowed access to the same set of movies and shows on personal devices. A feature I was looking forward to—the outside view cameras—didn’t work on any of my three flights, which was disappointing. The aircraft showed its age. While my seat was functional, many passengers around me faced issues like broken tray tables or non-reclining seats or overly reclined seats in front of them. Since the seat next to me was empty I had a rather pleasant experience. I also found the food to be above average, especially the desserts, which stood out.

My most recent Chicago-Delhi flight last week was delayed by 12 hours due to a technical glitch. The desk manager explained it was an issue with the compressor, and sourcing a replacement took time. They eventually procured it from United Airlines. That is what he said to me, not sure if actually true. Air India did provide refreshments and issued $20 food coupons to all passengers at the airport, which was a nice gesture. While I understand that technical glitches can happen, the incident highlighted how outdated the aircraft are, raising serious concerns.

While taking my third flight (Delhi-Chicago), the flight was delayed again due to a technical issue. Fortunately, this time the delay was only a couple of hours.

In all three of my flights, the call button for the air hostess didn’t work. If you needed water or anything else, you had to either stand up (a blessing if you had an aisle seat) or wait for them to pass by and stop them to make your request.

The only reason I’ve stuck with Air India so far is the convenience of the direct route. However, given the aging fleet and recurring issues, I’m seriously considering switching to another airline for this route.

A couple of questions:
1. Does anyone have suggestions for other airlines on the Delhi-Chicago route?
2. How is Air India’s loyalty program? By my next 2 flights (already booked with Air India), I’ll have accumulated around 25,000 points. Are these points worthwhile, or should I explore other airlines’ programs?

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by emperor

1. Does anyone have suggestions for other airlines on the Delhi-Chicago route?

Try Etihad next time. It offers US immigration clearance in Abu Dhabi and can be a differentiator. Besides, the departure time from Delhi looks convenient, especially considering the Foggy weather in the next few weeks.

How is Air India’s loyalty program? By my next 2 flights (already booked with Air India), I’ll have accumulated around 25,000 points.

If you will use Air India most of the time, it will be a good idea to stay with them for points as well. You can buy upgrades or even book tickets using these miles on international/ domestic segments. If you fly locally within the US, then you can look at other airlines which are members of Star Alliance. I regularly use my Air Canada membership even when flying Air India.

[kkunal.shah]

Originally Posted by Dhillon

They have been doing this since Vistara days. I was also amazed the first time I experienced it.

Experienced this with Vistara, Air France, Ethiopia, Turkish & recently Cathay Pacific. All airlines have learnt to make this mundane task which is usually ignored for all guests a bit experiential.

[Goutsdk]

One question, why do you think serving tea/coffee after a meal was avoidable?

Well the tea was light and not hot enough for me. Didn't enjoy it. Since it was a short flight, it came towards the fag end.
Had it been a longer flight, it would be desirable, but should be hot.

[SR-71]

I am a bit confused how this can even happen, how can a pilot confuse a taxiway with a runway!?!

https://www.republicworld.com/india/...a-seeks-report

Air India Flight VT-EXT Attempts Take-Off From Taxiway in Goa, DGCA Seeks Report

Panaji: In yet another aviation incident, an Air India A320 aircraft (VT-EXT) operating flight AI 2592 from Goa (GOX) to Hyderabad (HYD) attempted to initiate take-off from Taxiway 'A' instead of the designated runway on December 5, 2024. Acting swiftly, Air Traffic Control (ATC) issued instructions to abort the take-off, which was reportedly at a speed of approximately 120 knots.

Found this drawing of the GOX airport layout in the web. While I would like to think that the taxiway looks similar in length to the smaller runway leading to the confusion, I believe the runways are well marked with details that taxiways aren't, no?

[V.Narayan]

Last few days I did 4 domestic flights by Air India - 2 in A320s, one in an A350 and one was a Vistara A320. My seating in 3 was in Premium Economy and ine one in Economy. The service was good, flights were on time in all 4 cases, the checked in bag came within a reasonable time all in all not a bad deal. The A350 being brand new was looking great from the inside. The business section had 16 seats and the premium economy had 32. All were packed. This was on a Mumbai-Delhi sector. My only want was that premium economy should have a better seat pitch of say 36 inches instead of what I thought was 34 inches.

Let's hope they keep up with this standard.

On one of the flights the Captain announced we have arrived 25 minutes ahead of schedule. Dear Air India - that is not an achievement. Several of your customers i.e. passengers have made surface transport arrangements to get from the airport terminal to their final destination. By turning up 25 minutes early you upset the co-ordination of the next stage of transportation. The personal drivers, hired car drivers, relatives who have come to pick up the passengers may not turn up 25 minutes in advance leaving some aged uncle or aunt stranded waiting at the exit gate of the arrivals section. Air India, please don't get ahead of yourselves. Not everyone is a young passenger who jumps into a Meru/Uber cab.

[fhdowntheline]

Originally Posted by SR-71

I am a bit confused how this can even happen, how can a pilot confuse a taxiway with a runway!?!

https://www.republicworld.com/india/...a-seeks-report

Found this drawing of the GOX airport layout in the web. While I would like to think that the taxiway looks similar in length to the smaller runway leading to the confusion, I believe the runways are well marked with details that taxiways aren't, no?

It happens more frequently than you can imagine, all over the world. Typically in bad weather or night (this case I believe). Pilot fatigue, cockpit workload, maybe some distracting item in the pre-take off/taxi checklist, incorrect or misunderstood ATC instructions, may be incorrect inference from the Jeppesen airfield navigation software app on the pilot tablet/EFB. Could be a combination of factors that can have deadly consequences. Not an in incident to be taken lightly at all.