Bad experience
On September 8, I took a flight to Bengaluru via Delhi through Air India. However, the ground staff did not send my checked-in baggage on my flight. I had to wait for four hours in Bengaluru to get my luggage, which arrived on the next flight.
There seems to be no corporate control of operations in Air India, as far as I can tell, as no staff member took any responsibility for the issue. Again, whilst I was returning from Bengaluru to Abu Dhabi via Mumbai (on September 12 and 13), the domestic flight was delayed. One of the Air India ground staff members told me that it would be impossible for me to catch my next flight if I were to take the inter-terminal coach from inside the airport.
I had to go out of the domestic airport, pay and take a cab to the international airport terminal. To add to my misery, there was a massive traffic jam and my boarding time was just 20 minutes away. Somehow, I reached Mumbai International Airport and had to practically run to catch the next flight and go through the necessary security clearance and immigration checks. There was no mention of a gate number on my boarding pass. How was I to know which gate I need to go to? I then saw the same on display on a TV, showing departure flight details. Somebody showed me to the gate, and luckily, I was able to board the flight.
It is a real shame to say that I had a bad experience flying Air India. The flights were not so clean, and the ground staff were least bothered about passengers’ support/services, except a few. I have complained to Air India in their feedback form inside the flight and on their website too, but have not received a response.
From Mr Tanveer Ahmad
Abu Dhabi
The management of Air India responds:
At the outset, we sincerely regret the inconvenience experienced by Mr Ahmad when he travelled on our flights from Abu Dhabi to Bengaluru on September 8 and from Bengaluru to Abu Dhabi on September 12 and 13.
It is our sincere endeavour to ensure that the baggage of all passengers are loaded on the same flight in which the passengers travel and our success rate is very high. However, at times, a one-off incident happens when the baggage is not loaded on the same flight despite our best efforts. After all, we would like to see happy and smiling passengers leave the destination airport after collecting their baggage.
Towards this, we strive and put our best foot forward. Certain issues like airport apron congestion, heavy movement of vehicles, pressure of clearance slot from air traffic control (ATC), speed limits of ground vehicles in the apron, giving way to cross taxiing flights, and so on, are a multitude of issues that any airline faces, and we are no exception to these extraneous contributory factors, which are beyond our reasonable control.
Our investigation reveal that the flight AI940 of September 8 (AUH/DEL) arrived in Delhi at 0502 hours. After clearance of Immigration formalities and Customs clearance, the baggage was handed over to our transfer desk. Mr Ahmad boarded the connecting flight AI803 to Bengaluru, which departed at 0635 hours. Despite our best efforts the baggage could not be loaded on the same flight in which he travelled.
On arrival at Bengaluru, since the two pieces of registered baggage did not arrive, a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) was raised. After contacting our officials at Delhi Baggage Services, the information regarding the passenger’s baggage coming in the next flight from Delhi was conveyed to him. The staff offered to deliver the baggages to his residence. However, he preferred to wait and collect the baggage. On arrival of the flight AI506, the baggage was collected and weighed in front of our security staff and then handed over to the passenger.
With reference to his return journey, kindly be informed that the incoming flight from Mumbai operates as AI610 from Bengaluru to Mumbai. Due to the late arrival of the incoming flight, AI610 departed at 2043 hours. Air India does not run the coach service at Mumbai Airport and the Inter Terminal courtesy coach is being run by Mumbai International Airport Authority. In the absence of a coach, we advise Air India passengers to contact the transfer desk who then assist them for the onward connection.
We surely understand the stress Mr Ahmad has undergone to reach the International terminal for the connecting flight, due to paucity of time on account of the late arrival of his flight. We have taken up the issue with our officials at Mumbai Airport and advised them to issue suitable instructions to all our officers and staff at the Airport, to provide all the required assistance to our esteemed passengers who are holding connecting flights to various destinations.
We once again sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused to him at Bengaluru and Mumbai Airport during his travel and would like to assure him that the next flight on our Airline will certainly be a pleasant one.
Mr Ahmad responds:
They just apologised, but who is going to compensate me? Someone called me from Air India’s Abu Dhabi office and informed that they would repay the taxi fare of INR500 (Dh29.7), which I paid in Mumbai.
The management of Air India responds:
The passenger has already been replied to by our Bengaluru office and we hope he will continue to patronise our airline. We sincerely regret the hassles faced by him during his travel with Air India. With reference to our telephonic conversation, the amount of the taxi fare (INR500 equivalent in dirhams) has been deposited in his account.
(Process initiation: September 23. Response from organisation: September 23. Reader confirmation: October 18.)
Editor’s note: Do you have similar issues that you would like to raise with us? You can write to us at readers@gulfnews.com.
