15 hours of 'first-class' horror: Air India refunds ticket fare to passenger on US–India flight

Air India recently refunded its first-class airfare of $6,300 to a passenger after a video of its first-class cabin went viral for all the wrong reasons. Anip Patel, founder of Chicago-based firm CaPatel had to undergo a nightmarish 15-hour journey in September 2024 on a non-stop flight from Chicago to Delhi.

Soon afterwards, Anip posted a video on his Instagram account showing his trip from Chicago to Delhi in the “worst first-class cabin”.

“I recently endured a 15-hour non-stop flight from Chicago to Delhi, and it was far from pleasant. I had heard negative things about Air India in the past, but I was hoping the recent changes under new management would improve the experience—unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, he wrote in the post.

According to Anip, the first-class airfare was $6,300 one way.

The in-flight entertainment system was inoperative throughout the journey, and there was no Wi-Fi onboard, leaving passengers with limited options for distraction during the long flight, according to him.

“There was no Wi-Fi, and the in-flight entertainment was down for the entire flight,’ he wrote.

What was most disconcerting, however, was the condition of the first-class cabin. He described it as poorly maintained, with unclean surroundings, leftover food and trash in plain sight, and visibly worn-out or broken furnishings.

“First class was in poor condition—unclean, with leftover food and trash still in the cabin, and everything looked worn out or broken. It was a pretty frustrating experience overall. Be aware if you’re flying with them,” he posted on Instagram.

‘Everything was ripped, or ruined’

“Come with me on the worst first class cabin I have ever been on,” he says in the video. “Everything was ripped ruined or had mildew on it. I understand regular wear and tear, but this was next level guys,” Anip said.

“This was a warm towel that came out which was served cold. Then there was headphones that came out that were untangled and they had mildew on them. Everything was just ripped or broken”

The food menu looked promising but 30 per cent of the items were not available, according to him.

“They only had one of each item and there were only four of us in the entire cabin and it was basically a first come first serve. This was the first nuts that came out; didn’t even put a tablecloth over it so she came back with a tablecloth. This was the samosa. It was very average. The soup was absolutely delicious. It was only good thing on the flight of course. 15 hours no entertainment. The entertainment system did not work the entire 15 hours. Everything was broken. They literally put tape on the wall to tape that stuff down. She came back. They reset it four or five times; nothing worked. It was a nightmare. It had no Wi-Fi on the flight,” he says in the video.

Anip said he had hoped for an improved experience, especially given Air India's transition to new management, but his expectations were not met. However, Air India later reimbursed Anip for his ticket fare, acknowledging the inconveniences he faced. The incident highlights ongoing challenges for the airline, which has been attempting to restore its image and attract international travellers.