Adnan Sami slams Mumbai airport service after five-hour flight delay

Dubai: Singer and composer Adnan Sami has expressed strong disappointment with the airport assistance service at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, alleging unprofessional behavior, poor coordination and rude treatment during his recent visit.

In a lengthy post on X, Sami criticized the premium Pranaam service at Terminal 2, claiming that the staff failed to provide the assistance promised despite being long-time clients of the service.

The singer also revealed that his Air India flight was delayed by five hours, adding to an already frustrating airport experience.

Sharing details of the incident, Sami said nobody was actively waiting to receive them when they arrived at the airport, despite the service having contacted his staff to confirm their arrival.

He further alleged that the Pranaam team knew about the five-hour flight delay but informed them only after they had passed through the entrance security.

Had they been informed earlier, Sami said, they could have remained comfortably at home instead of arriving at the airport unnecessarily early and enduring a lengthy wait.

His criticism extended to the female staff member assigned to assist them. According to Sami, she was repeatedly occupied with her mobile phone and failed to turn up when it was time to escort them from the lounge to the departure gate.

Instead, he claimed, a porter accompanied them. The porter reportedly had no idea where the assigned staff member was.

Sami said they were transported to the departure gate in a buggy, where the porter eventually located the staff member sitting in a corner and using her phone.

He also alleged that the employee couldn't guide them through the crowded departure area or direct them to the First and Business Class section, despite it being relatively empty.

"We had to navigate through it all ourselves," he wrote, expressing frustration over what he described as a lack of preparation and coordination.

'Extremely arrogant, infinitely annoying'

Sami did not hold back while describing his disappointment with the service, claiming that this was the second time he had experienced what he considered unacceptable behaviour from Pranaam staff.

Calling the conduct unprofessional and disrespectful, he questioned the service's attitude towards paying customers.

"You charge for these services and have a monopolistic attitude, which is extremely arrogant, infinitely annoying and egregiously disrespectful," he wrote.

The singer added that he was once again extremely disappointed with the way the staff had handled the situation.

The issue did not end with his initial complaint. After the airport authorities responded to his post, Sami criticized their reply, describing it as a standard, template-style response that seemed to come from a bot.

He objected to what he considered an impersonal, overly familiar tone, asking why the response addressed him by his first name rather than using a more formal form of address.

"Nothing more annoying than to get a standard template and 'patronizing' response to a complaint that one has filed, from a BOT! That adds insult to injury!!" he wrote.

He further suggested that if automated responses were being used, they should at least be programmed to communicate with customers politely and formally.

Sami's public criticism has brought attention to his concerns about the quality of premium airport assistance services and the importance of professional treatment for passengers who pay for additional convenience.