Psephologist and well-known public intellectual Yogendra Yadav recently voiced his discontent over a frustrating experience with Air India during his November 11 flight. Yadav, who is generally reticent about airing personal grievances on social media, felt compelled to share this episode, hoping it might alert other passengers to similar issues and perhaps prompt the airline to improve its service standards.
In his detailed post on X, Yadav explained that his troubles began when he received a notice just four days before his flight, informing him of a four-hour schedule change. Adding to the disruption, Air India unexpectedly downgraded the class of travel for him and his wife without offering either advance notice or a refund. This lack of communication left Yadav and his wife unprepared for the shift, which compounded their discomfort and disappointment.
Yadav shared that he attempted to use Air India’s online check-in system to ease their travel experience, but multiple attempts were met with technical failures. Upon arrival at the airport, they encountered more issues. Yadav described a scene of disorganization that forced him to run to three separate counters to resolve a series of errors that were "no fault of ours." A particular customer service executive, according to Yadav, compounded their stress by refusing to seat him and his wife together, despite being aware of the situation. Eventually, a supervisor intervened and arranged for them to be seated together, but not without significant hassle.
The problems did not end there. Yadav noted a host of other issues, including a discrepancy between the gate announced and the actual boarding gate, poor management of queues, and inaccurate public announcements. These smaller issues added to the overall negative experience, although he did acknowledge a polite apology from a floor supervisor, who seemed to be one of the few staff members attempting to provide satisfactory assistance.
When he asked to register a formal complaint, Yadav was informed that no complaints book was available. This, he felt, indicated a lack of accountability on Air India’s part. In the comments section of his post, many users echoed Yadav’s complaints, sharing similar incidents and frustrations with Air India. Others pointed out that, in their experience, the airline’s standard responses to complaints are often perfunctory and lacking in follow-up, leaving customers feeling unheard.
Yadav's post sparked a broader discussion among users about the importance of service improvements in national carriers and the need for airlines to prioritize communication and customer care. For many, his experience underscored persistent issues with Air India’s customer service and highlighted the gap between customer expectations and the airline's current service standards.
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