Just the paint has changed, nothing else. Review on Air India

Air India(AI) has changed a lot over the years. Merger with Indian Airlines, a new brand, new colour schemes, new glamour routes, 100 new aircrafts. And I was travelling by the airline after around 7 years. My earlier experiences were not so pleasant(in the pre-liberalized era). Thought with the change in times, increased competition, changes in India and Indians, AI had changed too.(Atleast with all the marketing hoopla). With these thoughts I enter Mumbai Chhatrapathy Shivaji International Airport.

I had flown in from Zurich with Swiss, and had to catch the connecting flight to Bangalore - AI620. I had opted for it because there was no change in Terminal required and the waiting time was less. Well, it turned out that I would not mind.

I exit customs and see a board on my left - "Domestic passengers baggage screening." Happily I proceed towards it. I see 3 guys - 2 from Jet and one from Kingfisher. I ask them - "Boss Air India to Bangalore." Jet guy looks at the Kingfisher guy who looks at the other Jet guy and then all three shake their head in unison: "Pata nahi saab."("Dont know sir") Then one of them says "I think for Air India you have to go to the terminal upstairs. There are lifts outside". Anyway there was no official from the national carrier around, so decided to try my luck. I step outside in search of the hallowed lift, with that sinking feeling as I started anticipating what lies in store ahead for me.

After walking around for 15 min and being greeted by “Out of Order” signs, I find a lift with the help of a kind Taxiwallah and reach upstairs and enter chaos central.

Anyone who has traveled by AI from the International Terminal will understand what I am trying to say. A huge mela of dust, sweaty bodies, bags, trolleys, noise, confusion, queue managers, garbage, officials and what not. The check-in counters are a scene of perpetual chaos. Number of counters are too less, and flights and people too many. I fight my way towards baggage screening, and find a counter. Then: My e-ticket is not accepted. It seems because it was not issued by AI, but by Swiss. After a brief discussion, the guy at the counter gets up and walks away with my ticket. I wait for 15 min then he returns. Says: “Here is the boarding pass. Actually it was a system problem”. And gives a big grin. I was totally dumbfounded. Anyway I collected the pass and left.

I check the gate number, but there are only question marks in the column meant for that. I ran around the terminal searching for any signages, announcements, chalk marks, anything. But all I find is hundreds of passengers, domestic and international running around the steaming terminal which smelled like wet old mattresses with the same problem. Then I see a lady running around asking everyone she saw: “Air India 141? JFK?” I felt sorry for the plight of the Airline. Brand new Boeing 777 300ER, much touted nonstop flight to New York. “A new Air India”. And the Airline is not able to give its passengers even proper boarding info. And there was NO Official of the Airline present anywhere. But I saw plenty of people from South African Airlines, Singapore Airlines etc… Finally my feet gave up. Then I heard announcements telling people to Hyderabad, Kochi etc to move to Gate 19. Maybe all domestic flights depart from 19? I tried my luck and thank heavens it turned it turned out to be correct.

We were escorted to the Aircraft at 130(Was supposed to leave at 130). I saw the aircraft, and no surprises, an ancient Indian Airlines Airbus, which looked tired. Got closer, and saw the Cowling(engine cover) covered with a mosaic of metal patches. There were only about 20 people, and the whole interior of the plane was fully worn out. But it was clean and the seats were wide enough. The pretty staff joked and flirted with each other and never worried about us passengers as we were all old enough to take care of ourselves. The plane rattled, creaked and made a whole lot of cacophony and took off at 215, and they served a “snack”: a piece of bread with a cucumber and tomato in between and a cup cake so hard u would need dynamite. I drifted off to sleep(The ordeal was enough for one day) and woke up when I was jolted around unceremoniously while the plane finally landed in Bangalore. Got out, collected my luggage(which took another 20 minutes) and made my way out. It was 415.

Air India still reeks of bureaucracy, 1980s, Pre-Liberalization. License Raj and what not. I had thought that AI had changed at least in some aspects. Examples being basic stuff like providing order to poor customers and deploying someone to answer queries. But no go. Neither at the airport nor on the plane there was any help. Anyway this is what we Indians are best at right? Survival. Finding the way through a hot sweaty stinking overcrowded terminal with no counters and no help whatsoever must be better than the training given to Commando forces. Especially if you are exhausted and tired after sitting in a plane for 8 hours across 4 time zones.

There was a hope that with all the hoopla that our dear national flag carrier could one day be counted in the lines of Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Swiss, etc. Hope springs eternal. Maybe one day… Till then I will stick to Jet or KF. Oh and I don’t mind waiting for an hour or two extra, Thank You.