Well I think I got the jackpot about how much can go wrong on a single connecting flight from Kathmandu via Delhi to Vienna (on Air India).
The flight from Kathmandu left 2:50 hours late as the Air India flight must have had a technical problem on the leg towards Kathmandu from Delhi (i checked on Delhi departures and most planes left on time that morning, so it wasn't the Delhi fog). We left with 2:47 hours delay, and arrived with 3:00 hours delay in Delhi. There was 3:10 hours to change for the flight to Vienna which left 10 minutes delayed (kinda a record early for the usual delay of that flight leaving Deli according to flight stats last week was around 1 hour) so me and 3 other people missed it (I did run once out of the first bus - was directly informed flight already departed). Also against Indian regulations while waiting in Kathmandu we did not get offered any food or drinks (and impossible to find an air india employe in departure area)

At the transfer desk in Delhi the absolutely incompetent staff (not as in they are stupid, but they are not able to do anything and can only call some air india contacts to try to arrange something new) - didn't do much for an hour and after 2 hours finally came up with a new connection (that I showed them based on google flights already - only to 10 minutes later say oh sorry we cannot book the tickets anymore). Then they offered some connections via Lufthansa or Swiss Airlines that would have meant a total delay of 15 hours and a connection via Doha with Air India first leg/second leg Qatar and promised we get a hotel in Doha for the 11:30 hour overnight stay. The incompetent statt said we forwarded the hotel request to Doha and will also receive the onwards ticket in Doha - they gave as u connection printout and after request a delay certificate showing 20 hours delay total. While waiting for 6 hours the only thing we received was a single 0.2l water bottle and a small paper bowl of rice with lentils (600 calories maybe). There was no (open) Air India counter in Doha so noone to complain to. The AI chatbot on the website was of no use of course, and calling the hotline in India didn't work either.

(the next flight to Vienna direct from Doha would have been 2 days later).
Arrived in Doha they could print our tickets, but said as Air India has not provided them with information about lounge or hotel access they cannot offer any food or drinks After inquring managed to get on standby list for an earlier Qatar flight that reduced the total delay from 19:30 to 12:00 hours.
My baggage is still lost (30 hours after arrival) with no update on global tracer ("under tracing"). I do not even know if the baggage ever arrived in Doha or it got lost in Delhi. It certainly never made it onto a flight towards Vienna.

After arriving had bad diehrrea and fever - some of Air India provided food must have been contaminated. I did not drink any unsafe water (and water was the only thing I drank). In Delhi I bought water bottles from a machine (don't trust their drinking water supplies). Luckily medication cured it within 24 hours.

According to Indian regulations they should compensate 20 lakh INR for the delay (220€), plus on all stops with over 2h delay provide food and refreshments and a hotel for any stay over 6 hours during 20:00 and 03:00.


How can I get compensation air Air India. I booked directly with Air India and think if I should first just try a credit card chargeback (I bought the return ticket directly on Air India website - and it's just 1 month ago) - citing defective product received. Air India AI chat agent of course is of no use claiming it cannot do anything. They failed to provide both food and water, didn't provide a hotel for the long stay in Doha (it was Qatar that luckily put me on an earlier flight - still over 6 hours stay). The lost baggage (well less than 21 days, so far it's of course officially status delayed) I will have to deal with Qatar. What are my chances of just doing a credit card chageback (full amount of 595€ for the return ticket - or maybe try with 220€ compensation for delay, 2x20€ for not providing food/refreshments, and 1x100€ for not providing the promised hotel in Doha).