I had to fly to CCU on AI last week due to an emergency and that was the only convenient flight (you think I'd have flown them any other way?). This has got to be my worst ever flight on AI, and not just because of the "service" that I was subjected to, but the entire experience was truly horrible. Here goes...

First, the one (and only) thing they got right - timing - flight left and reached on schedule.

Horrors:

1. Terrible crew. The crew was predominantly male, and did not exude one bit of professionalism...in fact, they looked so dopey eyed, I think they had a soporific effect of people ! The only 2 women FAs on board were scary. I'm not expecting supermodels on AI (or any airline for that matter), but medusas are completely out in my book.

2. Captain (Bengali chap) couldn't speak for nuts. I don't want flight updates at all, rather than have to listen to the kind of trash he dished out.

3. I don't think any row of three seats could EVER come to the same position - either they wouldn't recline fully, or wouldn't come up fully, or could not be held in position in partial recline.

4. Chaotic noise from outside when the ground staff tried to close the cargo door. Would have roused Rip Van Winkle...

5. Ridiculous service: The crew was going down the aisle distributing small bottles of lemon juice. My colleague who was with me, had a terrible headache and had me ask the crew for a bottle of water. Classic AI response: We can't serve you water now because we need to serve LJ to all. Fine in principle, but not when you've got a cardboard crate of 24 bottles on the trolley...

6. Flagrant safety violation / stupid crew: [detailed explanation follows]
Family of 5 (including 3 kids) were sitting in two rows - 10 and the emergency exit row. Kids were in the exit row. Crew told the father to get the kids out of exit row for safety reasons. Good so far. Father asks if kids can move back to exit row after takeoff, FA happily agrees. I mean...where's the safety issue? I'd rather not have kids in the exit row in case there's an emergency in flight !

7. And finally - not to blame the crew for this - pathetic bunch of co-passengers (as usual, so what's new). The kids (see item 6 above) kept moving all over the place (and they were sitting in window and middle seats, with aisle occupied by a solo traveller not linked to that family - he wasn't amused one bit). And I think somehow, the fact that one's flying AI seems to induce different behaviour. Two of my co-passengers are regular 9W fliers (have seen them before enough times), and they were acting like boors...

I only wish 9W brought back their early morning service on MAA-CCU...sigh

I've seen people on long hauls help them selves to business class seats and the crew didnt even care.

Granted I was not on the flight, but I think OP's criticism is a bit over the top.
1. Complaining about crew not being good-looking .. seriously?

2. Many pilots give out flight info. Some passengers like, some don't. If you happen to be on a flight when the pilot is especially verbose, well, tough luck.

3. When the FAs were making the lemon juice run, he said he couldn't get water right away. What's the big deal?!

4. Allowing kids in exit row outside of take-off and landing does not a safety violation make, I think. I have seen this being allowed on US-based airlines as well.

5. Spoilt brats running around the plane - I don't like that one bit either. I wish their parents would say something / take care of them.

so what you're saying is that it was exactly what you expected?

sorry to hear that.

This is a violation. I was travelling with wife and child on AI recently, and requested for a seat on the emergency exit row. At check-in, staff reminded me that the child must not sit at that row. Before take-off, one of the crew (indeed, Medusa-like as described by OP ) came by and said that the emergency exit was unmanned and instructed what I must act in times of emergency.

Emergencies can happen anytime, not only during take-off and landing - hence if I was a passenger witnessing children fussing about the emergency exit, I would highlight to the purser. Crew that allow this are simply irresponsible.

I had to book an emergency flight home from India on AI once too; also a terrible experience. All of the controls on my seat were broken--the light, the TV/music, the recline button--for the whole 17 hour flight!

Sorry you had a bad experience. If you want to complain to AI, though, watch out. When I called them up they brushed me off and gave me a dud email address to send the complaint to.

Also, why were they giving out bottle of lemon juice? Never heard of that.

Me too wishing 9W bring back their early morning service to CCU...

Lime juice / lemon juice bottles are common enough on Indian flights with various airlines, and a great way to rehydrate.

From what I remember, it is more like lemon flavored water.

Emergency exits can only be used on take-off and landing. They are of not much use (and indeed are physically impossible to open) at other times of the flight. Therefore some airlines do allow kids to sit there during cruise only, though I agree the reasoning may not be obvious to most passengers.

To respond to the several points made by other posters, particularly WASBLR (!), here goes:

1. Like I said in the original post, am not expecting beauty queens to crew the flight. It was just a comment on how the FAs are not unlike the airline - old, irresponsible, often uncouth and totally unprofessional.

2. Flight info: Agree that if you don't want to listen, don't. But why be given the choice in the case of rubbish? I'd be surprised if the pilot could even read basic English, forget flight manuals, that's how bad. Again, refer point 1 above - unprofessional. I don't pay for cr@p.

3. Water when LJ was served: Not right away is fine, but not when (a) i tell the FA that water is required for medication, and (b) it is right in front of the FA on the trolley.

4. To the many points on exit row seating: In the case of an emergency, are the crew really going to re-seat passengers on their exit row first before commencing other duties? I think not. It isn't called "Emergency" exit for no reason. Thanks carrotjuice for making my point, but in this case, what do you do when the airline itself is irresponsible???

I don't plan to complain to AI - what's the point anyways. Oh and btw, here was the ONE thing I really wanted to put up on the OP but completely forgot. The FA serving the forward section of Y was actually digging for gold up his nose, when the food service was going on. Needless to say, I didn't have any of the food served, just the lime juice / lemon flavoured water / whatever you call it.

I am not sure if your experience was as bad or you made it sound bad... sounds like you got there safe and sound and all you're complaining about is bad looking FA and lemon juice?

For FA's where you expecting some one out of http://tinyurl.com/yf44oby ?

Try flying some of the locos in EU or US. Service is at par with what you've experienced.

If getting to the destination safe and sound is the only consideration, half of FT wouldn't exist !

Thanks for that link to the book.