Keyser

my wife had to make a last minute trip to sfo & business class fares were extremely high on most airlines....i was getting ai first for only about $1,200 more & since it was also a direct flight therefore i decided to book her on that....

she left for the airport early this morning & so far ai has not disappointed....she was contacted by ai staff last night asking her what time she would be arriving at the airport....the agent gave her a number to call when she was 10 minutes away....an ai agent was waiting for her when she reached the airport....she escorted her inside & helped her check-in....they had a porter to carry her cabin baggage & the agent helped her get through immigration & security before taking her to the lounge....the ai lounge has a separate seating area for first class passengers....when it was time to board, the agent came back & escorted her to the plane, with the porter who helped with her bag....typical of other airlines when dealing with first class passengers....

on board she said the seat looks & feels comfortable, the service before take off was good & everything looked clean....the flight did take off 3 hours late & as much as i would like to blame ai for this, it was delayed due to fog....

i guess i'll hear the rest of the travel experience when she lands in another 8-9 hours....but so far so good....

erik123

AI F is comfortable and I enjoyed the retro experience.

I would also would much prefer a direct QR, EY, etc. service to india, but the fact is the AI product is dated and the on ground service not the best - but you can get a good night's sleep and the timings are typically the best. If the price is similar and timings don't matter UA has the clear edge.

Keyser

follow up on my post from yesterday....

the remaining experience was good as well....she said the flight was very comfortable & the crew was attentive & professional....the food was a bit of a let down & so was the in flight entertainment but she said both were acceptable at the end of the day....

flyalways

Question is what you paid for this ticket and what value you got out of it ? AI F price could be similar
to QR J but QR offers lot more luxury than AI in my opinion...

PiperAtGatesofDawn

Well it depends why you’re travelling. If it’s for work I generally prefer the fastest direct (or least hopping) option at the most convenient timing for me. Helps me sleep so much better. So for IND - USA I’ll almost always fly AI or UA. And AI’s service on these routes has generally been great in Y & J (and leaps and bounds ahead of UA).

If I was traveling on holiday I can’t remember a single time I’ve selected AI direct over a better experience.

So when the destination is more important than the journey AI is an absolutely more than acceptable option.

Keyser

for a ticket bought a few hours before travel, qr j was actually more expensive than ai f....also qr would have meant a 2 stop flight whereas ai was direct....so even though qr would have offered more luxury, ai had better value in this instance....

42000ft

I would take the ET option without a doubt if you're looking to enjoy an actual, true, modern business class experience since you'll also get to experience their shiny A350s from YYZ (why would you want a shorter trip if you're treating yourself to business anyways) and transiting in ADD is hectic, but not unbearable if you're in business and have priority everything and lounge access. But the main reason I recommend ET is that I go out of my way and will not hesitate to pay more to avoid Air India and fly any other airline instead. Never in a million years would I spend 1 of my hard earned miles on Air India....the only times I have flown them is for work when I had absolutely no choice because of a lack of other options on the route/schedule I need. I have never had a good experience on Air India (only airline where I reject every meal on board and bring McDonalds from the terminal instead - if that doesn't tell you something then I don't know what will).

Good luck with whatever you choose! And keep us posted on your experience.

flyalways

McDonalds is not better than any airline food ! AI food is middle of the road compared to what United/BA gives
on its India flights...

PiperAtGatesofDawn

While I agree with you on selecting ET... this statement says more about you than anything else!

42000ft

hahaha I agree

42000ft

McDonald's is 10x better. Honestly I have tried multiple times to eat AI meals but gave up after the 3rd or 5th attempt - and I am usually someone who eats anything I get on a plane. Besides, remember that time there was a cockroach in an AI meal? There's a news article somewhere about it.

On the other hand, I love flying Vistara when I'm in India because their meals are 10/10.

Dhamal

You forgot to mention all AI 777s have the worst business seats, non cushioned, staled seating.. used award miles for this a few years back, never again.. Yes teh time was convenient if the is your option.. I could not sleep on this flight felt like I was sitting on a wooden bench.. the airline meals is another story, I prefer to eat @ McDonald's prior to the flight. If you have time ad don't mind a shot layover, I prefer Swiss Air.. bigger seats, great food and service.. good luck.