Call me masochistic, but I'm doing BOM-LHR-BOM in AI F again this weekend. Will report back if anythings changed in the 2 months since I last took the same flights.

I feel a bit shortchanged because all I got on both the outbound and return BOM-LHR in late May/early June were the generic paper packaged "Comfort Kits" that they give on long-haul economy. As mentioned in my review above, it was because "they were transitioning from the Tumi to the new Ferragamo kits". Not a big deal by any means, but I've heard some strong opinions on these kits (both good and bad) and wanted to test them in person.

Honestly, after reading your report I was already prepared to not getting an amenity kit. So I was pleasently surprised to actually get the Tumi kit.

Booked BOM-LHR in F for September. What are the chances of getting the complete new soft product at that time? And is it wishful thinking if I expect the A350s on the route?

I have a feeling AI haven't yet decided on what their complete soft product is going to be! And in just a couple of months from now, I wouldn't expect any meaningful changes from what's on offer right now.

Hopefully better trained crew who have settled down somewhat, but that just my wish.

As for the 350s, the current lot don't have a First cabin.

I flew J on EK and J on Air India, both ULH flights and found AIs seats and the lie flat bed better. Did not like the angled J class in EK, and some middle seats in J (though I had aisle). IFE was superior on EK, but the food on AI was better.

Looking forward to your report. I'm scheduled to fly DEL-LHR-DEL next month in F.

So, here's my experience on the afternoon BOM-LHR a couple of days ago (I have a few pics that I will get around to posting eventually!):

As before, AI staff were were waiting at the entrance (though two this time, not three like before and now inside the terminal building, apparently because of CISF instructions). The usual escort from entry to check-in, through security and immigration into the First section of the lounge and then again from the lounge to the gate.

Major changes I noticed

• There is now a coaster or tray for every single service item.
• Each item was removed from the packaging in the galley before it was brought out. And no zip lock bagged cutlery.
• New tablecloths that now matched the size of the table (and were properly ironed, unlike Air France)
• The Etihad logo was no longer displayed on the seatside control screen
• Everything was Air India branded or at least had the AI logo and a "packed especially for Air India" including the box of tissues, hand wash etc. The quality of the slippers and blanket is improved.

​
But most significant of all was the performance of the crew. Efficient and attentive.... Really outstanding, nearly flawless service.

Regular refills, no at seat training (the supervisor stood a reasonable distance away and observed, but we didn't hear a peep). What a contrast from the hopeless performance on both my flights just a couple of months ago.


It seems to be a combination. Per my conversation with the crew, if they even break the seal of the service cart before the doors are closed, then technically it counts as domestic provision / consumption, so import duty and state excise become applicable. How accurate that is and how it can ever be enforced I have no idea!

In any event, this time I asked the welcome party woman to see if there was any way to ask for the wines to be chilled. Not sure if it was actually conveyed, but the champagne was indeed chilled when served right after takeoff as was the white later on with the meal!

​​​​​​​The Tumi amenity kits were offered on my flight. I didn't take one, but definitely no Ferragamo and no shortage.

The customs rules are simple and the same the world over: The duty free stuff needs to stay in sealed carts until doors close. Some airlines routinely violate this and don't give a rodents behind (eg Emirates, maybe because DXB in general is a duty free zone) but thats the rule.

Just a quick one... I had friends in Business on the flight the day before I flew (which was on the same aircraft) as well as on the Nasty O'clock flight the day of my flight (meaning a different aircraft).

Both were on the ex Etihad planes.

Both sets of friends had the same thing to report.... Complete sh*t show. Many seats didn't work, cabin lights wouldn't go off in parts of the plane and wouldn't come on in other parts. PTV not working for dozens of people. Clueless, incompetent crew. Disgustingly presented and worse tasting food. 1.5 hours between drinks. Several people refused their meal / beverage refill because they had already waited over an hour since service supposedly started.

The only saving grace was that both flights were on time.

Basically, the AI of old. Amazing how they managed to improve the F experience and degrade the J experience so drastically in such a short time!

Yes, some certainly ignore it. And some choose to bear the cost of the taxes.
My return LHR-BOM had (not chilled) champagne being offered as soon as people took their seats. So it depends - all airlines have a choice because they aren't generally forbidden.

Just booked Air India and Vistara SFO-DEL in F and DEL-HYD. 140K Air Canada points but there is a 20% transfer bonus from Chase (So 112K points). The other option is potentially QR with 215K Alaska miles. This is for the weekend before thanksgiving. So busy travel season. The aircraft is 77L. I don't care about the IFE (I am blind and I got my own audio books, etc). I just want a Comfortable seat for the long flight and toilets that work. I will keep looking for other options but any recent experiences on SFO-DEL on the 77Ls?

No matter how much the hard product in F and J changes and despite new ads, uniforms and livery, the likelihood of the deeply ingrained, dysfunctional service culture at ALL levels of the Air India machine changing, is like hoping for a spontaneous reversal of climate change without humans and governments changing their habits.

So just a quick update here as I flew the two segments. I'm mostly a business class flyer these days, so I'm not super hard to please (in my opinion), but this whole experience was just bad, and all in a very Air India kind of way.

First - Ground service in BOM and DEL was non-existent. My domestic segment was downgraded from a 777 to a 787 a couple of months ago, so I'm not sure if that was a contributor to the issue, but when I checked in at BOM, the agent could not even figure out how to get me checked in for the flight because it was a Lifemiles redemption and hence not on AI ticket stock. After consulting with a supervisor, she got it done, but didn't explain anything, even basic stuff, like the Biz class security line, the lounge details, etc.

The BOM-DEL sector was supposed to depart at 21:00. Of course that time came and went with zero announcements and the flight status showing "on time" the entire time. Classic AI. Infuriating. If they could just make an announcement to tell you every fifteen to twenty minutes what is the status, I would be completely fine. Things happen and I just would like to know what is going on. But they act like everything is fine, and just don't say anything.

The flight itself was fine (biz class) and we ended up landing about an hour behind schedule. We ended up at a remote stand, so I was thinking that with an hour late and a remote stand, there might be someone waiting for me. There was not. Fine, whatever. I started making my way through the transit passenger process, and this is not AI's fault at all, but that process really is horrible. There was only 3 immigration officers processing, and they move at one speed, and that speed is not fast. And even with so few people working passport control, there was still a (long) queue to get through re-screening. The whole experience took just over another hour to get from off the bus to the gate. The thing is, while I was going through the transit process, there was other AI F passengers with escorts helping them get through (marginally) faster. I'm not sure if I didn't get the service because I had a redemption ticket, because I reached DEL in business class, or if they just forgot about me, but I found it more annoying that some people got the service and not sure why I did not (and there was at least two in the transit process, so it clearly wasn't because they were originating in DEL).

After boarding the DEL-ORD aircraft, I was escorted to my seat from the FA, and wow, basically everything everyone says about this aircraft is true. Old, run down, barely functional, just sad. I can't believe that AI can sell these seats for basically the same price as other carriers.

The pre departure service is pomegranite juice or lassi. No champagne on the ground. Once in the air, and as mentioned by someone else up thread, I asked for a glass of champagne and it was served warm, not sure what is the deal with that. I think it might be how the flight is catered as later in the flight I had some red wine and it was actually a little too chilled, so maybe the bottles are boarded in the carts without being kept cool in advance.

On our departure, all 4 seats were taken. I was seated in 1K, there was a couple traveling together in the center and a single woman in 1A who was one of the people that I saw in transit process with an AI escort.

I did receive the new Tumi amenity kit and pajamas, along with slippers. Headphones were distributed along with paper menu cards and wine list. The IFE selection was horrible. There was literally one english TV show and maybe 8 in Hindi. The movie list was a little bit better with a couple of pages and some newer stuff in both English and Hindi. The inflight moving map did not work (was showing some error message), so there wasn't really any way to keep track of how long was left in the flight. I found that kind of annoying, I wish that the screen would at least just say how much time remaining until landing.

The F service was fine from the crew and they were always happy to help whenever asked. Their normal meal flow is to serve a snack after take off, a breakfast service mid-flight and a 'main meal' before landing. I asked if they could serve the main meal mid-flight instead of the breakfast and they were happy to accommodate that (I skipped the pre-landing meal as I usually do). The food itself was fine, but certainly nothing special.

We landed in ORD on time (a little early actually), and there was nothing special about our deplaning or processing into the US. My bag was one of the first ones off the belt, whether that was luck or intentional, I will never know.

As I mentioned in my initial post, I was doing it more for the novelty than the luxury, and now I can cross off the experience from my list and not need to repeat it again....

I always say that the first time you fly Air India, it is their fault. The second time you fly Air India it is your fault. So I accept the blame on this completely :-)

Haha... that's as AI as AI gets. Thanks, that's a good trip report.

Nobody flies AI F for the experience... especially on the older 77Ws. You fly AI F for 2 reasons, both of which require you to have already selected AI for your travel:
1. Your company is paying for it... so why slum it in J
2. A very very small amount of additional miles required for F vs. J with your FFP.

AI F (and in some ways J) should have been the first things AI fixed given they are attempting to become a premium brand. But especially F, after all these years is still just all over the place. It's terrible.

Just sad to read these reports. I used to fly AI in the 70s/80s as an unaccompanied minor, and I recall getting better service flying coach then than I have in J/F on US airlines. Singapore Airlines even modeled some aspects of AIs service from that era. ...But that was before the dead hand of the Indian govt took over.

For "old times sake" I elected to fly AI paid F roundtrip a few years ago and it was a disaster, so I have just stayed away....