Is there really a big time savings to taking this AI route versus, say, Cathay?

SFO-HKG-BOM is 9570 miles. If there's any layover, HKG is a great place to have one.

SFO-LAX-FRA-BOM is 10208 miles. Farther (though not by much), but you also have layovers in LAX (a terrible place for a layover) and in FRA.

My Cuz just flew AI last Thursday EWR-COK, and said was the worst experience ever... And told me to avoid it, I told him he should have listened to me and avoided AI..

Completely agree flew that Buss class on the s/haul between AMD-BOM--absolutely amazing aircraft and proffessional crew

Did you test the Washrooms in the back just for verification purposes. The masses do travel in the back you know. So sitting upfront does not explain the OP's frustration.

Oh my rkrishnan, sorry to hear about this quite horrific experience with AI and I wish the rest of your family a smoother return to the US. Very interesting report about an airline that is quite unfamiliar to me. Seems like a combination of airline services on a decline, and some bad luck as well. Also, as you probably realized, the T. Bradley Terminal at LAX really isn't a pleasant place to commence a trip from, especially when traveling on economy. Hope you have better flight experiences in the future. At least now you know for sure which airline not to take on your next flight back to India .

I did a bit of research using raw data collected through AI's systems and other sources and it appears that AI 136 LAX-FRA-BOM/DEL is the most delayed flight in the system with a shocking 98.5% irregular operation or delays since May (note that these statistics are unofficial and due to non-standard sources of the raw data may not be entirely accurate).

The best longhaul flight in the system for 2005 is AI 130 LHR-BOM (formerly AI 160) which operates in excess of 90% on-time (using a mixture of 744/772/343 equipment).

[QUOTE=B747-437B]<snip> it appears that AI 136 LAX-FRA-BOM/DEL is the most delayed flight in the system with a shocking 98.5% irregular operation or delays since May <snip>

That is truly shocking! Can this be traced to AI's equipment shortage and accompanying scheduling woes, owing to G.O.I. VIP charters?
As an agent, I sell AI frequently, but I've been advising clients travelling on business to avoid AI this summer for this reason.

1 flight left on time?

And I though cancelling my itinerary was painful. It only took me 4 weeks and 10 phone calls.

I majority of pax who flew AI on LHR-BOM and BOM-LHR seem to be satisfied with the service. I think its only the LAX-FRA-BOM route that has received all the bad reviews.

Partly, but not entirely. The May schedule was thrown off due a tailstrike on VT-ESO that wound up with her being grounded in LAX for almost 3 weeks. Then VT-AIM wound up with a lavatory problem that led to a forced overnight followed soon after by a radome issue on VT-AIM again that led to another forced overnight. With VT-AIM as the only DEL based 747 (the only other DEL based longhaul a/c are 777s), a single delay affects the AI 137/136 route for a week since the aircraft is on a 6-day captive rotation. VT-AIM also had to make a diversion to YWG sometime during June. Then VT-AIL wound up coming into LAX for an engine change and most recently VT-EVJ is grounded in LAX due to a hydraulics problem.

Largely just bad luck on the LAX flights recently. Nothing else in the system comes even close to producing reliability numbers this horrendous.

I feel sorry for AI, here read more trip reports;


http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/air_india.htm

Even before reading the report, I vowed to avoid AI at all costs. I have never heard anything good about them and their safety record leaves a lot to be desired. See www.airsafe.com.

B747-437B, Since AI is included in roughly 75-80% of the RTW itineraries I book, the info you provide here and in other forums (I also lurk on Airliners.net occasionally) is truly invaluable! Thank you!

@ rkrishnan and all:
Thanks for your insight. I was quite intrigued to try AI on an upcoming trip to India, but now will stick to LH.

Cheers,
Torsten

I think every airline has its day ... recently I heard horrible experiences of my friend and his family with CX where CX lost their luggage both ways. That seemed incredible but its true. Truely AI has more days than others, recently my folks came to US from India and they had a very pleasant experience. The flight was on time, they flew MUM-DEL-FRA-ORD. The food was good, the service was good too and they flew coach.

One point I would like to make regarding the restrooms being dirty, I think we should point more towards the passengers than the crew, the passengers in AI lack the basic civic sense to clean the basin and flush the toilet after their usage (they think they are in India as they are flying AI and conviniently lose their civic sense). The same set would behave much more in a civilised way in any non-indian airline. That has been my observation. For the same reason Devon in Chicago, Edison in NJ, Jackson Hts in NY, Artesia in LAX, Mustafa in Singapore is so dirty compared with the areas around.

Thanks and feel bad for krishna.

GRR_Flier