Frustrating experience with Air India

I have been openly critical of IndiGo’s and have often said, half-jokingly, that if I have a choice, I would rather walk than take an IndiGo (InterGlobe Aviation Ltd) flight. ​ Ever Since the takeover by Tata Group I have preferred Air India Limited Over the last few months, I have come across considerable criticism of Air India’s service levels on social media. I had often dismissed it as possibly exaggerated criticism or even an attempt to discredit the airline. I genuinely believed that under the Tata Group, Air India would put the customer first. Today, I experienced something very different ​ I had an important hearing at the Supreme Court of India on a matter of significant social importance. Reaching Delhi on time was therefore not a matter of convenience, it was essential. I had booked a morning Air India flight. ​ Yesterday, I received a message saying that my flight had been rescheduled by 30 minutes. I immediately contacted customer care and explained the situation, asking whether I could be accommodated on another flight trying to explain why the timing was critical. The response was, or rather the lack of it was disappointing. ​ I reached out through DM on Twitter/X. There was no response. When I posted publicly, I was asked to share my details. I did so promptly. Again, silence. Finally after a long exchange on DM as well an public, Late at night, I was finally told that cancellation charges would be 11000. I had no option but to cancel my travel. ​ In the morning I discovered something even more frustrating. The flight had not been rescheduled. It had been cancelled. There is a fundamental difference between rescheduling a flight and cancelling. The airline claimed "Reschedule" only to avoid refunding the tickets. ​ The most disappointing part was not even the cancellation. Flights can get cancelled. It was the absence of empathy, urgency, ownership and most importantly Integrity- The hallmark of a Tata Company. ​ A great airline is not defined only by how smoothly things operate when everything goes right. It is defined by how it stands beside its customer when something goes wrong. ​ I hope someone in the organisation looks into this, not merely as a complaint about one cancelled flight, but as a question of customer trust. Because when a customer chooses you over the alternatives based on the trust associated with your brand, that trust is something you cannot afford to take for granted. ​ Jai Hind