20 Things I Hated About My Air India Business-Class Flight to NYC
For more on Air India's 777-300ER, see our full review.
I know, that headline sounds pretty harsh... but this was a rough flight. Not so much the turbulence (though there was plenty of that); Air India's business-class product is decades behind the competition, and not something I could imagine having been happy flying even way back when it was brand new.
Although it sure looks special in this legendary Air India ad:
So, joking aside, why in the world did I redeem 80,000 precious United MileagePlus miles to fly business class on Air India? Like many of us who haven't had the same in-flight experience over the past few weeks, I have the electronics ban to blame.
But what sense does that make? Air India isn't affected by the electronics ban... except that it is. Passengers traveling from India to the US who have booked flights on Emirates, Etihad and Qatar in the past (for cheaper fares and a far better in-flight experience) are now looking elsewhere following the ban, since you can still bring a laptop on board nonstop flights from other cities, like Delhi (an Air India hub).
In fact, according to the airline, bookings have doubled since the ban went into effect — Air India has even cited the ban as the reason behind its recent decision to expand US service. And while Air India's 787 business class seems half-decent, I haven't heard great things about the airline's 777-300ER business class, and there aren't any recent reviews to speak of, either.
So, since apparently many more people — business travelers, especially — have been booking Air India to the US recently, I figured now was as good a time as any to give it a try.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUFdvnrBN3M
My full review is coming soon, but I wanted to share some initial impressions while they're still fresh in my mind. So without further ado, here are 20 (yes, TWENTY) things I hated about yesterday's Air India business-class flight to New York-JFK.
1. Air India made me sick. And no, not air sick. I spent much of yesterday in agony after stuffing my face with the airline's 5:00am "lunch" service. I don't think it was food poisoning, necessarily, but I've never had issues with Indian food on other airlines. The food actually tasted pretty good, so I didn't hold back. Big mistake.
2. There wasn't any healthy food. This is an issue on other airlines, too, but almost everything on the menu (and off the menu) had a significant fat component... each dish was very caloric.
3. No menus until the end of the flight. The first two meals were a surprise... an Indian meat "snack" at 3:00am Delhi time and "breakfast" served on-demand halfway through (oddly, I wasn't even offered my pick of breakfast entree, even though at least two options were available). The "lunch" served at 4:00am New York time was the first that came along with a menu.
4. There was no drink list. This might sound fairly minor, but liquor is important to many premium-cabin travelers — and while a cart did appear for the final pre-landing meal, the rest of the flight was by request, so you really needed to know what to order. I asked about the wine selection and was offered a choice of "white or red." When I pushed for more details about which white wines were available, the flight attendant's response was something along the lines of "an Indian white and... another white." That's not tremendously helpful.
5. The entertainment system was at least a decade old. Air India offers on-demand entertainment, but the system is terribly sluggish, the content is very limited (there were just 10 "English" new releases) and the image quality is poor at best.
6. My IFE kept freezing. I frequently ended up with a blank white screen, and needed the system to be reset — it took at least 20 minutes to come back online.
7. The remote was broken, too. Like, physically broken. Check out the screen below. It also stopped working a half dozen times during the flight, which meant I couldn't press the flight attendant call button or turn on (or off) my overhead light — or select/play/pause content, since the IFE monitor wasn't a touchscreen.
8. The air show didn't work. And not just for me — it seemed to be down for everyone on the plane. For the first time in several years, I had no idea where we were in the world, though fortunately one of the content screens offered a time-to-arrival countdown.
9. My power outlet was broken. Because why not? I could have watched movies on my laptop, but the battery wouldn't have gotten me through more than two films or a few TV shows.
10. I had a middle seat. Yes, in business class. Most airlines offer either 1-2-1 seating or 2-2-2 on the Boeing 777, though United still has 777s flying with 2-4-2 seats in biz. 2-3-2 is pretty rough, too, and that's what I flew on Air India.
11. My seat was very uncomfortable. As if being stuck in the middle wasn't bad enough, the fact that I couldn't get comfortable while sitting upright, reclined or lying flat didn't help the situation one bit.
12. There wasn't any storage. I picked a bulkhead row for us, which didn't help, but seats in the other rows had very little storage space, too. I ended up keeping loose items in a plastic bag tucked into the tiny bulkhead pocket. I had even considered storing things in my shoes. Yeah, it was that bad.
13. This is how Air India repairs broken seats. Yeah, with tape. At the airline's main hub, even (where mechanics could have easily completed repairs between flights).
14. The controls weren't clearly labeled. I have experience with many airplane seats, and I had trouble figuring out how to make even basic adjustments.
15. And some didn't work. I needed to press the lie-flat button just to get my seat to recline a bit.
16. The seat was filthy. Check out that towel. That's what it looked like after wiping down my seat. Enough said.
17. The seat divider was even dirtier. I think this picture of my sister's response says it all:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUFfWv6BUpd/
18. The bathroom was a mess, too. While flight attendants on US-based airlines aren't known to touch up the lav during a long-haul flight, many international airlines do. But not Air India.
19. Award redemptions are a "cluster." I wasn't able to see availability on this flight on United or Aeroplan's site, but a United supervisor was able to confirm space after working at it for 30 minutes or so. Some of Air India's other flights show up online, and seem easy for agents to track down, so there must be something wacky going on with the US nonstops specifically.
20. My mom and sister were flying with me. I loved having them on the flight, but I really felt like I let them down, especially considering this was the end to an otherwise fantastic trip that included a long-haul flight on Qatar's A350 and five nights in an overwater villa at the St. Regis Maldives. Sorry guys!
Bottom Line
All that said, there were some things I liked about the flight. The cabin was kept cool (and there were overhead vents), the comforter was comfortable, there was plenty of food (too much, even), the amenity kit was unique (it included a full bar of soap, which... isn't something you'd use on a plane) and we arrived — safely — almost 30 minutes early. But would I fly Air India's 777-300ER again? NO. No no no no no. No! No. NO.
Stay tuned for the full review... it's sure to be a hoot.
Have you flown Air India's 777-300ER?
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.