BJP leader Jaiveer Shergill on Tuesday handed national carrier Air India a clean sweep of 'Oscar' awards in the "worst airlines" category, as he complained of broken seats and more. In a scathing X post, Mr Shergill said, "Flying Air India is not a pleasant experience but today (it) broke all records!"
"If there was an Oscar equivalent for WORST AIRLINES, Air India would win hands down in every category: > Broken Seats > Worst Staff >Pathetic "on Ground" Support Staff > Give two hoots attitude about customer service!" he said in a post made at 10.39pm.
The airline responded nine hours later, saying, "Dear Mr Shergill. We apologise for the inconvenience caused. Kindly share travel details with us via DM. We'll get in touch with you."
If there was an Oscar equivalent for WORST AIRLINES @airindia would win hands down in every category :
— Jaiveer Shergill (@JaiveerShergill) February 25, 2025
> Broken Seats
> Worst Staff
>Pathetic “on Ground” Support Staff
> Give two hoots attitude about customer service !
Flying Air India is not a pleasant experience but today…
The brief exchange led to a number of other Air India customers firing off concerns too, with one person labelling the airline "just horrible and pathetic" and another saying he had paid for a business class ticket but was allotted a seat in the economy section of the plane.
There were, however, many who also defended the airline, pointing out the now Tata-owned company is still upgrading its fleet and service standards post the takeover in January 2022.
The varied feedback aside, Mr Shergill's critical review is more bad news the airline didn't need, after Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan made complaints of his own.
Shivraj Chouhan Scolds Air India
In an X post last week, Mr Chouhan said he had been allotted a broken seat when he flew from Bhopal to Delhi (on a year-old Airbus A321). "I went and sat on the seat, the seat was broken and sunk in. Sitting was uncomfortable," the ex-Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister said.
"When I asked the airline staff why the seat had been allotted to me if it was bad... they told me the management had been informed that this seat was not good, and a ticket should not be sold. There is not just one such seat but many more..." he said in a long post in Hindi.
आज मुझे भोपाल से दिल्ली आना था, पूसा में किसान मेले का उद्घाटन, कुरुक्षेत्र में प्राकृतिक खेती मिशन की बैठक और चंडीगढ़ में किसान संगठन के माननीय प्रतिनिधियों से चर्चा करनी है।
— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) February 22, 2025
मैंने एयर इंडिया की फ्लाइट क्रमांक AI436 में टिकिट करवाया था, मुझे सीट क्रमांक 8C आवंटित हुई। मैं जाकर…
"My co-passengers requested me to change my seat... but why should I trouble another friend for my sake? I decided that I would complete my journey by sitting on this same seat."
Mr Chouhan then questioned the direction of the airlines under its new owners, calling them out for the "unethical" business practice of providing broken seats after customers pay full fare.
READ | "Asked For Action": Minister On Shivraj Chouhan's "Broken" Seat
As with Mr Shergill, the airline responded within hours. "Dear Sir, we apologise for the inconvenience caused. Please rest assured we are looking into this matter carefully to prevent such occurrences..."
Mr Chouhan's post also drew a response from cabinet colleague Ram Mohan Naidu, the Union Aviation Minster. Mr Naidu said he had spoken to Mr Chouhan and instructed the airline to take action.
Congress' Jab
The Congress flew in to take a shot at the ruling BJP and highlight issues in the aviation and railway sectors. Reposting Mr Chouhan's tweet, the party said: "Passengers are troubled in trains, passengers are distressed on planes. People keep complaining and keep making videos, but there is no action."
"Now, since Shivrajji has faced a problem and is tweeting -- maybe action will be taken on this."
Air India Returns To Tatas
Debt-laden Air India returned to the Tata's stables three years ago. The Tatas paid Rs 18,000 crore, of which Rs 2,700 crore was cash and the rest was a transfer of the staggering debts.
READ | "Dear Members Of Air India Family...": Tata Chief's Letter On Taking Over
Since then the airline has gone through extensive re-branding and seen its fleet upgraded, including a mega deal to buy 250 planes from European aerospace giant Airbus and another 220 from its rivals, Boeing. The purchase orders included options to buy 370 more planes.
The airline has also merged with another in the Tata stable - Vistara.
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