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Two years after the Tata Group’s acquisition of Air India, my spouse and I tested the “new” Air India on a flight from New York JFK to Mumbai. This service is operated almost exclusively via former Air India Boeing 777-200LRs.
Delta upgraded the 777 cabins in 2018, introducing Delta One suites in executive elegance and Premium Select premium economy, only to the floor and then to airplanes at the start of the Covid pandemic. Since then, Air India has leased five of those -LRs, retaining the Delta product and style, without logos.
Interestingly, Delta’s latest -LR included the same direct JFK-Mumbai address that we discovered flying in mid-January 2024 with Air India.
But let’s get back to the booking process. Air India’s new, modern and famous online page is a far cry from the old replaced online page!Booking is a breeze with an unbeatable $700 economy round-trip trip.
On the day of travel, check-in went smoothly, despite Air India juggling two fully loaded flights to India through a bank counter at JFK Terminal 4.
Although boarding started only 15 minutes prior to departure, we were only 10 minutes behind schedule and were informed that the schedule coincided perfectly with our assigned departure time by ATC. In fact, the efficient boarding procedure is a far cry from the quiet reputation the airline had before Tata’s arrival.
The seats and much of the CMF (color, materials, finish) are all Delta. The economy and stylish seats are upholstered in the familiar blue leather upholstery and soft grey thermoplastics. Legroom is average, but seat width is above average based on aircraft configuration. in a 3-3-3 configuration that supports PaxEx (compared to a more up-to-date design).
Two power outlets are shared for three seats in economy class, while the IFE model has a USB port to meet additional charging needs.
Unfortunately, we also saw too much of the “old” Air India on this flight. The first beverage and snack service, 30 minutes after takeoff, curiously came from a half-full cart that was missing several drink options. This temporarily followed a random food service that missed our line.
Despite everything we were served food, a smile, a shrug and a “that happens sometimes” comment. This positive and negative theme continued the flight, and each service felt fast and chaotic.
What is irreproachable is the regularity of the service. We won two full meals, a hot snack, two sets of drinks compromised with copious amounts of tea, coffee and water, all served with the old Air India branding. Still, the meals were mediocre. on this flight, and I dare say they were even worse than the pre-acquisition quality I’ve experienced in the past.
Our flight was unfortunately ruined by inflight lighting that remained on at full brightness for the entire 13.5hr duration, apparently due to a frozen touchscreen on the cabin management system.
Without glasses (personal note), it’s hard to sleep. In addition, the luminous cabin meant that most passengers were awake and running, looking to pass the time as we crossed continents.
Any form of moving card in the IFE formula is also conspicuous by its absence. Instead, we had a rudimentary flight prestige display with a countdown timer, which is certainly more than anything.
There were other curiosities. The in-flight protection video, for example, showed scenes of old Air India 777s with Delta’s new cabin assembled.
The IFE variety is also less generous than the world-class library the airline has pledged to offer. To be honest, we previously flew in January 2024, before the changes were announced.
The Wi-Fi on board, as expected, was also not present. Frankly, I appreciated the Netflix content preloaded on my iPad.
We arrived into Mumbai some 25 minutes early, and our bags were speedily delivered to the luggage carousel. Thus we ended a trip of contradictions. Old and new branding. Pleasant but disorganized service. Modern but malfunctioning lighting. An IFE system begging for new software and more content, which Air India has assured is coming.
The list could go on.
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson recently cited that Vistara, which will merge with Air India, will continue to operate independently until Air India reaches an “appropriate level. “
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Featured symbol credited to Karun Mukhi
Karun Mukhi is a man whose days are busy working in content, UX, internet design, marketing, and SEO. In his spare time, he pursues his interests in aviation, sports travel, electric vehicles, and cycling. Karun started his career in India, and I was fortunate enough to witness the immediate growth. . . Read more