February 22nd 2025.
Today, I had to travel from Bhopal to Delhi for my official duties which included attending the inauguration of a farmer's fair in Pusa, a meeting for the Natural Farming Mission in Kurukshetra, and discussions with representatives of a farmers' organization in Chandigarh. I had booked my ticket on Air India's flight AI436 and was assigned seat number 8C. However, when I reached my seat and sat down, I realized that it was broken and sunk, making it very uncomfortable to sit on.
I immediately brought this to the attention of the crew, who informed me that the management was aware of the issue and that the seat should not have been sold to passengers in such a condition. To my disappointment, I noticed that several other seats on the flight were also in a similar state. Some fellow passengers even offered to switch seats with me, but I did not want to trouble anyone for my own comfort. So, I decided to complete my journey on the same defective seat.
I had hoped that the service of Air India would have improved after being taken over by the Tata Group, but unfortunately, that was not the case. What bothers me the most is not my own discomfort, but the fact that the airline charges passengers full fare and then makes them sit on defective and uncomfortable seats. This is not ethical and could be considered as deceiving passengers.
I wonder if the Air India management will take necessary steps to ensure that no passenger faces such discomfort in the future, or will they continue to exploit the urgency of passengers to reach their destination? As soon as my post about the incident went up on social media, the Civil Aviation Minister's office took swift action and instructed Air India to address the issue. They also assured me that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will also look into the matter promptly.
In response to my post, Air India apologized for the inconvenience and promised to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident. They stated that this incident does not reflect the standard of service they aim to provide and they will take necessary measures to prevent such incidents from happening again. They even replied to my post, expressing their regret and asking for a convenient time to connect with me.
However, I am not the only one who has faced such an issue with Air India. This raises concerns about the airline's maintenance and service standards. I hope the management takes this matter seriously and ensures that no passenger is inconvenienced in the future. The DGCA has also sought a report from Air India regarding the incident. I hope necessary actions will be taken to improve the overall experience of passengers flying with Air India.
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