Is Air India Worth It?

Air India: to fly or not to fly?

The first thing you hear online about Air India is that the planes are dirty and the food is bad. Yes, it is a budget airline, but that does not make it automatically a bad choice. Air India operates in the same way that every other international airline does. 

In total, I have taken four flights through Air India (two of them being over fifteen hours each). I was pleasantly surprised by the airline on all four of my flights. Here, I will dig into the common factors people look at when deciding to fly with Air India:

Timeliness 9/10

Three out of the four flights I took on Air India were on time. The only flight I took with them that was delayed was from Delhi to Chennai, which was only a one-hour delay – not bad at all. The weather conditions were good around all of the flights, so that might explain why we didn’t have many delays, but airlines can’t control the weather to begin with. Air India goes the extra mile to make sure you aren't gonna spend a whole day at the airport.

Cleanliness 7/10

In terms of general cleanliness, Air India gets a 7/10, but in terms of airplane cleanliness Air India would get a 9/10. People always assume Air India is flat-out filthy, and sites like Business Insider have made this claim too. However, Air India is on a par with the other airlines like United. You aren't going to walk on the plane and think "This is dirty," but I would recommend bringing disinfecting wipes as always -- this goes for any airline. I always suggest wiping down your seat, armrests, screen, and any handles thoroughly. The bathrooms get just as dirty as on any other plane, but the flight attendants do clean them frequently.

Customer Service 8/10

The flight attendants on this airline want everything to go smoothly and efficiently. They will help if you are looking for your seat, putting a bag up in the overhead, or need assistance throughout the flight. They are also fast when getting you drinks and they make sure you have snacks and water. I had a little cup of water on my flight from Delhi to Chicago, and I knew that wasn't going to cut it, so I found a flight attendant and she gave me a water bottle bigger than your average Ice Mountain bottle. 

Food 8/10

Airplane food is not the best to begin with, but Air India's food is not bad. They bring out more meals than your average airline, and they have plenty of options. Most people just aren't accustomed to the types of food you see on an Air India flight. Come open and prepared for noodles, potatoes, breads, and lots of spice. The food won't get you sick and the altitude does not change the flavors by much. If you plan on taking trains in India, then you will see a lot of similar food on the trains as you would have on the flights. 

Overall atmosphere 9/10 

As many of Air India's flights are longer than 10 hours, people make the best of the situation. You will see lots of people walking up and down the aisles, and they even recommend doing that so you don't have any medical problems from sitting down for so long and not having your blood moving. Take advantage of the flight to look out the windows (maybe see the Northern Lights), try new food, and meet new people who are on your flight. 

So, don't disregard Air India if you are flying to India or looking for a cheaper flight. You will be pleasantly surprised.