Air India has recently been the centre of two high-profile controversies, with actor Tillotama Shome and hockey star Rani Rampal voicing their grievances over the airline’s poor service. While Shome expressed frustration over an extensive flight delay without communication, Rampal shared her disappointment about her damaged luggage.
Tillotama Shome Slams Air India for 8-Hour Flight Delay
Actor Tillotama Shome, who had a flight from Mumbai to London on Sunday, took to social media to lash out at Air India after the flight was delayed by more than eight hours. Sharing her ordeal on X (formerly Twitter), Shome highlighted the airline’s lack of communication or assistance during the delay, leaving passengers stranded without updates.
AI 129. @airindia flight to Heathrow. Delayed as of now from 5.15 am to 10am. No message, no calls from the airlines to notify passengers of the delay. Upon contacting AI, all they can say is sorry. Zero accountability and no solutions offered. India’s official airline
— Tillotama Shome (@TillotamaShome) October 6, 2024
She tweeted, “AI 129. @airindia flight to Heathrow. Delayed as of now from 5.15 am to 10 am. No message, no calls from the airline to notify passengers of the delay. Upon contacting AI, all they can say is sorry. Zero accountability and no solutions offered.”
Adding to the gravity of the situation, Shome revealed that some passengers, including a patient awaiting medical treatment in London, had been at the airport since early morning. Despite their urgent needs, no provisions or alternatives were provided, sparking concerns about the airline’s negligence.
Further venting her frustration, the actor questioned the legality of Air India’s lack of response, tweeting, “No hotel provided to sleep. No alternative flight options. Our luggage is checked in. Is this LEGAL? How are we being compensated?”
Rani Rampal’s Damaged Luggage Complaint
Around the same time, Indian hockey star and Padma Shri awardee Rani Rampal publicly expressed her disappointment with Air India after receiving her luggage in a severely damaged condition. Returning from Canada, Rampal shared an image of her broken suitcase on X, sarcastically thanking the airline for the “surprise.”
Thank you Air India for this wonderful surprise. This is how your staff treat our bags. On my way back from Canada to India this afternoon after landing in Delhi I found my bag broken.@airindia pic.twitter.com/xoBHBs0xBG
— Rani Rampal (@imranirampal) October 5, 2024
She tweeted, “Thank you Air India for this wonderful surprise. This is how your staff treat our bags.”
Rampal’s post quickly garnered attention, with several users sharing similar experiences of poor service and mishandling by the airline. Air India’s official account responded to her complaint, apologising for the inconvenience and requesting her ticket and luggage details to process the issue.
However, many users felt the airline’s response was too late and inadequate. One user commented, “Service of Air India is like this only. A few months back, I forgot to collect my expensive headphones from an Air India flight and immediately reported it via email, but I received no response to date. Worst.” Another added, “Air India needs to up its customer service and bring it to par with international standards.”
As more travellers share their dissatisfaction online, calls for Air India to improve its services, including timely updates, compensation protocols, and better handling of passengers’ luggage, are growing. While the airline has responded to both complaints, its delayed and insufficient responses have only amplified concerns about its commitment to customer service.
