| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Jaysit
Member
Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Posts: 4346
|
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
sumantra
Member
Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 4685
Location: New Delhi
|
 Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 8:31 am Post subject: Re: AI First on a 77W (DEL-ORD) (Trip Report found on the n |
 |
|
| Jaysit wrote: | Looks like things are still as bad as they've always been.
This guy seems to have had enjoyed the anthropological adventure of it all, though. |
Sanjay, thank you for pointing us to the TR. Yes, the worn-out hardware, and the lack of proper presentation. It must hurt people like you,since you have seen the best of AI during JRD's time. I have experienced a bit of the J class offering now, but only domestically, which I shall write about (and that too, on much older hardware: the A332, which I unfortunately got in place of the usual, and best J offering: on the B777s). Yes, the human touches, and the food in general: perhaps remain the best of the AI experience, and I guess, thank God for that. On my last AI 127 DEL-ORD trip, the loads were 03-35-303 (and all revenue passengers, to boot: I overheard this from the gate agents), and they did not give any gate upgrades to quite a few *A status members, simply because there was no space. This is perhaps AI's best-performing flight at the moment, a notch above the AMD-BOM-EWR-BOM-AMD AI 191/144 combination, which is perhaps still load-restricted due to the disgusting BOM billboards issue.
Cheers, Sumantra. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
justbala
Member
Joined: 11 Jan 2007
Posts: 1898
Location: Bangalore
|
| Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 2:44 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| The meals look atrocious!! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Jaysit
Member
Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Posts: 4346
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 1:54 am Post subject: |
|
|
It's like expecting the cook and a bearer of a Himachal Pradesh Daak Bungalow from 1960 to create an Etihad First Class experience with no training.
Full marks to the Gora passenger who was empathetic and kind enough to appreciate the efforts of the two FAs. They seemed like two well-intentioned uncles who spent half their lives working at a Hindustan Petroleum canteen in Solan, finally getting their jobs at AI through their well connected chaacha or bhatija.
But First Class this was not. It wasn't even up to Business Class standards of any major carrier. Even PIA (no big star in the inflight services dept) deliver a more refined experience in their J Class than AI does in First.
The whole thing looked so sad. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
sumantra
Member
Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 4685
Location: New Delhi
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 6:38 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Jaysit wrote: | | It's like expecting the cook and a bearer of a Himachal Pradesh Daak Bungalow from 1960 to create an Etihad First Class experience with no training. |
Your similies are always fun to read, Sanjay! On the other hand, at AI, the situation will sadly not come to the lofty JRD levels anytime soon. JRD had paid so much attention to little details in the service, to make his airline, the best in the world. Very little of that legacy is left behind, after the airline was wrenched from his loving and caring hands.
Cheers, Sumantra. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Nimish
Member
Joined: 16 Dec 2006
Posts: 9757
Location: Bangalore, India
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 10:34 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I liked the attitude of the author, he's truly taking this as an adventure and enjoyed the positive aspects. That being said, any exec paying $10K for a F return will be aghast with this service - it seems like it's designed only for the babu-mantri service standards.
The sooner AI shuts down F, the better
The sooner GoI shuts down AI, the better
_________________
We miss you Nalini! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
sumantra
Member
Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 4685
Location: New Delhi
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 10:49 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Nimish wrote: | | I liked the attitude of the author, he's truly taking this as an adventure and enjoyed the positive aspects. |
Well said, Nimish.
| Nimish wrote: | | The sooner AI shuts down F, the better |
There is some demand on this sector (I saw 3-35-303 on 25 Aug'14: no one got an upgrade, much to the disappointment of some *A status holders on the flight) AI 127, on , as well as LHR, among a few. The Dream)liners on most routes as the future face of AI will effectively see J+Y on most international sectors. Good for the taxpayer.
| Nimish wrote: | | The sooner GoI shuts down AI, the better |
That would end the drain on the taxpayer's hard-earned money, but this will not happen. Anytime in the foreseeable future.
Cheers, Sumantra. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
sri_bom
Member
Joined: 22 Dec 2006
Posts: 2365
Location: Singapore
|
| Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 12:21 pm Post subject: |
|
|
An honest assement of the state of affairs at Air-India. I have to say the traveller had been extremely positivie in spite of the shortcomings.
Thanks for sharing the link.
Srinivas. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Jaysit
Member
Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Posts: 4346
|
| Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2015 8:31 am Post subject: |
|
|
It has precious little to do with restoring AI to the mythical standards that JRD established for the airline.
It's about adopting contemporary service standards expected by passengers dishing out $5000-10,000 for a R/T ticket circa 2014. It's about training staff to deliver such services. It's about maintenance of a premium product. It's about getting your FAs to look professional and not like some guy who's dolling out bhutta on Worli seaface in monsoon season. And for crying out loud, it's about serving chivda and ketchup in a bowl, and not in a packet. Even an Irani restaurant in Colaba knows that.
And it's not as if Indian carriers can't do that today. Kingfisher may have been run by a fool, but that fool at least let his minions create a superior standard of service. And despite a few people on here who rail on about Jet, the airline delivers an excellent inflight F & J product on its long haul flights that's up there with the best. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
sumantra
Member
Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 4685
Location: New Delhi
|
| Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2015 2:33 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Jaysit wrote: | | It's about adopting contemporary service standards expected ...Kingfisher...create a superior standard of service...Jet, the airline delivers an excellent inflight F & J product on its long haul flights |
Point taken Sanjay: agree completely. The lofty JRD standards would be too tough to even try for, a more contemporary set of standards is not impossible to achieve. Till then (if that ever happens in AI), Thank God for the great food, and some from-the-heart service, at least in the Plebian Y, which is what I patronise.
Cheers, Sumantra. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
sumantra
Member
Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 4685
Location: New Delhi
|
| Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2015 10:25 pm Post subject: |
|
|
...and just to add: the immense change towards the better especially under Team Nandan has been nothing short of amazing, given the dark days of the airline till about the mid-2000s. Customer service has taken an up-turn, the overall experience is good, the Delhi hub is functioning quite well, the *A membership happened: all this still gives me hope.
Cheers, Sumantra. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
stealthpilot
Member
Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Posts: 2325
Location: BLR, DXB
|
| Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2015 7:35 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Wow ketchup in packets .... + much much more 
Definitely a once in a lifetime miles burn no way that's a competitive product. I agree with a few other members AI should stick with J and Y only.
On the plus side, there's a positive TR on airliners.net BLR-DEL on AI 787 J (then DEL-GOI-BOM on 6E and 9W)
_________________
eP007 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
