Amid complaints, Air India announces new feature to ease pain of check-in hassle for passengers

Amid ongoing complainants against poor services, Air India on September 30 announced a new feature to ease the pain of check-in rush for its passengers. The Tata Group owned airline said that passengers, who book its flights can now complete their check-in process at Delhi metro stations and save time and hassle. 

According to a post on X, passengers can now check-in for domestic and international flights at New Delhi and Shivaji Stadium Metro stations. “The service will be operational between 0700 Hrs - 2100 Hrs,” it added. 

The airline’s latest announcement came against the backdrop of several complaints from passengers, including Indian-American composer Ricky Kej, who publicly blasted Air India after he had to allegedly wait for nearly an hour over the payment of his excess baggage at the airport. 

In a post on X, Kej, a three-time Grammy winner, said it was apparently the fifth time in a year that he faced an issue with the airline. 

“I am certain a few people will troll me, asking me why I keep doing this to myself... travel through such a terrible airline, but I will continuously give them chances and criticize them for errors, till they improve,” he wrote on September 29. 

Air India’s response said it “regretted inconvenience to the customer” and it takes “feedback seriously”. 

Earlier this month, an Indian-American passenger, Anip Patel, CEO of CaPatel Investments, recently took to Instagram to express his disappointment with Air India‘s business class service during a non-stop flight from New Delhi to Chicago. Describing his experience as a “nightmare,” Patel revealed that he paid $6,300 for what he considered the “worst first-class cabin” he had ever encountered. 

Air India later issued a full refund to Patel. 

Many travellers have criticised the Tata Group airline for the poor condition of its aircraft, particularly on long international routes where first-class passengers pay top prices. Complaints of encounter broken seats, non-functional entertainment systems, and limited food options have been highlighted by passengers. 

A passenger on an Air India flight from Delhi to New York on September 17 reported finding a cockroach in her breakfast. Suyesha Savant, who was traveling with her 2-year-old child, posted a video on Instagram showing the insect in her omelette. In a later update, she also stated that her child got food poisoning as a result of eating the meal. “We’ve always stuck with Air India despite its issues, but this was too much. Now, we’re dreading our return flight,” she wrote.

In January, another Air India passenger found a piece of metal in his meal, an incident the airline attributed to a malfunctioning vegetable processing machine.