Air India - My Travel

When I tell my friends that I always travel in Air India, they laugh. Some even make fun of me. Probably, Air India has such credibility among the public.

As I started to travel often from Dimapur Nagaland, there are no much choices except Air India and Indigo. Of this two, I prefer Air India for the seating space it has. Indigo, as it is a budget carrier has disadvantages as against the lower price tag it claims to offer. You have to pay for the luggage if it exceeds 15 kg, the seats are cramped; width and leg space are very limited; you travel not only in a budget airline but also in budget space. It is okay if the travel is less than an hour otherwise find it difficult to be positioned in a pathetic situation, seated as if you were a Second World War criminal transported from Germany to Siberia...  Even to get a cup of water, sometimes you are at the mercy of the serving ladies called air-hostess or stewardess.

The advantages of AI, on the other hand, one can carry 25 Kg luggage and some meal/snacks or whatever you call it, is served during flights. At times coffee is served, sometimes water is served with snacks... I don't know the logic behind it, but it looked better than the Second World War forced cramped transportation. There is no much difference in the prices; probably in some sectors, the prices are low in Indigo. So started to love Air India and became a frequent flyer.

The funny thing about the frequent flyer program in AI is that one needs a Passport to register and your account is verified. I don’t understand the logic behind this... As my passport is expired and I am not a valid passport holder, I am not a verified, full-fledged Frequent Flyer... However, I am happy I started to get Flyer Miles. 

I remember my lost opportunity in Singapore airlines, as a KrisFlyer (Frequent Flyer in Singapore Airlines) in 2003, missed a chance to get a Business Class upgrade because one of my travel miles were not added. My repeated request to Singapore Airlines did not bear any fruit. Times have changed and the internet has made life easy for us and such difficulties I had in 2003 is not an issue today.

Coming to Air India Frequent Flyer program, I am slowly accumulating Flying Miles and wait for an opportunity to move to business class travel.  Why my brain is thinking about Business class travel... I tasted once in Malaysian Airlines and know the level of comfort offered... As the travel saying goes, “if you fly business class once, you would never be happy in economy again”.

There is a world of difference between Business Class travel and Economy Class. Airlines generally offer in Business class, welcome drinks in real glasses, wet towels to wipe, seated in a sofa like comforts with enough space to turn this side and that side, enough and more space to stretch your legs here and there, vegetarian or non-vegetarian meals of your choice served with proper stainless steel knives and forks, magazine, newspapers to read and relax. International flights will have much more to enjoy like the choice of drinks etc ... But you have to pay through your nose to enjoy this luxury in travel. Economy cattle class (in the words of Shashi Tharoor) is much cheaper whereas Business class in the Indian domestic sector is nearly five times expensive. For example, an economy class ticket from Kolkata to Bangalore costs 4 thousand to 5 thousand rupees (2019)  whereas Business Class ticket costs 22 to 26 thousand. The price difference is a real killer that turns away poor souls like me. Therefore, I am counting on my Flying Miles to get a free upgrade to Business Class. Before I could get enough flying miles for an upgrade, luck fell on my face.

I had my summer break travel from Dimapur to Kochi in July. It was a long travel, 3 flights, a lot of waiting time in between. Kolkata to Bangalore sector has Business Class seats in its Airbus A320 Sharklet flight. I received a few email alerts to pay 7500 rupees and get an upgrade to business class. My mind calculated that the total cost of all the three tickets is only 7700 rupees, why to pay 7500 just for a business class upgrade for a 2 hour 30 minutes domestic flight. So I did not entertain the offer.

I had a bad beginning at Dimapur Airport. Normally I prefer window seats and therefore selected a window seat 1F in the first flight by online. I failed to do so in the other two flights. I was the third person at the Dimapur boarding counter and requested the lady at the counter to offer me window seats in the Bangalore and Kochi flights too. When I collected the boarding pass, I got a different seat 4A in the first flight (fortunately it was a window seat) .... 21D for the Kolkata-Bangalore flight and, 16A for Kochi flight. 21D is not a window seat, fortunately not a middle seat. My heart was broken when I thought about my favorite  travel from Kolkata to Bangalore in Sharklet Airbus, not able to enjoy a window seat... 
Since it was Air India, without any emotions in the face and without any apology, the lady in the boarding-pass counter did not consider my request at all. She changed my first flight seat, she was not able to offer me a window seat in the second flight, still did not tell anything to me, at least a sorry or even mention that she changed my seat in the first flight. I was cursing the glorious Indian Culture and the courteous behavior of the Air India staff. 

I was about to board the Kolkata – Bangalore flight after some wait in the Kolkata Airport. When I gave my ticket for checking, the lady informed me that there is a change in the seat number. A flash of thought in my mind: 2 giant like fellows squeezing me in a middle seat... I thought that my 2 hours 30 minutes flight would be a real pain. My travel in my favorite Sharklet Airbus would be a memorable misery...

When I saw the corrected seat number from 21D to 2F I was not able to believe my eyes. I know that seat no 2 is Business Class, F is a window seat. As I walked towards the entrance of the flight in the sky bridge, I wore my reading glasses and check the seat number clearly. Is it 2F... confirmed. Interesting, I thought the luck fall on my face.

What next, I enjoyed my travel... sat comfortably, ate chicken curry, drank coffee, enjoyed reading the week magazine and slept a little bit... then I heard the Captain’s announcement in crumbled voice (usual emotionless, mid-range frequency voice)  in the PA system ‘Flight attendants, prepare for landing please’.

My silly mind started pondering over my Kochi flight and the seating arrangements there.