Air India to Europe

Well, I've never flown Air India, but a Scottish friend of mine did years ago. He was quite happy with the flight (it was super cheap) but then he also loved curry!

Super cheap and curry sound pretty good to me.

I flew AI from Chicago to Frankfurt in spring 2007. I had a post on this but can't seem to find it. Here's a quick version...

Pros: Inexpensive and relatively decent flight experience.

Con 1: Delays! My flight there was 1 hr delayed and my return flight was 8 hrs delayed (they rebooked me on American). Don't make a short connection and have a backup plan if your flight is delayed. Research other airlines' schedules so you know what to ask for if your flight is significantly delayed. (If you plan to ask for a rebooking, go to the ticketing desk, not the check-in desk.)

Con 2: Crowds! People going to India bring everything including the kitchen sink. Counters are also understaffed. Expect to wait a long time for check in, boarding, etc (with hundreds of people carrying several oversized suitcases).

Other potential issues: ask for a priority bag tag (so yours don't get lost among the hundreds of others) and, um, be aware of fellow passengers' hygiene on the return flight (8 hours on a flight from India to London plus packing/driving/waiting in the heat can make one a bit stinky)

All in all, you get what you paid for. I would do it again, but if there were an alternative within $50-100 I'd probably take that instead.

Hope that helps...

Paul,

What excellent sounding advice. It is consitent with much of what I've been hearing since I began asking around about the airline two days ago.

When I spent a semester in London a few years ago, my boyfriend (and now husband) came to visit. He flew Air India roundtrip from O'Hare to London. It was by far the cheapest flight he could find. I think overall, he had a good experience. But his one complaint, like the other poster, was that the flight was extremely crowded, with lots of kids running everywhere.