Nightmare flight. Air India business class review from Milan New Deli

"Sorry Matteo, but what are you complaining about with what you paid for the ticket you should still say thank you that you had a place to sit." this will be what you say at the end of this review, but of course things cannot be weighed that way, because everyone else, surely, did not pay so little for this ticket.

Specifications

Aircraft:

B787

Class:

Business

Treat:

MXP - DEL

Price:

425€

Book

I waited a few weeks longer than usual to publish this review because I wanted to connect it to the return flight, a way to show how things could change dramatically, but how at the same time the road ahead for Air India is still really long and perilous.

The ticket

This is Air India's only Italian route; Dreamliners arrive daily from New Deli.

TFC whatsapp channel subscribers. know, when there are interesting fares I immediately share them with all members. Not only the, increasingly rare, err fares, but also the prices that I think are significantly below average in the different cabins and for the most desperate destinations.

This note is the result of just such a situation: Malpensa to Australia via New Delhi at €1703 in business class. A price about €1,000 cheaper than the cheapest average price to fly to a destination, Oceania, where we rarely fly there in economy for less than €1,000 and where business from Italy never costs less than €3,000.

Air India is changing its skin

We have written about it several times, the former state company, Has returned to the ownership of the Tata group that founded it in the 1920s century, before selling it to the government.

Today is on the eve of a total renewal, has ordered just under 500 aircraft, revamped logo and image and launched the whole new onboard experience With the goal of reclaiming a place in the commercial aviation firmament, because I remember it if Air India had always been at the Top, probably Emirates, Qatar and Etihad  could not have been where they are today instead.

At the airport

We arrived just a few minutes before 5 p.m., the opening time for check-in; unfortunately, to fly to certain destinations you still need to go through the physical counters for document control.

To enter India you need a visa; to fly to Australia you need an ETA, which is an electronic authorization that costs 20 Australian dollars, about 12 euros.

Semi-deserted airport, which is normal since we left on October 19., not exactly a time of very high season. I say we are because this was our classic family vacation. From an early age I was accustomed by my parents to going on vacation off-season, partly because during the rest of the year my family worked in our family hotel.

I took the opportunity to go to the Pergolesi lounge, in Pier B of the terminal where I haven't been since before Covid. This lounge is the sister lounge of the Monteverdi and was renovated and reopened just this summer. Good choice because it was practically deserted and very quiet.

The boarding procedures were not perfect, indeed. The plane arrived 30 minutes late, and despite the gate attendants' attempts, the delay remained unchanged even upon departure.

Chaos reigned, despite the manager's efforts to arrange low-cost model boarding, that is, everyone lined up along the finger deck waiting for the green light to come from the plane. Too bad a 787 is not a 737, and the 80 or so extra passengers make a difference.

On board

The cabin was what I expected, all of the Indian carrier's fleet of 787s are outfitted in the same way.

The cabin is 2-2-2, the same one that is also on LOT, Turkish and many other carriers.

Certainly this time flying with Marika and Bete I felt much less discomfort from this configuration. In fact, it was nice to see Marika's reaction that she had never traveled on this type of setup before.

There is plenty of space in depth, the seat, however, is at its lowest, as is almost the entire plane.

We were assigned the middle row, since the business cabin has only three rows, definitely the best on the plane.

Better because the first row has the monitor smaller and hidden in the armrest, while row 3 is the one attached to the plane's galley and economy class.

All of AI's older fleet is in fact configured with without premium economy, and only on some 777/300s is First Class also present.

The chair

This configuration as I said is present on many other carriers, there is only one major doubt. How is it possible for planes 10 years old or less to be in such bad shape, of our three seats there was not one working at 100%.

Space is tight, storage nonexistent, and privacy a mirage.

The only positive note is the depth of the seat, there are 3 real portholes for passengers in row 2, and the fact that the cabin is small, with only 18 passengers (and two bathrooms) compared to other situations where J seats as many as 40.

The coffee table is hidden in the center console, and thanks to the fact that it rotates you can get up even when it is open, which is no small feat.

The seat functions are the classic ones (if they worked), the hand control is in an area where you won't accidentally touch it, and that is a plus for this seat.

Of course if you are traveling with a stranger it will be a constant struggle to see who can conquer an extra inch of space.

In bed mode you have space, but there is always the dilemma: step over or be stepped over.

Service

This has always been a big miss on AI flights., it may be the type of the average passenger, but historically the crew has always been "hard and pure" and decidedly non-expansive.

Our experience was superpositive, with one attendant going around the cabin far too much.

Very nice new product line, too bad it is still "mixed" with the old one, sure right to take out the leftovers, but why mix. Better to have a uniform product, makes everything neater. Beautiful Ferragamo beauty delivered inside an envelope that is itself very reusable.

The content immediately ignited our memories of Alitalia, as it Ferragamo products were the stars of the last kits distributed by the old Italian company.

From the old Air India, on the other hand, the overnight kit, but important that a sheet is also given to put on the seat, which not many carriers, even the more emblazoned ones, do. Also nice are the pajamas, delivered to all passengers in a bag perfect for taking along on trips.

Food&Beverage

After doing 4 business flights with AI I have come to the conviction that the best catering is made in Italy. I was hopeful that the cuisine offered by the Star Alliance carrier hub departures would satisfy us, but instead it was the worst of all.

The flight is overnight, so dinner and breakfast are served about 90 minutes before arrival.

Obviously the gastronomic proposal takes into account all cultural and religious issues, this translates into lots of vegetarian dishes, no veal and lots of spices.

Unlike what many Asian carriers do, however, and what European carriers do for flights to Asia, No differentiation of cuisine. No eastern proposal or western variation, here it is solely and exclusively Indian cuisine. On all flights, except for a few flights of fancy where the (mutton) ragout is a main course and the (cold) noodles a side dish.

In the end I went for the appetizer shrimp, served along with some arugula salad, avocado and a curry mayonnaise. All cedeable except for the sprinkling of chili on top that made it, practically inedible except to cauterize the palate.

End the meal with cheese platter, fruit or treat. I opted for the cupcake. Sugar and chemistry, with one constant on all flights. Dessert is always a round cake, except for the vegan chocolate cake, which was a slice.

Just before landing, a snack is served. Some sort of sandwich with unspecified ingredients, chocolate cupcake (again) and little else.

IFE

Here the situation was quite dramatic, starting with the condition of my remote control. Held together by paper tape, but judging by the dirt on the tape the tapullo, as we Ligurians say, was not of late.

My power outlet was not working either, as was my USB outlet.

The screen fortunately is touch, too bad it is distant so difficult to use via finger.

Very little content and put in an early 2000s interface, many empty sections and zero TV series or similar products.

No wi-fi on board, or rather you can connect to the on-board portal to watch movies directly on your Device, without using the one on the seat.

However, there is no external connection and then it also bothered me that to use it with iOS you were required to use Safari as a browser and not Chrome or others.

In conclusion

There is no accounting for the price paid, because obviously the real price is much higher, let's say that given the offer to fly to India I would never choose this company, or rather I would not choose it until it is constant with the new machines and cabins.

Sure the flight is direct, but do you want to put flying ITA's A330neo nonstop from Rome or Emirates or Qatar?

Considering that we didn't stop in DEL, but set off again toward Melbourne. it was just a matter of going from A to B, spending the lowest possible price to travel as best as possible, and honestly at this price with Qantas, Singapore or Emirates at most we could have paid for a premium economy and not an armchair that (if it works) becomes a bed.

The verdict

Of course, the price I entered is the algebraic division of the price paid to fly to Australia, divided by the legs flown. It was a trip to forget, as forgettable were 3 of the 4 legs flown.

3.5

Service

4

IFE

3

F&B

4

Cabin and Armchair

3

Pro

• The price
• Amenity Kit
• Pajamas

Against

• Armchair
• Service
• Gastronomic offerings