Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Air India's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Air India

  570 Lexington Ave Fl 14 New York, NY 10022-6837

• 

  Air India

  1612 K St NW Ste 200 Washington, DC 20006-2805

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/19/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am getting tossed between **** and Air India for last 3 months. Bought 2 business class tickets (B**************) for $1531.90 on ******* from **** in Sept. 2024. Had to cancel our plans due to political unrest in ********. I asked **** to cancel my ticket before the date of the flight, but they did not act. Hence I was forced to call the airline to cancel. Otherwise it would be a no-show and I would not be eligible for any refund. I had to call Air India (Vistara got bought by Air India during this time) and they acknowledge that this ticket was canceled and that they can issue refund to **** but not to me, as the ticket was booked through ****. To date **** says they have received No refund from Air India. Furthermore, when ******* was bought by Air India, they issued something called "exchange" tickets for my itinerary - its the same dates, flights and destinations and same booking reference. But because of this exchange, **** says "the tickets show "EXCH" status, which means our agency has no control over these tickets. And when I wrote to Air India - this is what they told me From: Air India Care <*********************************************************>Date: February 18, 2025 at 5:49:27PM PST To: ****************** Subject: Reg: Case # ******** - Need my refund from Vistara [ thread::***********************:: ] **** ****************** ** ** ********* ** **** ******* ********* ********* ***** **** ** ****** *** **** ** **** ******* *** **** ******* * ****** ******* ** **** ******* ************ ** ******** **** *** *********** ******* ********** ** ****** ******* **** *** ******* **** ****** ***** ******** *** ********** **** **** *********** ** ************** ************ ******** ** *** ********* ** ****** **** ******** *** ****** ********* *** *** ****** **** ** ****** ********** **** **** ** ***** *** ** *** **** ******* ******** ** ********** **** ******************* *** *** ******** *** ****** ********** ******** ******** ********** **** ********************** ***** ** ******* * ****** 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/16/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  At this time, I have not been contacted by Air India regarding complaint ID ********.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  * *
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/15/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am disputing the fraudulent handling of my refund for ticket #********** (Booking Ref: ******). Air India canceled my flight, rebooked me with different seating, and failed to accommodate my medical condition, despite prior assurances. I was promised a full refund, yet Air India is manipulating fare calculations and refusing to honor this agreement. I paid $1,682 (total fare $2,088), yet Air India falsely categorized $1,503 as "fare used," refunding me only $220.77a clear deception, as I never took the return flight. This is fraudulent behavior, where Air India is inflating the "fare used" amount to minimize refunds, refusing to provide a transparent breakdown, ignoring their promise of a full refund, and failing to cooperate or respond properly to my refund request. Had Air India honored its commitment, my refund should be over $1,000, not $220. I have a medical condition preventing me from sitting in middle seats. When Air India rebooked my flight, they ignored this, placing me in an unsuitable seat. After multiple complaints, I was promised a refund, yet it has not been honored. Due to Air Indias failure, I was forced to book an alternative flight for $1,300, an additional burden caused solely by their mismanagement, and I expect full reimbursement.I demand an immediate full refund for my unused return flight as promised, a detailed breakdown of the refund calculation explaining how $1,503 was considered "used" when I never flew, and an official response on why Air India is failing to honor its commitment. Additionally, I expect compensation for my $1,300 alternate flight, which I had to book due to their cancellation.Air India is misleading passengers, breaking promises, and cheating customers. If this is not resolved immediately, I will escalate this case to consumer protection agencies, legal action, and social media to expose these deceptive practices. I expect an urgent response with a full refund and proper explanation.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/13/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On Jan 11th, I (******* Bimal *****) and my daughter (********************** *****) flew from ******* (***) to ***** (***) on board flight #AI190. We booked business class and I was seated in Seat 9H and my daughter on Seat 9K. My seat was broken and the lay "flat-seat" once it was laid flat, did not return to the seated position. Hence, I moved to a different business class seat for the trip which was also broken and hence needed to switch between the 2 seats for sleeping vs. sitting down to eat. The entire experience was terrible. The air hostess for our section was ***** *****. She tried to help and should be fully knowledgeable of the situation. I will be reaching out to Air India to request a refund of my ticket price, as I did not get what I paid for.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/05/2025

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  UnresolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am absolutely furious with my experience with Air India after my flight on October 21st, 2024. The whole trip was a disaster, but the most infuriating part was the baggage issue.After 48 hours of travel, I had to spend an additional 5 hours just trying to locate my baggage, only to find out that it never made it onto the final flight. The customer service I was promised was beyond awful I went two full weeks without my baggage, and the service team had no clue where it was. I had three bags, and they couldn't even find them for several days. After a week of constant emails and calls, they managed to deliver two of my bagsbut they were damaged, open, and missing items. One of the bags was barely even closed, so its clear that items fell out during the handling ********** for my third bag, I had to make even more calls and send countless emails, but Air India couldnt find it anywhere. I was beyond frustrated. Finally, I decided to go to the airport myself, and when I arrived, I found out my bag had been sitting there the whole timeuntouched and unprocesseddespite having all my information, including my Indian address and phone number, on the tags.I reached out to Air India hoping for some sort of resolution, but my emails were either ignored or outright declined. Im absolutely appalled by the incompetence and lack of professionalism. My bags contained essential items, and after waiting two weeks, I received them damaged with items missingtotally unacceptable. The damage alone is worth hundreds of dollars, and Im now out CAD 2000 in missing items.I demand immediate compensation for the damage to my bags and the missing items. This whole experience has been a nightmare, and the fact that *** had to fight for basic customer service is completely unacceptable. I expect a full settlement for the damages as soon as possible.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/05/2025

  Dear *** ************** am sorry to hear of the issue with your baggage - please let me know your ticket details so I can look into it - and if you have the *** (property irregular report) copy, or document number, that will help.

  Regards,

  *** ******

  Air India - NY

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/08/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  The business has requested some additional information,
  
  Ticket# *************
  ********** - This is something that was assigned to the subject of my complaint emails when I contacted Air India.
  
  I hope this helps, please let me know if anything else is needed from my end. Thank you.

  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *****
  
  
  
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/20/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Date of Booking : 19th Sept'24 I, ****** ****** had been travelling frequently in the past few months from *** to India as **** **** Gupta, my brother was in critical condition.I had booked my two way ticket from IAD to DEL (Ref # ******)during the 01 Dec - 11 Dec period to see him. But due to his sudden death on 23rd Nov, I had to book mine and my husband flight immediately on 24th Nov with return on 20th Dec. (Ref # ******** I had requested Air India in Nov'24 to kindly refund my Ticket charges and had provided all requested documents to them. After receiving my documents I was informed by Air India that they had approved the refund and I should get in touch with my travel agency to claim the same. When I contacted my travel Agency namely Travomint I was informed that they have not received any instruction to refund my ticket charges and I should contact Air India first. When I again contacted Air India and showed them the reply of Travomint, I was told that necessary instructions have now been passed on to the travel agency and I should approach them for a refund. When I wrote to Travomint about this response of Air India, I was told that they haven't received any such refund instruction from ************************* other words, Air india is passing the buck to the ************* and ***************** is passing the buck to Air India. This has been going for the last three months.I tried calling both Air India and Travomint zillion times but to no avail. It is requested that my ticket may be refunded at the earliest. I am attaching my correspondence with both Air India and Travomint.Requsite exchange of email messages documents are attached.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/17/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnresolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My name is ****** ******, and I have had a horrible experience with Air India. My mom, ***** ************ ****** (Age 72), was traveling from ********************** to *****, and then ***** to ******, on 13 January 2025 by Air India flight AI0188 (booking ref: *******), originally departing at 11:15 am.I was closely monitoring the departure time on the ********************** website. The flight repeatedly changed its departure time. Specifically, the new departure timing followed suite: 12:45, 13:15, 13:45, 14:00, and 15:00. At 16:00, it was announced that this flight was cancelled. All Passengers had suffered with this unprofessional attitude (5+ hours) by AI, there were no AI staff on the floor to help and to guide the passengers about the next steps and were not offered a hotel stay since passengers could not go back.I am amused by the type of customer service offered by an international carrier and a member of *************. It is industry standard that passengers receive a hotel stay till the next available flight, as well as compensation for flight cancellation. Luckily, we were able to book another AI flight going to ***** on 18 January 2025 at 12:35 pm, six days after my original departure date. My wife and I took a vacation day on January 13th, and we paid for gas and parking as well. This does not include the mental harassment my mother faced at Toronto ******* when she was abandoned for 5 hours. I have to go back to ******* ******* on January 18th for my mothers rescheduled flight, due to this experience.I would appreciate monetary compensation, in Canadian dollars, for all the mental harassment my family, specifically my 72-year-old mother, has faced due to Air Indias negligence. Please ensure that this compensation is not in the form of a coupon/voucher. ****** ******

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/11/2025

  At this time, I have been contacted directly by Air India regarding complaint ID ********, however my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  Hello,
  I have requested for compensation for Air India flight 0188 on Jan 13 regarding the 5 hours flight delay and then got cancelled surprisingly there were no Air India staff came to help the passengers. The flight was all most full. 
  I got a reply that they are NOT ready to give me compensation, as per ****************************** in the event of a flight cancellation it's a airlines responsibility to help the customer. No hotel was provided, No taxi vouchers were given. The actual flight departure time was 11:15 am and after 5 hours of delay Air India announced at 4:00 pm that the flight is cancelled.
  My mom was traveling, she called me at 7:30 pm from the airport and advised me to pick her back home, I went back to the airport and parked my car again.
   There were some senior citizens were "crying" because of flight cancellation,they have to reach India soon, but Air India staff didn't care and never came to help anyone.
  It was extremely inconvenient for the passengers. They were held at the airport for 5 hours and then they all have to come back home with their own expense. What type of international airline is this??
  
  I requested to Air India to follow the rules/law and compensate me for my time and expense.
  
  Thanks
  
  ******   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  Sincerely,

  ****** ******

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/05/2025

  At this time, I have been contacted directly by Air India regarding complaint ID ********, however my complaint has NOT been resolved because: ** is only ready to compensate me for the airport parking and gas, but I am asking the compensation as per CTA (******************************) guidelines. There was no customer service person from ** to help the passengers when the flight got delayed for 5 hours and then cancelled. All the passengers went back home on their own expense. As per the *** (******************************) guidelines it's the airlines responsibility to help the passengers in the event of a flight cancellation. 

  Now ** has stopped replying to my emails. I tried to contact the ** local office in ******* but got surprised they don't have any office in ********

   

  Thanks

   

  ******
  

   

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  Sincerely,

  ****** ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/15/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding the exceptionally disappointing experience on our recent Air India flight.Below are the details:Flight Details:Outbound: *** to ***** Dec 15, 2024 Inbound: ***** to ****** on Dec 30, 2024 Passengers: Myself, my wife, and my 6yo daughter Total Fare: $5,200 (original ticket cost) + $1,150 (upgrade to Economy+) = $6,350 Booking Reference: ****** Despite paying a significant amount for a premium experience, we encountered numerous issues that caused great distress and inconvenience:Outbound:1.Uncomfortable Seating:oThe Economy Plus seat I received was the last one in the section and did not fully recline, resulting in a poor sleep experience.This limitation was not mentioned on the website 2.Meal Issues:oI pre-selected vegan meals, but only one of the three meals served was vegan, leaving me without proper meal options for most of the flight.3.Dirty Glassware:oThe glasses used for serving juice were visibly dirty and sticky, prompting me to refuse service.Inbound/:1.Broken Tray Table:oMy tray table was broken, frequently falling onto my legs and making it difficult to eat or rest.2.Unsafe Seat Functionality:oThe seat reclined and returned upright on its own, especially during turbulence, making it unsafe and uncomfortable. Flight attendants informed me there were no alternative seats available.3.Entertainment ************************* system for all three seats was non-functional, and the suggested in-flight Wi-Fi option to access entertainment did not work ************* Quality:oThe food was stale, causing my daughter to develop a stomach infection and leaving my wife and me feeling unwell for two days after landing.5.Unresponsive Flight Attendants:oRequests for water or assistance were met with long delays, and overall service was unhelpful.The overall experience was distressing and far below acceptable standards, especially given the amount paid.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/08/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  At this time, I have not been contacted by Air India regarding complaint ID ********.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ******
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/17/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased two business class tickets for Air India flight ** *** from ***** to ********* on December 5, 2024, paying approximately CAD $9,600. I opted for business class expecting comfort and quality, but my experience was deeply disappointing due to several issues:Faulty Cabin Lighting: The lights on one side of the cabin were malfunctioning and could not be switched off. Despite multiple requests, the flight attendants could not resolve the issue, causing a persistent bright light that prevented me from resting or ************* Malfunction: The seat assigned to me was also not functioning properly, further compromising my ************** Impact: The combination of the lighting issue and seat discomfort led to severe headaches, nausea, and anxiety, significantly affecting my well-being during the flight.This situation caused considerable mental and physical strain, making the flight far from the relaxing experience I had paid for. Air India's offer of INR ***** (approximately CAD $70) as compensation is completely insufficient given the severity of the issues.I am requesting a full explanation and appropriate compensation for the distress and discomfort caused, as the service provided was far below the standard expected for a business class *********** ID: ******** Flight: ** *** Amount Paid: CAD $9,600 Resolution Offered: INR ***** (approx. CAD $70)Please advise if this matter is justifiable, as I believe the compensation offered does not reflect the significant issues faced Sincerely,********* ******* ******* (BOOKING ID)************ ** **** *** * *****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/10/2025

  At this time, I have been contacted directly by Air India regarding complaint ID ********, however my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  AIR INDIA only offered me 4000 rupees (ape cad 70) only as a compensation ,whereas I spent aproximetly cad$ 9200 for the two tickets and went through a h*** lot of discomfort and mental torture. 

  I have refused to accept the offer but they said no matter I do ,this compensation will not be increased.   

  Thanks 

   

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  Sincerely,

  ********* *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/11/2024

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am reaching out as a concerned customer regarding a challenging issue with my upcoming Air India flight from ************* to *****. I am traveling with young children and elderly parents, and we are experiencing significant difficulties with our seat assignments.Despite my efforts to resolve this matter through customer care, I have not received a satisfactory solution. I have been told that I must either seat my child with a stranger or pay an additional $550 to secure the seats I need. Given the circumstances, neither of these options is practical or acceptable.Both the ********************************* (***) and the ************************************* (****) require families to be seated together. In the event of an emergency, it would be extremely challenging for me to manage my young children while also attending to the needs of my elderly parents. Additionally, I have been advised to sit in the last row, where the seats are broken and do not recline. Considering the 17.5-hour duration of the flight, this arrangement would be uncomfortable and difficult for my family, especially given our special needs.I have heard many positive things about your leadership at Air India, and I am hopeful you can assist in resolving this issue. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated, as it would significantly improve the comfort and safety of our journey.Thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to your response and a positive resolution to this matter.PNR - ****** AND ******

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/05/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  At this time, I have not been contacted by Air India regarding complaint ID ********.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********** ******
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/04/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We paid for extra leg room seats, which costed $575.00. At the time of check-in we were refused those seats. PNR# ****** Flight 1: *** (*************) to DEL (*****) - November 22, 2024 Flight 2: DEL (*****) to *** (*************) - December 1, 2024