NEW DELHI: Comedian Vir Das has publicly criticized Air India following a disappointing travel experience that left him and his wife, who is recovering from a foot fracture, frustrated and inconvenienced.
Despite paying Rs 50,000 per seat for a flight to Delhi, Das reported encountering several issues, including a broken table, malfunctioning leg rests, and a seat stuck in a reclined position.
In a detailed social media post, Das recounted the ordeal he and his wife faced while flying to Delhi. He alleged that the couple was provided with a broken table, broken leg rests, and a seat that was stuck in a reclined position, making it uncomfortable for his wife, who is currently recovering from a foot fracture.
Das wrote "Dear Air India Please reclaim your wheelchair. I’m a lifetime loyalist. I believe you’ve got the nicest cabin crew in the sky, this post pains me to write. My wife and I book Pranaam and a wheelchair because she’s got a foot fracture that’s still healing. We’re flying to delhi. 50grand a seat. Broken table, broken leg rests, her seat is stuck reclined, won’t straighten fully. Were told the flight is ‘newly refurbished’."
Upon landing in Delhi, the situation reportedly worsened. Despite pre-booking wheelchair assistance for his wife, the couple was made to descend a stepladder from the aircraft without help. Das claimed that multiple requests to cabin crew and ground staff for assistance were either met with silence or shrugged off.
"Two hours late, we get off in Delhi and we’re told it’s a stepladder. Again wheelchair and encalm pre-booked. I ask the air hostesses at the front of the plane to assist my wife while I carry four bags. Silence and a clueless look at each other. We step off the plane to the top of the ladder. I ask an air India male ground staff member to help us, looks at me, shrugs, and Ignore’s me. My wife with a fracture makes it down the stepladder. I tell an Air India staff member at the bottom near the buses what happened. He says “sir kya Karein…sorry”. We get to the terminal, encalm people inform wheelchair staff that we had pre booked a chair. He’s clueless. There’s wheelchairs everywhere. No staff because the flight is late. I grab a chair and wheel her to baggage claim, then out of the airport to the parking. Encalm lets air India know this is happening. No one shows, " Das added.
In a sarcastic conclusion to his post, Das said, “One of your wheelchairs is on the second floor of the parking in Delhi. Do claim it.”
Das expressed disappointment that his loyalty to the airline had not been met with the expected level of care during a critical time.
Air India has not yet issued an official response to the allegations.
Dear @airindia Please reclaim your wheelchair. I’m a lifetime loyalist. I believe you’ve got the nicest cabin crew in the sky, this post pains me to write. My wife and I book Pranaam and a wheelchair because she’s got a foot fracture that’s still healing. We’re flying to delhi.…
— Vir Das (@thevirdas) April 14, 2025
Despite paying Rs 50,000 per seat for a flight to Delhi, Das reported encountering several issues, including a broken table, malfunctioning leg rests, and a seat stuck in a reclined position.
In a detailed social media post, Das recounted the ordeal he and his wife faced while flying to Delhi. He alleged that the couple was provided with a broken table, broken leg rests, and a seat that was stuck in a reclined position, making it uncomfortable for his wife, who is currently recovering from a foot fracture.
Das wrote "Dear Air India Please reclaim your wheelchair. I’m a lifetime loyalist. I believe you’ve got the nicest cabin crew in the sky, this post pains me to write. My wife and I book Pranaam and a wheelchair because she’s got a foot fracture that’s still healing. We’re flying to delhi. 50grand a seat. Broken table, broken leg rests, her seat is stuck reclined, won’t straighten fully. Were told the flight is ‘newly refurbished’."
Upon landing in Delhi, the situation reportedly worsened. Despite pre-booking wheelchair assistance for his wife, the couple was made to descend a stepladder from the aircraft without help. Das claimed that multiple requests to cabin crew and ground staff for assistance were either met with silence or shrugged off.
"Two hours late, we get off in Delhi and we’re told it’s a stepladder. Again wheelchair and encalm pre-booked. I ask the air hostesses at the front of the plane to assist my wife while I carry four bags. Silence and a clueless look at each other. We step off the plane to the top of the ladder. I ask an air India male ground staff member to help us, looks at me, shrugs, and Ignore’s me. My wife with a fracture makes it down the stepladder. I tell an Air India staff member at the bottom near the buses what happened. He says “sir kya Karein…sorry”. We get to the terminal, encalm people inform wheelchair staff that we had pre booked a chair. He’s clueless. There’s wheelchairs everywhere. No staff because the flight is late. I grab a chair and wheel her to baggage claim, then out of the airport to the parking. Encalm lets air India know this is happening. No one shows, " Das added.
In a sarcastic conclusion to his post, Das said, “One of your wheelchairs is on the second floor of the parking in Delhi. Do claim it.”
Das expressed disappointment that his loyalty to the airline had not been met with the expected level of care during a critical time.
Air India has not yet issued an official response to the allegations.
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