'Rs 50,000 for a seat, broken table, leg rests': Vir Das slams Air India over nightmare flight with wife

Popular Indian stand-up comedian Vir Das took to X to express his deep frustration with Air India after a disappointing travel experience with his wife, who is recovering from a foot fracture. Despite being a "lifetime loyalist" and believing that Air India has "the nicest cabin crew in the sky", he said the experience "pains me to write."

The 45-year-old explained that they had booked Pranaam services and a wheelchair for his wife in advance. Pranaam service is a paid meet-and-assist service which helps guests with airport and airline procedures and ensures a smooth and hassle-free transit.

Air India does not care about accessibility for people in need. I was made to wait for 25 minutes with my 1.5 years old daughter at the gate of the plane because the uninformed staff were not clear about the rules of carrying a foldable travel baby stroller on the plane. And this¡­

¡ª the nonsense journalist (@Samster1216) April 14, 2025

Vir and his wife were flying to Delhi, having paid "50 grand a seat."

The flight, which they were told was "newly refurbished", turned out to have a "broken table, broken leg rests," and his wife's seat "is stuck reclined, won¡¯t straighten fully." To make matters worse, the flight was delayed by two hours.

Upon arrival in Delhi, the couple was told they would have to disembark using a stepladder, even though the wheelchair and Encalm services were pre-booked.

The Emmy-winning comedian recalls, "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."

Once at the top of the stepladder, he requested help from a male Air India ground staff member. "Looks at me, shrugs, and ignores me."

His wife, with her foot still healing, had to make her way down the stepladder on her own.

At the bottom, Vir reported the incident to another staff member, who simply responded, "sir kya karein¡­sorry."

Once inside the terminal, the chaos continued. "Encalm people [a company that provides Airport Meet & Assistance Service] inform wheelchair staff that we had pre-booked a chair. He¡¯s clueless."

Despite wheelchairs being everywhere, there was no staff in sight "because the flight is late."

Taking matters into his own hands, Das says, "I grab a chair and wheel her to baggage claim, then out of the airport to the parking."

He mentions that Encalm tried to alert Air India about the situation, but "no one shows."

A comment on his post echoed the same frustration: ¡°"Air India does not care about accessibility for people in need. I was made to wait for 25 minutes with my 1.5 years old daughter at the gate of the plane because the uninformed staff were not clear about the rules of carrying a foldable travel baby stroller on the plane."

Vir Das's ordeal only adds to the growing list of service failures passengers have been sharing. Air India's name is now increasingly associated with poor service, to the point where many say it's become the norm.

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