Flight Details
- Airline: Air India
- Class: Business
- Route: Delhi (DEL) to Mumbai (BOM)
- Aircraft: Airbus A320neo (Downgraded from scheduled A350)
Why is India not capable of building a world-class full-service airline? Is Air India failing all over again? Well, things certainly don’t look good. Tata seems to regret buying the airline, Singapore Airlines isn’t very happy about the joint venture either, and the general public is rapidly losing faith.
So, I thought I’d book myself on an Air India flight and see what they are really like in 2026.
Ground Experience & Check-In in Delhi
Checking in for a flight in India is always a gamble—you either get a lot of attitude or a lot of kindness, with almost never any middle ground. Today, I took the first obstacle with ease. The check-in agent at Delhi was fantastic: lovely, kind, and extremely focused on her job.
She confirmed my window seat, handed over my lounge pass, and processed my bags smoothly. The bad news? It was supposed to be operated by Air India’s flagship Airbus A350, but bad luck hit and we got swapped to a standard A320neo instead.
The Air India Lounge Experience
Next stop: the Air India Lounge. Back in the day, this used to be a horrible place. In terms of hygiene and overall presentation, it is definitely a lot better than it used to be. The lounge has received a lovely refurbishment, and the staff were friendly.
However, despite the facelift, the interior still feels quite dated. The buffet remains very average, and the overall lounge experience simply isn’t that great—especially given Tata’s high ambitions. It certainly doesn’t compete with major international airlines. Plus, I really dislike a lounge without an apron view!
While heading to the gate, though, I caught my favorite plane in the world taxiing to the runway: an Ariana Afghan Airbus A310 departing for Kabul. Seeing her in Delhi was a huge highlight!
Onboard the A320neo: Cabin & Seat
Stepping onboard the A320neo, the Business Class cabin features classic recliner seats. If they look familiar, that’s because these are the old Vistara seats updated with Air India’s new color scheme and branding.
For a quick 2-hour domestic hop to Mumbai, these recliners offer plenty of space and comfort. The cabin felt clean, and the initial welcome from the crew was warm, accompanied by a hot towel service and printed menus.
Food & In-Flight Service
I decided to order the spaghetti dish alongside a cold Coca-Cola with ice.
Unfortunately, the meal was rather bad. It lacked flavor, which genuinely surprised me since Vistara used to have fantastic catering back in the day. The one saving grace on the food front? The coffee was actually really good.
The crew throughout the flight were lovely, polite, and attentive, making the short journey pleasant despite the disappointing meal.
The Big Question: Can Air India Be Saved?
A lot of people ask me: Has Air India actually improved since Tata took over?
When Tata took back the airline, it created massive emotional expectations in India. People saw Tata as a giant capable of turning a turd into gold. But those expectations haven’t been met.
What Has Improved:
- Branding: Great new livery and stylish new uniforms.
- Cabin Cleanliness: Planes are significantly cleaner than during the government era.
- Fleet Upgrades: Introduction of the A350s and Dreamliners.
Why They Are Failing:
- Inconsistent Product: Taking in various foreign aircraft means passengers never know what product they are actually getting.
- Entrenched Culture: A huge portion of the workforce still carries the old government-airline mentality, where employee attitude and efficiency lag behind modern standards.
- Lack of Competition: Merging Vistara into Air India eliminated the only full-service competitor in the domestic market. Unlike China, which has dozens of thriving full-service carriers driving healthy competition, India lacks alternatives to push Air India to do better.
With the CEO stepping down and financial losses continuing, it seems clear that the ambitious targets have missed the mark.
Final Verdict
We touched down into Mumbai following our descent over the city’s surrounding informal settlements—a stark reminder of the socio-economic contrasts that still exist right outside one of the country’s main aviation hubs. Overall, it was a decent flight with a lovely crew and a comfortable seat, but the catering was lacking and the lounge left much to be desired.
Air India is currently stuck in a deep crisis, and without genuine full-service competition in the market, it is difficult to see them turning this around to become truly profitable and world-class anytime soon.
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This is it guys, wherever you’re off to, have a safe trip!
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About the Author
Josh Cahill is an award-winning Aviation YouTuber who is reportedly one of the most-watched flight reviewers on the internet. He organised Afghanistan’s first all-female flight together with Kam Air in February 2021 on a flight from Herat to Kabul for which he received the Aviation Achievement Award. His favourite hobby? Flying exotic airlines nobody has ever heard of.
