'Very sad experience': Yogendra Yadav slams Air India's poor service

Yogendra Yadav, known for avoiding public airing of personal issues, said he felt compelled to share his recent air travel experience as it 'may be of use to others'

Renowned psephologist Yogendra Yadav took to social media platform X on November 11 to criticise full-service carrier Air India, recounting what he described as a “very sad experience” during a recent flight. In the post that quickly gained traction, Yadav detailed a series of grievances, highlighting lapses in service and poor management by the airline.

 

Yadav, known for avoiding public airing of personal issues, said that he felt compelled to share this incident as it “may be of use to others”. His ordeal began with a sudden change in flight schedule, delayed by four hours, with only four days’ prior notice. Adding to the disappointment, Yadav revealed that Air India downgraded their class of travel without prior intimation or an offer of a refund.

 

 

Travelling with his wife, Yadav faced repeated failures while attempting to complete web check-in. At the airport, the situation worsened as he described being sent to “three different counters for no fault of ours [passengers]”. He accused a Customer Service Executive of “making them run around” and initially refusing to seat them together, a problem that was resolved only after intervention by a counter supervisor.

 

Adding to the chaos, Yadav highlighted other operational lapses, including a discrepancy between the announced and actual boarding gates, poorly managed queues, and faulty announcements. 

 

He also alleged that there was “no complaints book” available when he sought to formally register his dissatisfaction. However, he acknowledged the floor supervisor’s polite apology during the ordeal.

 

Air India responded to Yadav’s post, apologising for the “inconvenience” and promising to address his concerns “on priority.” The airline’s official handle replied, “We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused. We’re addressing this on priority and will get back to you at the earliest.”

 

The post sparked widespread discussion, with several users in the comments section echoing similar frustrations with Air India’s services. Many criticised the airline for its ‘standard reply’ and alleged that such complaints often go unresolved.