My Overnight Ordeal with My Daughter Boarding an Air India Flight from DEL to SFO
You possess a boarding pass and have successfully cleared the immigration channel, preparing for boarding, correct? Unfortunately, this isn't the case when flying with Air India (@airindia ).
My ordeal commenced on April 22nd at 3:15 AM at Delhi Airport, merely 45 minutes before my intended departure to the USA, accompanied by my minor daughter. We were informed that our boarding passes were failing to scan and were instructed to wait aside until the boarding process for other passengers concluded.
After approximately 20 minutes, they made another attempt to scan our passes. According to the system, our clearance was not visible due to a blank USA address. I promptly provided the address, yet they asserted it was incorrect, stating that the system would not accept it. To corroborate my correctness, I contacted my husband, who happened to be traveling by train at the time. I briefed him on the situation and confirmed the address.
Subsequently, the staff claimed our visas had been revoked, prompting my husband to question how we had cleared the immigration channel an hour prior. They were unable to provide a satisfactory response.
At one juncture, they mentioned that if we were in a location like Dubai, we would be allowed to proceed, but given the strictness of the USA, we risked a penalty of INR 44 Lacs if we persisted. Their bluff was swiftly exposed when my husband declared his readiness to take the risk, prompting a rapid backtrack.
Around 4:00 AM, the looming threat of missing our flight intensified, and I found myself unable to suppress my tears. Pleading with the staff to grant us entry, they persisted in asserting that there was a visa issue and advised us to contact the US embassy.
By 4:15 AM, I realized that the flight had departed from the gate. Following the missed flight, I informed Air India staff that I would not vacate the terminal until provided with written details of the issue and a plan for resolution. After some time, they claimed to have contacted the US embassy, confirming the validity of my visa. However, verification from the US helpdesk, which only responds via email, was deemed necessary.
Following this, we were escorted to immigration to have our passports stamped with a cancellation mark. The officer confirmed once again that there were no issues with our visas or documentation and that our offboarding was solely due to an Air India directive.
We were subsequently rebooked on the same flight for the following day. They assured me that, given our circumstances, we would be allocated seats with extra legroom. This promise turned out to be false, as we were assigned regular seats in the second-to-last row.
You might think everything was resolved, but the wait for our checked baggage had only just begun. Despite repeated assurances of a 15-minute wait, it wasn't until 9:00 AM, after a gruelling three hours, that we finally retrieved our bags.
Mentally and physically drained, we exited the airport and was promptly picked up by my sister-in-law, who had been on standby since morning. After six hours of trauma, the Roohafza Sharbat she offered felt like Amrit. My daughter, who had endured enough, promptly fell asleep in the car.
The following day, exercising utmost caution, we arrived at the airport a full 4:30 hours prior to the scheduled departure time, positioning ourselves at the forefront of every queue. Interestingly, our boarding passes once again failed to scan, yet the senior staff swiftly intervened, granting us clearance for boarding. A collective sigh of relief swept through the entire family as we finally settled into our seats aboard the aircraft.
My husband (@SaurabhA1978 ) ,who had rushed to Delhi to support us, only left the terminal once we had boarded.
Despite the ordeal, I am astounded by my daughter's maturity, as she never complained and supported me every step of the way.
The Airtel network (@airtelindia ) also deserves commendation for its reliability, enabling communication with my husband, who was traveling by train from Indore to Gwalior at the time.
I am committed to holding Air India accountable for this ordeal. Their staff were clueless about the root cause and continued to lie and bluff. To date, I have received no satisfactory response from Air India regarding the root cause. I urge Airport Authority of India (@AAI_Official ), DGCA (@DGCAIndia ), and the The Honorable Union Minister for Civil Aviation Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia ) to request a report from Air India and instruct them to implement corrective measures to ensure that no other flyer has to endure such experiences.
Shri Ratan Tata (@RNTata2000 ), while we may not expect functioning entertainment systems and clean toilets on your flights, we continue to choose your airline because you are the only ones offering direct flights on this route. However, this incident has brought your reputation to a new low. I shudder to think if something similar were to happen to my parents or in-laws, who frequently travel with Air India on this route. This will undoubtedly be our last booking with Air India unless I receive a satisfactory explanation and compensation for this nightmare.
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