AI Joins Star Alliance on 11th July

[inix]

From Star Alliance's FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/staralliance

Star Alliance is pleased to announce that Air India will join as our 27th member airline from 11th July Delhi time.

Air India will add 400 daily flights and 35 new destinations in India to our network and means we are the first alliance to have a member airline in the Indian sub-continent.

[Kyo]

*A will rue this day...

[Jumbojet Lover]

There is a Singapore Girl representing SQ this time, and not one of SQ's ground staff.

[demue]

*A will rue this day...

+1. Still baffles me how they passed all the reviews and met the standards. How much were they lowered? Anyways, what is done is done. Yeah

[milehighj]

What's next? Biman?

[crazycrab955]

What's next? Biman?

Unless Air Zimbabwe isn't already spoken for...

[SQueeze]

Unless Air Zimbabwe isn't already spoken for...

As an airline and airplane geek, this would be a dream come true. I can't wait to redeem my miles on Air Zimbabwe business class or Biman's !

Anyway, I have been flying AI recently on domestic routes (for its better timing), observation is that the hardware and meals are actually of better quality than Jet's. Service is indeed appalling. On an A320, and as observed from 2 flights, there are 4 FAs. 3 of them were senior citizens, must have been with the company for 20-30 years and they were all grumpy grandmas. 1was junior. The junior ones, as observed on both flights, were not bad - they smiled, greeted pax as they entered the plane, and while a bit shy, tried to smile all throughout. And I do sense the pressure from the seniors. Went to the galley once and saw the junior working hard, and the senior was reading newspaper! Another time on a long haul flight, I saw the senior sleeping on pax seat! Recent experience with ground service (check-in) in BLR, however, was good. They were cheery and said to me they were very excited to be in Star Alliance. Lots of smile, lots of good spirits. But wouldnt dare to say that they were a typical bunch or not.

Indeed a long way to go for AI.

[Savage25]

Its a POS airline.

I've had 4 flights on them recently and only one has credited successfully to their own FFP.

The ground staff in GOI and PNQ are beyond useless. My last flight from GOI they announced boarding on the screens at gate C, and while all the pax rushed there, I saw their staff standing at gate E so I sauntered over there. Then their ground staff got into an argument with another airline and shunted the whole boarding line over to gate F. All the while the announcements still said boarding at gate C.

The food on one of their domestic flights was completely inedible, the worst food I've had on a plane ever.

Frankly, the only good thing about AI is that some of their domestic flights (which have an onward international leg) disembark at the international terminal at BOM so that I can connect to SQ without the annoying domestic-international shuffle.

I have a flight with them on 14 July. I doublt Star Alliance membership will actually mean anything useful.

[inkoherent]

Word is that the Indian authorities used ASA-related carrots and sticks to get Star carriers to let AI in.

Interesting to see if Tata-SIA will also join Star. Star management has been very (probably intentionally) ambiguous.

[viraj735]

All my AI flights have been chaotic but that seems to be common across all airlines in India. Often the experiences on board that are not the fault of the airline make the flights interesting. I was once in Y on an AI A320 between BOM and DEL and during the meal service the pax in the aisle seat of my row lifted up his tray with its compartments off the tray table, folded the tray table with his left hand and dumped his tray into the seat pocket.
SQueeze wrote a great TR about his domestic flights and experiences at the new Indian airports.

What astounded me was the lack of professionalism the AI team that handle MI in HYD displayed. at check-in they ask useless questions. They board the disabled, women and children first with no announcement and then just let everyone in. Those in J or with status that have no experience with HYD's boarding "process" who stand at the entrance to the boarding lane get ignored and people push others to get to the front of the boarding lane with no enforcement whatsoever from the ground staff who just stand around in the middle of the crowd staring at their fingernails. I reached the left side of the podium to have by BP scanned and I was told that they weren't yet boarding J. I then asked if the huge crowd on the right side of the podium that were getting their BPs scanned were all disabled or children at which point she scanned my BP. :roll eyes:

[Jumbojet Lover]

Star Alliance's latest post on facebook:
"As of today, Air India is a full member of Star Alliance, so you will be able to earn miles on Air India in eligible classes, while Air India’s customers will also enjoy the Star Alliance benefits when they travel with other Star Alliance airlines. Air India adds an extra 40 destinations right across India. Anyone planning to fly with our newest member soon?"

The top comments are a resounding no, including this: "Hell No. Still take SQ to india."

https://www.facebook.com/starallianc...levant_count=1

[Durian]

Star Alliance's latest post on facebook:
"As of today, Air India is a full member of Star Alliance, so you will be able to earn miles on Air India in eligible classes, while Air India’s customers will also enjoy the Star Alliance benefits when they travel with other Star Alliance airlines. Air India adds an extra 40 destinations right across India. Anyone planning to fly with our newest member soon?"

The top comments are a resounding no, including this: "Hell No. Still take SQ to india."

https://www.facebook.com/starallianc...levant_count=1

I loved that one
"Seriously, adding Air India to StarAlliance is like adding McDonalds to a chain of Guide Michelin Star restaurants.."