Just a quick rant on Air India, looking at some very unimpressive news I read about how things are run at this government-owned airline today.

Apparently, one lady pilot at the airline decided to take things into her own hands, defy crew scheduling instructions and operate a hopping Mumbai – Jodhpur – Delhi flight, because she had a food parcel to pick up at the Jodhpur airport. Best part, they let her in. The humor in this situation, the local tabloid which reports the incident has published the recipe of the speciality snack as well in the newsreport. Snacks on a plane, anyone?

Yesterday, we also found out that the clerks and the top men of Air India, as in the Managing Director and the Joint Managing Director, get lesser pay than their pilots, and even their clerks.

And then, the airline is looking the other way while some of its employees manipulate empty seats to show them as full, while waitlisted passengers, even ministers are denied seats on the plane since it is shown as full. And then, a minister has to be clever enough to ask the right questions and bust the scam!

This is the airline that is now cribbing about Jet Airways’ potential deal with Etihad, running to its parents (the Government of India) to complain about the situation. And the parents are busy dishing out favours to other airlines to make sure the kid is happy, and gets the coveted spot in Star Alliance.

I hope Star Alliance is reading this and knows how to stand up to the government pressure the second time around as well. After all, Air India is nothing but a spoilt brat with a father who has deep pockets now.

I am disappointed, no serious! This is a new low…

Related Posts:

• Air India’s attempt to sneak into Star Alliance
• Jet Airways on verge of strategic partnership with Etihad
• Indian Government admits to being partisan to Lufthansa
• Air India is back to Lufthansa for Star Alliance again
• AI, should it join the Star Alliance, and would it
• AI misses its flight to the Star Alliance
• AI and Star Alliance can’t seem to make up their mind
• Star Alliance and Jet Airways – 3rd time lucky?
• Are the stars aligning for Jet Airways in Star Alliance? Air India is now a no go!

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