New Delhi:
Comedian Vir Das on Tuesday slammed Air India, alleging that he got a broken table, broken leg rests, and a seat stuck in a reclined position despite paying Rs 50,000 for the seat.
In a post on X, Mr Das also claimed that his wife, who had a fractured foot, didn’t get a wheelchair even after pre-booking the service.
He said they were flying to Delhi and had paid Rs 50,000 for each seat.
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“Dear Air India, please reclaim your wheelchair. I’m a lifetime loyalist. I believe you’ve got the nicest cabin crew in the sky, this post pains me to write,” he said.
“Broken table, broken leg rests, her seat is stuck reclined, won’t straighten fully. Were told the flight is ‘newly refurbished’. Two hours late, we get off in Delhi and we’re told it’s a stepladder. Again wheelchair and Encalm (meet-and-greet services at airports) pre-booked,” he said.
Dear @airindia Please reclaim your wheelchair. I’m a lifetime loyalist. I believe you’ve got the nicest cabin crew in the sky, this post pains me to write. My wife and I book Pranaam and a wheelchair because she’s got a foot fracture that’s still healing. We’re flying to delhi.…
— Vir Das (@thevirdas) April 14, 2025
“I ask the air hostesses at the front of the plane to assist my wife while I carry four bags. Silence and a clueless look at each other. We step off the plane to the top of the ladder. I ask an Air India male ground staff member to help us, looks at me, shrugs, and ignores me,” Mr Das claimed.
He said his wife, with a fracture, had to get down using the stepladder.
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“I tell an Air India staff member at the bottom near the buses what happened. He says “Sir kya karein… sorry” (Sir what do we do). We get to the terminal, Encalm people inform wheelchair staff that we had pre-booked a chair. He’s clueless. There are wheelchairs everywhere. No staff because the flight is late,” Mr Das alleged.
He also said that then grabbed a chair and wheeled his wife to the baggage claim and then out of the airport to the parking.
“Encalm lets Air India know this is happening. No one shows. Anyway. One of your wheelchairs is on the second floor of the parking in Delhi. Do claim it,” Mr Das.
In response to his now-viral post, Air India said they “understand and empathize” with his experience and said they were getting it checked “on priority”.
The comedian, however, told them to get their wheelchair.