Air India – Washington DC to Delhi, India

Honestly speaking, I was not sure what was in store for me when I chose to travel from Washington, DC to Delhi India for my most recent trip.  This was indeed going to be a long flight and I was feeling a bit apprehensive as it was a direct one.  With a plethora of airline choices, you may wonder why I chose to fly Air India for this particular choice.  With having a substandard experience in the past, I was a bit skeptical about how this flight would go.  I decided to go in with an open mind and my experience shaped my new opinion of Air India.

The flight took off from Washington DC at a very convenient 10:30 am.  Not too late nor early!

Because of working in a client-facing environment, I am particular when it comes to getting quality customer service.  I was extremely pleased at how I was greeted and treated at the Air India counter.  Before getting to the counter, the line seemed quite long, but the staff did a great job in moving things along quickly.  Despite my previous experience, I was pleasantly surprised to find service with a smile. Everyone I interacted with was polite and patient.

After checking in, I made my way to security and then on board.  Here I go, I will now be spending 14 hours on this flight, I thought to myself.  I felt anxious thinking of how long the flight is.  This is how I was greeted:

Everyone was smiling and seemed happy. I had no choice but to smile with them.  I already felt like I was in good hands.  Let’s now see what the rest of the flight had in store!

My first impression while walking in and seeing the interior of the plane was that it felt warm and inviting.  The colors and the warmth of the air crew started to put me at ease.  (not to mention I ran into one of my friends who I was now going to be sitting with in the flight!)

 

The boarding process was smooth and we took off just as scheduled.  I have heard horror stories about the lack of timeliness when traveling Air India, but I am happy to report that it was on time!  By this time, I was ready for a snack, but the meal services were not going to start for another hour.  My friend and I were really hungry so the staff was kind enough to bring our meal trays our quickly (it never hurts to ask).  I was really impressed with what was served:

We were served Alu Sabzi (potatoes on the left), Basmati rice, and Paneer Makahni.  I was pleased to see the steam coming from my piping hot food.  Everything was seasoned well and quite flavorful. Not sure if it was because I was traveling on an Indian Airline, but the chai afterwards was the best!

After the meal, it was time for some entertainment.  The screens on the headrests were large and easy to use.  There was a huge selection of my favorite genre, Bollywood movies! I scrolled through many titles, both new and old classics. With easy-to-use controls, paired with headphones provided by the airline, I was so comfortable I almost forgot I was on an airplane!

After enjoying a long movie, I took notice of the beautiful view outside the window. I dozed off to sleep while looking at a picturesque sight of the mesmerizing sky.

I awoke to the surprise that we had landed in Delhi ahead of schedule.  We hit the ground in India at the perfect time of at 11:00 am!  With a 10.5 hour time difference between Delhi and DC, landing at a decent time was highly appreciated, as it gave me a chance to adjust to the time difference. Whether you have tried Air India in the past or not, I highly suggest giving it another try. After my wonderful experience during this trip, I am excited to use Air India’s services for trips in the future!

Written by Neena Bhaskar