Find cheap Air India flights

Air India is on a turnaround plan that has been long-needed during its nearly century-long operation. Investment from Tata Sons, which acquired the company in 2022, is bringing reinvigoration to India’s airports and runways through its flag carrier. Not only has the airline unveiled a new livery, but it is also ordering new planes, refreshing its cabin product and upgrading all branding to make it a carrier that Indians (and the airline’s Star Alliance partners) will be proud of flying.

What makes Air India special?

I have travelled to all corners of India many times, and Indian hospitality is truly something special. Until now, it was not always something you would experience when flying the national carrier though. There is a lot of competition from other carriers flying to India so Air India’s investment is designed to defend its home market with a quality product.

What I have found in the past year is a renewed pride among some employees that are working hard to return to its former glory. This will take some time for everyone to ‘get on board’ with the new plan, and I can vouch for this first-hand. Executives say so many new employees have been hired that the average age of staff has dropped from the mid-50s to the mid-30s.

Another spoiler alert: it will take around three years for all long-haul aircraft interiors to be updated so be prepared for a mixed bag. It’s great to see investment in the carrier after so much time though, especially in a country with a fast-growing middle class eager to travel.

Cabin classes on Air India

Air India used to have a lot of shortcomings, and it was an experience I didn’t look forward to when boarding a long-haul flight. These days, things have taken a full about face, and the employees are once again showing pride for the national airline. There are four cabin classes to choose from on international flights although not all aircraft have every cabin. What’s available on board is clear when making a reservation.

First Class

This is the airline’s most premium product and only available on select long-haul flights using the Boeing 777 aircraft. I was disappointed to learn that there will only be one row of first class when the planes are reconfigured with a 1-2-1 configuration using the same seat design as business class. What sets them apart is that they have more space, larger entertainment screens, and of course, better service from a dedicated crew.

Business Class

There are many different configurations on Air India planes, and I highly recommend taking a look at the seat map online. Some older planes have angled-lie-flat seats in a 2-2-2 or 2-3-2 layout (yes, that means a dreaded middle seat in business class). Others have far newer, fully flat seats with doors that close for privacy. A little homework can go a long way in assuring maximum comfort.

Even if you have flown a certain aircraft type before, be sure to check the seat map because the airline has ordered almost 500 new planes, and updates to existing (as well as new) aircraft are common. I am particularly excited about the new A350-900s, which will be a first for an Indian airline and come with extras like Bluetooth audio and wireless phone charging (a major perk for some of the 9+ hour flights the airline flies to the UK). On domestic flights, business class is more like domestic first, and I find the service and seats to be more than adequate for these shorter flights.

I got lucky on a recent flight scoring the first A350-900 to join the fleet. It was originally destined for another airline that opted not to take delivery. Air India was able to get it right away, and this plane has some of the nicest flat-bed seats with fully closing doors. If you snag one of these flights, the aircraft are equipped with Wi-Fi and the best entertainment systems currently flying for Air India.

Premium Economy

This new cabin is only available on long-haul aircraft and is new for the airline. The seats will be wider, have more legroom and be in a 2-4-2 layout meaning no one is more than one seat from the aisle.

Economy Class

It’s exciting to see so much investment in the onboard product, but another letdown is that in its new economy class cabin, it is going from 3-3-3 to 3-4-3 on its newer planes. That’s a tight squeeze.

As a full-service airline, even in domestic economy class, you’ll be treated to complimentary meals and drinks. I love that, especially as a vegetarian, Air India always has a veg option that you don’t need to pre-order. On longer flights, new planes will have entertainment screens to keep you busy in between dining.

If spending so many hours in economy on long flights is not your cup of masala tea, I have found the Upgrade+ bidding system to be easy to use. Check if your itinerary is eligible and then enter your proposed bid up to 12 hours before departure. Air India will email you if it is accepted, and in my experience, even bidding the lowest amount (the airline sets the minimum) has often resulted in scoring an upgrade at a discount.

Airport experience

Infrastructure at many Indian airports is sub-par, and in many cases, you’ll have to take a bus between the domestic and international terminals. I always allow plenty of time for connections. If you overshoot and find yourself with hours in the airport, there are many lounges for premium cabin passengers or those holding certain credit cards. Priority Pass also has a strong presence with some of the best lounges in the biggest hubs like Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport. The best part of these lounges are their hot buffets with a range of Indian dishes for that last curry before you leave the country.

Wi-Fi and inflight entertainment

I find long flights to be great for uninterrupted work and productivity, and the fact that Air India does not have Wi-Fi on its planes is not great. Luckily, this will be added to its new fleet over the coming years.

On long-haul planes, aircraft have entertainment screens at each seat, but the selection is quite limited. Of course, there are a lot of Bollywood favourites and Indian sitcoms, but the international choices are too narrow in number and range for my tastes. Download some podcasts or preferred entertainment before boarding to avoid disappointment. The newer planes will have a much broader selection with almost 700 films, and more than 1,000 TV shows and over 1,200 audio programmes when they arrive to the fleet.

Air India Flying Returns loyalty programme

This is not the greatest loyalty programme out there, but its Star Alliance partners do provide more than two dozen airlines on which you can earn and redeem miles. A recent overhaul, in line with the rest of the airline’s rebranding, gave the programme some changes that I don’t love. Instead of earning points based on distance flown, it is now based on how much you spend (similar to other programmes). This brings rewards faster to big spenders, but slows down the earnings for everyone else.

One positive change I like is that you can now redeem points for Value fares (with more restrictions) or Prime fares (with fewer restrictions). You can also use a combination of cash and points if you don’t have enough. The airline ditched blackout dates and has made all seats available for points redemption, but the rates can be quite high. If you fly other Star Alliance carriers like Lufthansa or United, their programmes may make more sense through which to earn miles when flying Air India. It all comes down to the kind of fare you purchase and where you want to go.

Air India route map

An airline’s loyalty programme is only as strong as the carrier’s route map and those of its partners. Air India succeeds in this department, especially when it comes to flights to Europe. You can fly direct from Mumbai and Delhi to 9 European cities with 3 UK airports served. The airline also offers an impressive number of flights to North America, with 7 direct flights on offer.

Air India also took over Vistara, another premium Indian airline, with plans to integrate it into the larger company. This means the domestic connectivity within India and also regional flights to other parts of the Middle East and Asia are unrivalled. I enjoy ultra-long-haul flying when the cabin is modern and the service is pleasant. Air India is on its way to achieving both of those milestones, but is not quite there yet. The good news: it’s coming, with new planes delivered on a weekly basis.