Grammy Winner Ricky Kej Blasts Air India for Repeated Downgrades and Poor Service

Grammy Award-winning musician Ricky Kej has publicly criticised Air India on X (formerly Twitter), accusing the airline of repeatedly downgrading him from business to economy class without any explanation. The latest incident occurred on a flight from Mumbai to Bengaluru, where Kej was informed of the downgrade at the departure gate. Despite paying for a business class ticket, the airline staff allegedly offered no refund or explanation and were reportedly rude in their interactions.

In his series of X posts, Kej expressed his frustration with Air India’s handling of the situation, highlighting that this was the third time he had experienced such downgrades in a year. He criticised the airline for its lack of proper protocols to manage these issues, such as providing immediate refunds or offering alternative flights. Kej also questioned the airline’s safety and responsibility measures amid these frequent downgrades.

“Wow… 3rd time this is happening to me in one year. I booked and paid for a business class ticket on @airindia from Mumbai to Bengaluru. When I reach the departure gate, the staff rudely tells me that I have been downgraded (for no reason) and they can’t give me a refund. What’s up with Air India? The person on the counter is Nishita Singh. Absolutely not helpful, and impolite. @airindia really needs to introspect and see if they are capable of running an airline in the first place,” Ricky Kej wrote.

Wow.. 3rd time this is happening to me in one year. I booked and paid for a business class ticket on @airindia from Mumbai to Bengaluru. When I reach departure gate, the staff rudely tells me that I have been downgraded (for no reason) and they cannot give me a refund. What's up…

— Ricky Kej (@rickykej) August 3, 2024

Air India’s initial response to Kej’s complaints was to offer to resolve the issue privately, emphasizing that rude behavior is unacceptable at any of their contact points. They requested Kej to share his booking details via direct message to address the matter. However, Kej was not satisfied with this response and demanded a clear refund, an explanation, and assurance of no further issues. When these demands were not met, he threatened legal action and accused Air India of making misleading statements on social media.

Kej’s X posts garnered significant support from netizens, with many users sharing similar grievances and expressing disappointment with Air India’s service. One user noted, “With such experience who would want to fly @airindia … you must feel sorry & refund the entire amount.” Another user suggested Kej switch to an airline that cares, sharing their positive experience with Air Vistara, which had upgraded them multiple times without charge.

Dear Mr. Kej, we wish to assure you that rude behavior is not at all accepted at any of our contact points and we always strive to offer courteous and hassle-free experience to our passengers. Kindly help us with the booking details via DM to address this.

— Air India (@airindia) August 3, 2024

The incident has sparked a wider discussion on social media about the quality of service provided by Indian airlines. Some users recounted their own negative experiences with Air India, while others highlighted the disparity in service between different airlines. This isn’t the first time Kej has publicly called out an airline; in October 2022, he posted a video of a cockroach on an IndiGo flight, which led to an apology and a promise to improve hygiene standards.