Passenger’s Nightmare With Air India: Elderly Mother Denied Boarding, Left Stranded Amid System Issues
Passenger’s Nightmare With Air India: Elderly Mother Denied Boarding, Left Stranded Amid System Issues
A passenger recently shared a harrowing experience with Air India on Reddit, recounting an ordeal while traveling with a 72-year-old mother from Bhopal to Toronto via Delhi. The passenger’s post on the IndiaSpeaks subreddit detailed a series of issues they encountered, including unhelpful staff, boarding delays, and ultimately, a denial to board due to a visa-linking error.
The journey began smoothly, with the passenger and their elderly mother receiving boarding passes in Bhopal. Upon arriving in Delhi, however, staff flagged an issue with the mother’s passport, instructing them to visit a supervisor on another floor. The supervisor assured them that all was in order, yet at the boarding gate, staff refused to allow the mother to board, claiming her visa was not linked to her new passport and that the Canadian immigration system was down.
After hours of confusion, uncooperative staff, and a lack of wheelchair assistance, the passenger was told that if they wanted to continue, they’d need to purchase a new ticket at full price. Exhausted and frustrated, the passenger eventually secured a free rebooking only after intense arguments and a stroke of luck when the immigration system came back online.
Concluding the post, the passenger described Air India’s Delhi ground staff as “non-empathetic” and vowed never to fly with the airline again.
