Air India Review: Seats, Amenities, Customer Service, Baggage Fees, and More

Key Takeaways

• Air India offers a comprehensive network of domestic and international routes, and it’s modernizing its fleet, meaning newer cabins provide a good experience, but it also creates a chasm between flight experiences during the transition.
• The airline’s loyalty program, Maharaja Club, offers benefits like earning and redeeming miles across Air India’s Star Alliance partners, and elite status adds perks such as upgrades and priority boarding.
• Skytrax ranks Air India as a 3-star airline (out of 5).

Air India is India’s flag carrier and one of the world’s oldest airlines, connecting the Indian subcontinent with destinations across Asia, Europe, North America, Africa, and Oceania. As a member of the Star Alliance, Air India offers seamless connections with carriers like United, Lufthansa, and Singapore Airlines, giving travelers reach well beyond its own network.

Its frequent-flyer program, the Maharaja Club, launched in 2024 to replace the previous Flying Returns program and lets members earn and redeem points across the Star Alliance ecosystem and on Air India flights, though the program isn’t as robustly integrated with major U.S. bank transfer partners as other global carriers.

Customers often praise Air India for its extensive route map and competitive pricing, especially on long-haul services between India and the U.S., but service quality and operational consistency can be uneven. Many flyers note aging aircraft interiors, inconsistent inflight service, and customer support challenges, particularly around delays, changes, and baggage handling — though some passengers report pleasant experiences as well, especially in premium cabins or when the staff performs well. And with new aircraft joining the airline’s fleet, some of these issues may be phased out over time.

Basic Information

• Airline: Air India
• Alliance: Star Alliance
• Category: Legacy international airline
• Frequent flyer program: Maharaja Club
• Tagline: “Your Maharaja to the World”
• Daily flights: 400 flights per day across domestic and international sectors
• Fleet: 128 aircraft
• Main hubs: Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (DEL), Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM), and Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (BLR)
• Destinations: 87 destinations in 37 countries

Frequent Flyer Program

Air India’s Maharaja Club lets members earn miles on Air India and Star Alliance partner flights, which can be redeemed for award flights, upgrades, excess baggage awards, and seat selection. Earning rates vary by fare class and route, with premium classes earning notably more miles per segment than basic economy tickets.

One of the biggest strengths of Maharaja Club is Star Alliance connectivity. Miles earned on Air India can be redeemed across dozens of carriers worldwide, including United, Air Canada, Lufthansa, and Singapore Airlines, broadening award redemption opportunities beyond Air India’s own flights. Elite status (starting with Red as the base membership level and progressing through Silver, Gold, and Platinum) confers benefits such as priority boarding, lounge access, and bonus mileage multipliers. Another bonus is the fact Maharaja Club lets you pool points with other members.

However, Maharaja Club has limitations. Earning miles isn’t very easy in the U.S. given the lack of transfer partners other than Rove Miles. Thus, accumulating miles, outside of flying, is slower with Air India than with most of its competitors. Additionally, award pricing and availability for high-demand routes, such as U.S. to India, can be tightly constrained, and taxes and fees can further increase the cost of award travel.

Ticketing

Here’s a look at what’s included with Air India tickets, depending on the cabin you’re flying in.

Economy Fares

• Standard economy seating
• Carry-on and checked baggage allowance depending on fare or package
• Complimentary meals and beverages on most long-haul services
• Basic seat selection may incur an additional charge.

Premium Economy

Air India offers premium economy on select long-haul aircraft, with the following inclusions:

• Wider seats and more legroom than standard economy
• Priority boarding
• Enhanced meal service
• Checked baggage included
• Complimentary soft drinks

Business Class

• Lie-flat seats on many international routes
• Lounge access
• Priority check-in and boarding
• Multiple checked bags included
• Premium meals and beverages

First Class

Air India only offers first class on Boeing 777 aircraft. Luckily, these aging cabins are getting retrofits, but the rollout is slow, and the product is merely a slightly improved version of business class, not a competitor to other airlines’ first-class cabins.

Tickets include the following:

• Spacious cabins and suites
• Premium dining and service
• Highest baggage allowances
• Priority services at every airport touchpoint

Air India Baggage and Other Fees and Add-Ons

Air India’s checked baggage allowance varies by fare class and route. Some common examples, plus fees for going over the limits, are as follows:

For international segments like India to U.S., the free allowance on standard tickets (Value versus Classic) can differ. The cheapest economy Value fare may include only 1 free checked bag, while Classic and higher fare types include 2 free checked bags.

Other Fees and Add-Ons

Change and Cancellation Fees (Cash Tickets)

Air India’s published policies show that change and cancellation penalties depend on fare type:

• Basic or Value Economy (international): $100 to $200 change fee plus fare difference
• Classic Economy: $75 to $150 change fee
• Business or First Flexible: Typically no fee, so long as it’s done in advance

Exact fees vary by route and fare conditions. Classic and higher fare types generally offer lower or no change fees, while the Value category imposes steeper penalties.

Reservation Service Fees

• Booking online through AirIndia.com: $0 ticketing service fee
• Booking via call center or agent: $25 to $60 in most markets

Extra-Legroom Seats

Air India offers preferred or extra-legroom seats in economy and select cabins:

• Economy extra legroom or bulkhead: Typically $30 to $120 per segment, depending on flight length
• Exit row or premium seats: $40 or $150 on longer international flights

Those with Maharaja Club Gold status can choose standard seats for free, but this doesn’t include exit row or bulkhead seats. Platinum members, however, can choose any seat without a fee.

Onboard Wi-Fi

Air India’s Wi-Fi services are limited and evolving. Many aircraft, especially long-haul Boeing 777s and 787s, have Wi-Fi available for purchase at the following rates:

• Short-haul: $5 to $12 for limited access
• Long-haul: $15 to $25 for full-flight access

Pricing varies by route and aircraft. The good news is that Air India is expanding availability, though inflight Wi-Fi isn’t available across the fleet yet.

Onboard Food and Drinks

• International long-haul economy: Complimentary meals and nonalcoholic beverages, with alcoholic beverages available for purchase on some routes
• Premium cabins: Complimentary multicourse meals and premium beverages
• Short-haul domestic: Snacks and beverages included, with additional buy-on-board options

Unaccompanied Minor

Air India allows unaccompanied minors, but the specific fees are not consistently published online. The airline generally requires booking the unaccompanied minor service and submitting several documents. Charges vary by route and age. Expect to pay $50 to $150 for international flights.

Pet Transportation

Air India’s international regulations prohibit pets that aren’t service animals on nonstop U.S.-India sectors (certified service dogs are still permitted). Domestic and other international pet fees vary, but specific standardized charges are often handled as cargo rates and depend on route, crate size, and weight. For planning purposes, expect to pay between $200 and $600, depending on your situation.

How To Avoid Paying Excess Fees and Expenses

Air India doesn’t currently offer a co-branded credit card in the U.S. That means you can’t add an Air India credit card to your wallet and get perks like waived fees on preferred seats or excess baggage.

However, you still have options. Using premium travel credit cards can significantly reduce out-of-pocket costs for ancillary charges on Air India flights. For instance, the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® offers an annual $300 travel credit that automatically reimburses qualifying travel purchases such as baggage fees, seat selection charges, and change penalties. Because Air India extras like checked bags and seat fees typically code as travel purchases, cardholders can use these credits to offset them quickly.

Similarly, cards like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card allow members to redeem miles to cover travel purchases made in the previous 90 days. This means you can book baggage and seat fees with either of these cards and then cover them with miles at a value of 1 cent each, helping to bring down overall travel costs.

For frequent flyers, elite status in the Maharaja Club can lead to free or discounted seat selection and baggage allowances, reducing fees on future trips as well.

Air India Lounges

Air India operates lounges for eligible passengers at several key airports worldwide. Access is typically available to business and first class passengers and Maharaja Club Gold and Platinum members, who can also bring 1 guest.

Air India offers lounges at 26 domestic airports through various partnerships, including Indore (IDR), Lucknow (LKO), Madurai (IXM), Mangalore (IXE), Nagpur (NAG), Patna (PAT), Srinagar (SXR), and Vadodara (BDQ).

Primary lounge locations include the following domestic and International airports:

• Bengaluru International Airport (BLR)
• Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL)
• John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
• Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (BOM)

Lounges offer seating areas, refreshments, Wi-Fi, and business services. However, the JFK lounge isn’t impressive.

Inflight Inclusions, Amenities, and Seat Specs

Economy

• Standard seat with complimentary meals on international long-haul routes
• Carry-on and checked baggage per fare terms
• Basic entertainment and Wi-Fi purchase options

Premium Economy

• Wider seat and more legroom
• Priority boarding
• Complimentary meals and checked baggage

Business Class

• Lie-flat or premium recliner seats
• Lounge access and priority services
• Elevated meal service and beverages

First Class

• Suites or premium individual spaces on select routes
• Personalized service and fine dining
• Highest baggage allowance

Seat Specs

Air India Customer Satisfaction

Most Common Complaints

Common Air India passenger complaints include delays and schedule changes, inconsistent service quality, issues with customer service responsiveness, and aging aircraft interiors with broken entertainment systems. Many reviews note that while Air India’s route network and pricing can be attractive, the overall passenger experience often feels dated or poorly supported during irregular operations, leading passengers to question whether it’s worth booking Air India for a great price while enduring a subpar travel experience.

Consumer Rankings and Ratings

• Skytrax ranking: 3-Star Airline (out of 5)
• Tripadvisor airline review rating: 2.5 out of 5 (from 11,192 reviews)
• Kayak customer rating: 5.5 out of 10 (from 2,957 verified reviews)

Safety and Performance

Air India has a long operational history but faced significant safety scrutiny after the 2025 crash of Flight 171, which killed all but 1 passenger and led to a wide-ranging safety review and increased regulatory focus on maintenance and operational procedures.

The airline has emphasized modernization and retrofit programs in its fleet following that incident. Air India grounded all Boeing 787 planes — the type involved in the crash — for government-mandated safety checks before returning these planes to service months later.

Recent Awards

Air India did not feature prominently in the top global award categories for 2025, though it remains certified at the 3-Star level and is recognized in some regional categories by Skytrax.

While Air India wasn’t named as the best airline in India (IndiGo took that honor), the carrier did receive awards in the following areas:

• Best business class in India and South Asia
• Best economy class onboard catering in India and South Asia
• Best airline staff in India and South Asia
• Best cabin crew in India and South Asia

Air India Express was awarded the title of the best regional airline in India and South Asia.

Final Thoughts

Air India offers an extensive global network backed by Star Alliance connectivity and competitive pricing that can make it an attractive choice for international travelers, particularly on India-U.S. routes. Its premium cabins and alliance benefits are genuine positives.

However, service consistency, customer care responsiveness, and onboard product quality can lag behind top global carriers — especially in economy. For the best experience with Air India, consider premium class travel, newer aircraft, flexible fares, and travel credits from premium cards to offset fees.