I dont write many long blogs. But yet another event in my ongoing love-hate relationship with the most dysfunctional business one can currently witness on this planet has prompted at least some level of reflection. Of course, I am talking about Air India, which if nothing else has to be considered the HBR textbook example of how to run a business into the ground, repeatedly, despite the overwhelming support of government, the business community and not a few bemused consumer supporters who just cant stop gawking at the car-wreck that is this airline. How it is still here is an interesting question, but more importantly how its employees can come to work everyday an not just expect a closed sign on the front door is amazing to me.
Todays latest interaction the latest in a string of probably 10 almost inconceivable debacles again prompted my friend to ask so why do you fly this ridiculous airline when almost no Indian person would dare to use them? To his point, air India is about 40% cheaper than all of its competitors ($550 for this flight compared to $990 for its competitors) yet the flight is basically empty, because anyone who knows them stays away at all costs. The only people on this flight are a few shareholders and a few dozen Australian tourists who would fly air Afghanistan if it meant their 6 month trek around the world would be $100 cheaper.
In my case, a combination of morbid curiosity and the fact that they have the last flight of the day to Bangkok forces me to use them. The flight leaves at 2pm, so I arrive safely at 1230 to buy my ticket. I arrive at the ticketing counter and am informed by the cheerful attendent that we cannot sell you a ticket at this time as we have no agents authorized to make a sale. There are 5 people in the booth, milling about quite busily. So you mean none of these 5 people are authorized to sell a ticket on a flight? What are they authorized to do? Perplexed look. They are allowed to print a copy of itineraries already sold, but only that. Um, ok. Well, can you call someone who has authority to sell me a ticket? Perplexed look. No, our duty manager is too busy now to do that so she cannot come to sell you the ticket. I am sorry.
Based on this, I call out local travel agent in India who says no, we are forbidden from issuing a ticket on airindia less than two hours before departure time. So no we cannot do anything. I then call our American agency on after hours who originally told me to just go to the AI counter as it was easier who sells me the ticket and books it online in about three minutes with minimal effort. I then go back to the counter and say so I now have a ticket can you print my itinerary to I can enter the airport. The response is certainly sir.
As she is handing me my printout, in bounds the Duty Manager, all smiles and happy greetings. Hello sir, as an Air India frequent flier I am here to escort you to the check in counter. So wait a minute. You were too busy to come here to sell me a full fare ticket, but you have time to walk with me to the check in counter, which you should know as a frequent flier I have done once or twice before on my own without a problem? Yes sir, I am sorry you had some problems sir but your happiness and convenience are our priority.
This is typical Air India. I have waited for more than 30 minutes for an attendant to print out my boarding pass as they tore up 5 copies because the ink was slightly smudged. I have been upgraded to first class to compensate me for the fact that the luggage tag they handed me was wrinkled. And most famously they mistakenly deposited an incoming flight at the domestic terminal rather than international, so I entered the country without clearing customs or immigration and was thus declared an illegal entrant by the department of home affairs
Ah, air India. How can you still be in business? I can honestly say, and this is no exaggeration, that I have never EVER been on an AI flight that has taken off on time. This flight, like all of the rest, is exactly one hour late in taking off. It is never 30 minutes, never (ok rarely) 2 hours. Every flight is EXACTLY one hour late. You can imagine a senior executive meeting of AI marketing in Mumbai where this topic is brought up. Um, sir it has been brought to our attention that every flight is one hour late. I propose that we add 1 hour to the expected arrival time of our flights so that they will be on time, customers will be happier and connections will not be missed. Executive looks around the room and thinks. No, we cannot do so. If we do that then all flights will then be 2 hours late. ah, yes, sir. You are right. Meeting adjourned.
Todays latest interaction the latest in a string of probably 10 almost inconceivable debacles again prompted my friend to ask so why do you fly this ridiculous airline when almost no Indian person would dare to use them? To his point, air India is about 40% cheaper than all of its competitors ($550 for this flight compared to $990 for its competitors) yet the flight is basically empty, because anyone who knows them stays away at all costs. The only people on this flight are a few shareholders and a few dozen Australian tourists who would fly air Afghanistan if it meant their 6 month trek around the world would be $100 cheaper.
In my case, a combination of morbid curiosity and the fact that they have the last flight of the day to Bangkok forces me to use them. The flight leaves at 2pm, so I arrive safely at 1230 to buy my ticket. I arrive at the ticketing counter and am informed by the cheerful attendent that we cannot sell you a ticket at this time as we have no agents authorized to make a sale. There are 5 people in the booth, milling about quite busily. So you mean none of these 5 people are authorized to sell a ticket on a flight? What are they authorized to do? Perplexed look. They are allowed to print a copy of itineraries already sold, but only that. Um, ok. Well, can you call someone who has authority to sell me a ticket? Perplexed look. No, our duty manager is too busy now to do that so she cannot come to sell you the ticket. I am sorry.
Based on this, I call out local travel agent in India who says no, we are forbidden from issuing a ticket on airindia less than two hours before departure time. So no we cannot do anything. I then call our American agency on after hours who originally told me to just go to the AI counter as it was easier who sells me the ticket and books it online in about three minutes with minimal effort. I then go back to the counter and say so I now have a ticket can you print my itinerary to I can enter the airport. The response is certainly sir.
As she is handing me my printout, in bounds the Duty Manager, all smiles and happy greetings. Hello sir, as an Air India frequent flier I am here to escort you to the check in counter. So wait a minute. You were too busy to come here to sell me a full fare ticket, but you have time to walk with me to the check in counter, which you should know as a frequent flier I have done once or twice before on my own without a problem? Yes sir, I am sorry you had some problems sir but your happiness and convenience are our priority.
This is typical Air India. I have waited for more than 30 minutes for an attendant to print out my boarding pass as they tore up 5 copies because the ink was slightly smudged. I have been upgraded to first class to compensate me for the fact that the luggage tag they handed me was wrinkled. And most famously they mistakenly deposited an incoming flight at the domestic terminal rather than international, so I entered the country without clearing customs or immigration and was thus declared an illegal entrant by the department of home affairs
Ah, air India. How can you still be in business? I can honestly say, and this is no exaggeration, that I have never EVER been on an AI flight that has taken off on time. This flight, like all of the rest, is exactly one hour late in taking off. It is never 30 minutes, never (ok rarely) 2 hours. Every flight is EXACTLY one hour late. You can imagine a senior executive meeting of AI marketing in Mumbai where this topic is brought up. Um, sir it has been brought to our attention that every flight is one hour late. I propose that we add 1 hour to the expected arrival time of our flights so that they will be on time, customers will be happier and connections will not be missed. Executive looks around the room and thinks. No, we cannot do so. If we do that then all flights will then be 2 hours late. ah, yes, sir. You are right. Meeting adjourned.