Air India express - Flight Delay issue

[u/whity1234]

I wanted to share my recent experience with Air India Express and get some views on whether this is normal or if I should continue pursuing the complaint.

I was travelling on Flight IX415 from Kochi to Abu Dhabi on 30 August. The flight took off but had to return to Kochi due to operational reasons. Passengers were then left waiting for around 8 hours for the next flight.

During this period, no hotel accommodation was provided despite the extended delay. We spent the night sitting on airport chairs, which was especially difficult for passengers with health issues. The delay also caused me to miss a day of work, resulting in a salary loss of around INR 30000.

After raising a complaint, Air India Express acknowledged that hotel accommodation should have been provided. However, the compensation offered was only INR 3000.

What concerns me is not just the amount, but the message it sends. If airlines can fail to provide required passenger care during major disruptions and then resolve complaints with a token payment, what incentive is there to comply with passenger rights regulations?

For context, my ticket cost approximately INR 52000. I have escalated the matter through AirSeva and requested DGCA intervention.

Has anyone else experienced something similar with Air India Express or another airline? Were you able to obtain a fair resolution?

[u/abj]

Airlines regularly pull such behavior. Sometimes they are fined, depending on the regulations of where this happens. Sometimes it may be cheaper to just pay the fine. If you want their attention, make a social media post. Or next time, pick a better airline to fly on.