'Broken Window Seat Despite Paying Extra': Air India Passenger Shares Woes On Social Media

An Air India passenger who claimed to have paid extra for a window seat on a flight from Delhi to Bengaluru was left disappointed when the seat turned out to be broken.

The passenger, who took to social media to voice his grievance, said despite efforts by the airline's engineer to fix it, the issue remained unresolved.

The passenger shared a video and photos on X, expressing frustration over the poor management by the airline.

The post on X reads, "Paid extra 1k for a broken window seat (22A) on Air India AI512 from DEL to BLR on 4th Apr. They called the engineer to fix it, but he couldn’t. Is this what I paid the flight fare for? Can’t I at least expect a proper seat after paying so much? @airindia @DGCAIndia @Ministry_CA."

In response to the post, Air India apologised to the passenger for "falling short of expectations" and requested the passenger to direct message them the booking details for further assistance.

The airline stated, "Hi, we’re sorry for the disappointing experience. Please DM us your booking details (boarding pass) so that we can check and assist you."

Air India assured it would investigate the matter and take corrective action. "Your feedback is crucial, and we apologise for falling short of expectations. We’ll investigate the matter and take corrective action. Thank you for bringing this to our attention."

The incident, which was shared on April 6, received over 8,000 views and drew reactions from several users on social media. Some users expressed concern over the safety implications of broken seats, questioning the acceptability of such conditions by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

One user commented, "Hi, did they offer an alternate seat / alternate flight or at least refund you the ticket cost + some? I see you have a legit case for full refund + some extra in a consumer court." Another user raised concerns about safety briefings being undermined when seats are broken.