Is Air India really that bad? Flying economy from Kochi to Mumbai

Air India has developed something of a reputation online. Search social media and it doesn't take long to find videos of dirty aircraft, broken seats, faulty entertainment systems and cabins that appear to have seen better days.

So, when I booked a domestic Air India economy flight from Kochi to Mumbai, I was curious to find out whether the airline really deserved its reputation.

The journey was a relatively short two-and-a-half-hour flight aboard an Airbus A320 – but it turned out to be far more eventful than expected.

Boarding Air India in Kochi

I arrived at the gate around an hour before departure and found Kochi Airport considerably calmer than I expected. There were plenty of comfortable armchairs around the gate, although there was a little rubbish around some of the seating areas.

At check-in, I had been randomly allocated seat 10F, a window seat relatively close to the front of the aircraft.

Once onboard, my first impression immediately challenged everything I had been expecting.

The cabin was immaculate.

The aircraft itself was around eight years old but had been refurbished approximately seven months earlier. The seats looked almost new, the cabin was clean and there was even a Premium Economy section towards the front.

My seat was in an emergency exit row, which also provided plenty of legroom.

The cabin crew were smartly presented, polite and welcoming. There was no seatback entertainment, but on a flight of this length that wasn't particularly important.

And as it turned out, we were about to get some unexpected entertainment anyway.

Water starts leaking from the overhead lockers

Shortly after take-off, water suddenly began dripping from the overhead area onto a passenger.

The crew quickly investigated and initially found a water bottle inside the overhead locker. However, removing it didn't solve the problem.

The water continued dripping.

Several members of the cabin crew became involved, inspecting the overhead lockers and trying to locate the source. At one point, tissues were being used to absorb the remaining water.

Eventually, the mystery was solved.

A passenger had apparently failed to properly seal a thermos flask stored inside the overhead locker.

The affected passenger was moved to Business Class while the crew dealt with the problem – a sensible response to a rather unusual situation.

A surprisingly good airline meal

Next came another surprise: the food.

For a domestic flight lasting only around two and a half hours, Air India provided a substantial meal consisting of chicken stew or curry with rice and vegetables, followed by a chocolate mousse cake.

Coffee was also served.

The meal was genuinely good – better, in fact, than some meals I've received on much longer international flights.

Even the cutlery was interesting, appearing to be made from a flexible paper or cardboard-like material rather than conventional plastic.

An unexpected farewell

What stood out most during the flight, however, was the crew.

One cabin crew member told me she had worked for Air India for 22 years, and the service throughout the journey was professional and friendly.

Towards the end of the flight, the crew surprised me with a small handwritten card thanking me for flying with them on flight AI2856 from Kochi to Mumbai.

It was a simple gesture, but also a memorable one.

So, is Air India really that bad?

Based on this flight, absolutely not.

The experience was almost the complete opposite of the horror stories I had seen online.

The refurbished Airbus A320 was clean and comfortable, the crew handled the unexpected water leak professionally, the meal was surprisingly good and the service was warm and welcoming.

Of course, one flight can't represent an entire airline. Air India operates a large and varied fleet, and experiences will inevitably differ between aircraft and routes.

But this particular journey from Kochi to Mumbai exceeded my expectations.

And it left me with a much more interesting question.

If Air India's domestic Economy Class was this good, what would its international Business Class be like?

That was exactly what I was about to find out, with my next journey taking me from Mumbai to Bangkok in Air India Business Class.

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