Sad Maharaja

The Air India
Experience

Safety incidents. Lost bags. Broken seats. Inedible food.
A source-backed record of it all.

0
Fatalities
0
Violations '25
0
Rating
0
Bags Lost/Mo
Sad Maharaja
The Everyday Experience

Customer Complaints

LuggageLost & Damaged Luggage
💼
43,680 Bags Lost in One Month
Rated the worst baggage system in the world. No helpline, no tracker.
Sachin Taparia / X
📞
36 Hours, 40 Calls, No Bag
SFO-BLR. Suitcase never loaded. Wedding the next day. No delivery estimate.
News24Online
🗑
TSA Lock Ripped, Items in Trash Bag
Bag arrived destroyed. Items stuffed in a blue garbage bag. Lost $1,500 in camera gear.
ConsumerAffairs
📍
100+ Hrs Late — Found via AirTag
Only found through Apple AirTags and social media pressure tagging executives.
X / Twitter
FoodFood Quality
🤢
Uncooked Meals in Business Class
~5 lakh INR ticket. Uncooked food on dirty, dilapidated trays.
MightyTravels
🍷
Drinks Offered Twice in 11 Hours
Food: inedible. Toilets: "filthy, embarrassing for an international airline."
Skytrax
🍞
No Dietary Accommodations
Rigid veg/non-veg only. No gluten-free, lactose-free, or continental options.
FlyerTalk
SeatsSeats & Cabin
📄
"Broken Seat Waiver" Forms
Pre-printed forms acknowledging broken tray tables. Passengers sign before takeoff.
One Mile at a Time
💰
$6,300 First Class — Ripped & Dirty
Ripped furnishings, broken IFE (restarted 5x), zero WiFi for 15 hours.
One Mile at a Time
😴
Crew Slept in "Broken" Biz Seats
Passenger pressured to downgrade. Crew later slept in the cleared rows.
View from the Wing
💧
Ceiling Leaks, Clogged Toilets
Water leaking through ceiling. 14 hrs of squeaking seats. No monitors. "Dirt all around."
Skytrax
ServiceCustomer Service
💸
$5K Ticket, Offered $60
Broken seats both legs. "Copy-paste apologies and zero resolution."
ConsumerAffairs
⭐
1.9 Stars — "Customer Last"
186+ reviews. Only 21% recommend. Rude staff, unanswered emails.
PissedConsumer
🚫
Paid Upgrade, No Seat, No Refund
$200 upgrade. Wrong seat. Months of requests. Refund never came.
ConsumerAffairs
43,680
Bags lost in a single month

No helpline. No tracker. Social media is the only channel that gets a response.

Safety
Safety Record

Major Incidents & Crashes

June 2025
Flight 171 — Ahmedabad
787 crashed after takeoff. Both engines lost thrust. 241 of 242 killed. First fatal 787 hull loss ever.
241 deaths
August 2020
AI Express 1344 — Kozhikode
737 overshot tabletop runway in heavy rain. Fell into 30-foot gorge.
21 deaths
May 2010
AI Express 812 — Mangalore
Captain sleeping during approach. Ignored copilot's abort warnings.
158 deaths
October 1988
Flight 113 — Ahmedabad
737 crashed on approach in poor visibility. Overshot and exploded.
133 deaths
June 1985
Flight 182 — Atlantic Ocean
747 destroyed by a bomb. Deadliest aviation attack until 9/11.
329 deaths
January 1978
Flight 855 — Arabian Sea
747 plunged into sea. Instrument failure caused spatial disorientation.
213 deaths
Regulatory Action

DGCA Fines & Penalties

Feb 2026
8 Flights Without Airworthiness Cert
A320 flew passengers without valid ARC.
₹1 Crore (~$110K)
Jan 2025
Pilot Flew Without Currency
FO lacked mandatory recency. Alerts ignored.
₹30 Lakh (~$36K)
Aug 2024
Unqualified Crew on Int'l Route
Unauthorized junior pilot on Mumbai-Riyadh.
₹90 Lakh (~$108K)
Mar 2024
Pilot Rest Rule Violations
Non-compliance with FDTL protocols.
₹80 Lakh (~$96K)
Feb 2024
Wheelchair Denial → Death
Elderly passenger died. Wheelchair not provided.
₹30 Lakh (~$36K)
Jan 2024
Insufficient Emergency Oxygen
Whistleblower confirmed. India-US B777 routes.
₹1.1 Cr (~$132K)
Jan 2023
Misconduct Mishandling
Fined for lapses after urination incident (NYC-DEL).
₹30 Lakh (~$36K)
Sep 2023
Simulator Licence Suspended
Both Boeing & Airbus sims grounded.
Licence Suspended
51
Violations in a single audit

July 2025. 14 inspectors, 4 days. 7 serious breaches. DGCA: "systemic issues remain unresolved."

Passenger Stories

What Real Travelers Say

⚠️
6+ Hours Trapped on Unsafe Plane
Crew admitted on camera it wasn't safe to fly. Passengers stuck inside with no A/C, no water, and no information.
M9 News
🔥
Passengers Fainted from Heat
No A/C for hours on DEL-SFO. DGCA: "failing time and again." Flight departed 30+ hours late.
Business Standard
🚾
11/12 Toilets Clogged Mid-Atlantic
777 turned back over Greenland, 4.5 hrs into the ORD-DEL route. 300 passengers, 10-hour flight to nowhere.
One Mile at a Time
👴
85-Year-Old Abandoned at Airport
Left alone 40 minutes despite wheelchair arrangement. Passenger suffered a fatal heart attack. DGCA fined AI ₹30 lakh.
National Herald India
🕑
3-Day Cancellation Loop
Canceled 3 days straight. No hotel, meals, or rebooking assistance. Customer service: "please hold."
ConsumerAffairs
😬
"Worst First Class in the World"
Ripped seats, no WiFi, dead IFE (restarted 5x). $6,000+ roundtrip for a third-world experience.
OMAAT
Ratings

How It Compares

Air India (Skytrax)
3 / 5
Air India (Trustpilot)
1.3 / 5
Air India (PissedConsumer)
1.9 / 5
Singapore Airlines
5 / 5
Qatar Airways
5 / 5
Emirates
4 / 5
IndiGo
3.3 / 5
Your Turn

Report Your Experience

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Community

Passenger Reports

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DISCLAIMER: sadmaharaja.club is an independent satire and consumer advocacy website. NOT affiliated with Air India, Tata Group, or any airline. We publish verified DGCA audit findings, news reports from established outlets, and user-submitted passenger complaints. User submissions are clearly marked as unverified and published under IT Act Section 79 safe harbour provisions. All factual claims are attributed to original sources. Opinions and satirical commentary are clearly labeled. The "Sad Maharaja" character is original artwork and does not represent Air India's trademarked mascot. For corrections or takedown requests: contact@sadmaharaja.club