‘No Wi-Fi, unclean, leftover food,’ Indian-American CEO slams Air India for ‘worst’ Delhi-Chicago flight

Anip Patel, the CEO of CaPatel Investments and an Indian-American passenger, recently expressed his dissatisfaction with Air India’s business class service on a non-stop flight from New Delhi to Chicago through an Instagram video.

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In a post on Instagram, Patel wrote, “I recently endured a 15-hour non-stop flight from Chicago to Delhi, and it was far from pleasant. I had heard negative things about Air India in the past, but I was hoping the recent changes under new management would improve the experience—unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. There was no Wi-Fi, and the in-flight entertainment was down for the entire flight. First class was in poor condition—unclean, with leftover food and trash still in the cabin, and everything looked worn out or broken. It was a pretty frustrating experience overall. Be aware if you’re flying with them.”

In the video, Patel said, “Look at how gross this is,” he remarked, highlighting the worn and damaged condition of the cabin. “There were things moving in every compartment, everything was ripped, or had little wear on it. I understand regular wear and tear, but this was next level.”

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He described his experience as a “nightmare” and criticized the service, stating he paid $6,300 for what he deemed the “worst first-class cabin” he had ever encountered.

“This was next level, guys,” he said, pointing to the cold towel. “They’ve partnered with Ferragamo, which was nice, and the pajamas were quite soft. However, the headphones were a problem—they arrived tangled and showed significant signs of wear.”

Patel then highlighted stains on the recliner seat and voiced his frustration with the food menu, noting that only 30% of the items were available. “This was a food menu; it looked very promising, but of course, 30% of its items are not available. They only have one of each item. Four of us in the entire cabin, and it was basically first come, first serve… they didn’t even put a tablecloth over it. Then she forgot and came back with one,” he complained.

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Users commented saying, “Gross, this is really a nightmare.” Another one said, “It is consistent with India. The last corner of the World to visit.”

By the time of writing, the post has acquired 79,279 likes.