Air Indias BengaluruSan Francisco flight rerouted; passengers allege repeated delays and poor assistance

BENGALURU: Passengers on Air Indias Bengaluru-San Francisco flight (AI 175) on Thursday alleged repeated rescheduling and lack of basic assistance at Kempegowda International Airport. The flight, which was originally sold as a direct service to San Francisco, was rerouted via Kolkata without prior intimation, said a passenger, adding that they had only come to know about it when they were checking in online, that the route had suddenly changed to Kolkata. Travellers claimed the airline had already cancelled the flight on November 4 and 5, merging those passengers with the November 6 service. Many arrived at the airport at 9am for a scheduled 1.30 pm departure, but the airline pushed the departure time multiple times. At 1.30pm, they told us its now 3.45pm, and again shifted it to 5.55pm, a passenger said, adding that the Air India help desk remained unattended for long periods. Passengers said they were eventually given a Rs 500 meal voucher after requests. The delay was particularly distressing for elderly travellers. No proper food, no tea, our lives are not toys, said a 58-year-old woman, adding that she was travelling to San Francisco to help her pregnant daughter who was due. An Air India staff member said the aircraft change was due to safety requirements. As per airline sources, it happened due to operational reasons and the passengers were kept informed.