Mumbai: An Air India flight from Mumbai to San Francisco was unexpectedly rescheduled on Monday, leaving passengers frustrated and inconvenienced. The flight, initially set to depart at 1:25 pm, was postponed to 9 am on Tuesday without any clear explanation from the airline, causing confusion and distress among those affected.
Initially, Air India staff reportedly offered vague and evasive responses to inquiries from passengers, leading to growing frustration. It was only later that the airline agreed to provide hotel accommodations for the stranded passengers.
Operational Reasons Behind Unexpected Delay
According to a Hindustan Times report, an Air India spokesperson later cited 'operational reasons' for the delay, stating, "Air India flight AI179 of 26 August 2024 on the Mumbai-San Francisco sector has been rescheduled and is now expected to depart Mumbai at 9 am on 27 August 2024 due to operational reasons. We regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers due to this unforeseen delay."
Passengers, caught off guard by the sudden rescheduling, faced major challenges. Dr Subhash Wadotkar, a resident of Jalgaon who was travelling to visit his family in the US, expressed his frustration while speaking to HT saying, “There was a lot of delay. The ground staff did not have information. A lot of passengers had connecting flights, which they will miss. Our time is wasted.”
A group of employees from a multinational corporation (MNC) also experienced considerable inconvenience. They ultimately cancelled their Air India tickets and rebooked on a KLM flight departing at 2 am on Tuesday, incurring additional costs. "We had to pay a huge difference in fare for booking on the KLM flight. We paid a difference of $400 per ticket. Our company will bear the extra costs," one of the employees told HT.
Hotel Accommodation, Cancellation With Full Refund Provided By Airline
In response to the situation, the Air India spokesperson mentioned that their ground staff at Mumbai airport was offering full support to affected passengers. "Hotel accommodation has been provided to the guests. Options of cancellation with a full refund or complimentary rescheduling to another date have also been offered to them. At Air India, safety and well-being of our customers and crew remain our top priority," he confirmed.
This incident follows a similar one earlier this year, on May 24, when another Air India flight from Mumbai to San Francisco was delayed by 36 hours.
