Aircraft equipment issues are a commonplace problem in aviation. How many times have you boarded a flight, only to be told the Wi-Fi or entertainment system does not work?

In rarer cases, some passengers are even told a non-critical part of their seat may be non-functional. While it doesn’t happen too often, airlines usually provide some form of compensation, or offer alternative bookings for the inconvenience, no matter how minor it may be.

Last year, Hawaiian gave me a $25 voucher for their broken IFE system on a flight from San Francisco to Honolulu. Unfortunately, passengers on an Air India flight were not so fortunate to receive the same treatment.

A reddit user shared their “frustrating” experience, explaining that Air India informed them that there were a number of broken tray tables in business class on the 19-hour flight from Delhi (DEL) to Toronto (YYZ) via Vienna (VIE).

The user also stated that they were given apology letters, informing them of the issue. The document also asked the affected passengers to sign, confirming they acknowledged the issue and had no objections.

Business class 19hr flight? Please eat on your lap
byu/AdamInstagram inairindia

Dear Sir/Ma’am,

Greetings from Air India!

We sincerely regret that owing to an unforeseen operational issue you are being accommodated on a seat which is not up to the standards of comfort we wish to provide. We sincerely regret that your seat has a minor issue (Description of issue) “Tray Table”, which we have not been able to rectify prior to the departure of the flight. [Flight Number] from [Departure City] to [Destination City].

Please be assured that this does not compromise your safety in any respect during the journey. All materials used in our aircraft, including the seats, conform to approved design specifications. They meet the intended design and airworthiness requirements as mandated by regulatory authorities, ensuring your safety.

Please reach out to us directly by logging your request at our portal http://www.airindia.com under the section Support–Contact Us–Need Help–Feedback or scan the QR code provided below.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience that may be caused and appreciate your understanding. Your trust in Air India is invaluable to us, and we remain committed to providing you with a safe and pleasant travel experience.

The document seems to have been issued on the very last minute as ground staff didn’t even take the time to fill out the departure and arrival airport information on the form.

The user objected to the situation, as they would have to place their food and drink items in their lap during meal service. The redditor noted that ground staff were very unhelpful, and offered no compensation or an alternative booking as a result of the inconvenience.

On the paper, the passenger refused to sign, and added a comment saying, “I have objection. This is a 19hr flight with no proper tray table. It’s frustrating”. Luckily for the person, they were able to find another seat mid-flight, but other passengers may not have has the same luxury.

Air India doesn’t exactly have a stellar reputation, even with post-TATA purchase transformations. Regardless of traveling class, having no tray table is inexcusable if there is a meal service. Even though it technically does not affect basic functionality, it does pose a safety risk as food and drinks could spill either on the passenger or onto the floor area near the seat.

Just as a minor point, I would be very upset as well, given that the Boeing 777-300ER used on this flight features Air India’s classic 2-3-2 business class layout, and not the more spacious 1-2-1 config featured on some of their 777s which are being leased from Etihad Airways.