Bangalore, August 15th, 2024—In a true celebration of freedom, my two sons and I found ourselves imprisoned at the Bangalore airport, courtesy of Air India’s impeccable commitment to keeping us grounded—literally.
As India marked its Independence Day with grandeur and patriotic fervour, my family and I experienced a different kind of “liberation.” With bags packed and spirits high, we arrived at the airport, blissfully unaware that we were about to star in Air India’s newest reality show: Survivor: Terminal Edition.
The drama unfolded when our flight, scheduled to take us to our destination, was delayed. But not by just an hour or two—oh no, that would have been too mainstream. Air India, in a stunning display of punctuality, decided to delay the flight by a whopping 16 hours. Clearly, they wanted to give us ample time to soak in the airport’s ambiance and enjoy its vast array of overpriced snacks and hard plastic chairs.
As the hours ticked by, the airport transformed from a bustling travel hub into a makeshift prison. Picture this: children sprawled across the cold floors, heavily pregnant women trying to find comfort on unforgiving seats, and elders with expressions that could curdle milk. My sons and I joined the ranks of the sleep-deprived and the dishevelled, bonding over shared exhaustion and the lack of any communication from Air India.
Food, you ask? Surely a meal or two would be offered during this epic wait. But Air India, ever the cost-conscious operator, decided that starving passengers was an efficient way to save money. After all, what better way to build character than to have a 6-year-old beg for overpriced airport snacks while his mother contemplates the life choices that led her here?
And the support? Well, let’s just say that the Air India staff were as elusive as the concept of punctuality itself. The only assistance provided was the glowing signboard that occasionally flickered with a “Flight Delayed” update—just in case you momentarily forgot about your predicament.
Meanwhile, as we marinated in our frustration, we couldn’t help but marvel at Air India’s cunning strategy. By not providing food, sleep, or comfort, they were able to significantly cut down on their expenses. This, of course, was a stroke of genius in today’s competitive airline industry. Who needs satisfied customers when you can have a healthy bottom line?
As the night dragged on, and the prospect of freedom remained a distant dream, we found ourselves reflecting on the true meaning of independence. Was it the freedom to travel? The freedom to breathe? Or perhaps, the freedom to pay exorbitant airport prices for a bottle of water while waiting for a flight that seemed like it might never arrive?
In the end, after 16 hours of captivity, Air India finally decided to release us from our airport purgatory. Bleary-eyed and battered, we stumbled onto the plane, only to be greeted by seats that seemed to have been designed as an extension of our night of discomfort.
So, here’s a heartfelt thanks to Air India. Thank you for teaching us the value of patience, for reminding us that family bonding is best achieved under duress, and for showing us that in a world of travel, anything is possible—even a 16-hour delay on Independence Day. Truly, it was a night we’ll never forget, and an Independence Day that will forever be etched in our memories—not for the freedom it celebrated, but for the imprisonment it provided.
(As experienced by my daughter and grandsons)