When I was looking for options to travel by air there was Jet and Spice Jet. However what tilted my decision in favour of Air India was that their flight at 18:50 hours gave me ample time to catch up with some of my friends.
So when I got into the aircraft, the red upholstery on the seats evoked a sense of deja-vu. It was like going back in time. The cabin crew gave us two slices of sandwich, a lemon cake and bottled water. I was a bit disappointed as I was expecting a proper dinner. However I took comfort in the fact that the private airlines were not offering any food or water for the same price.
The flight took off on time and arrived on time. I recollected the various articles about the health of Air India / Indian Airlines in the news papers. Now here was an airline which was struggling to put up a fight vis-a-vis its competitors. The Maharaja still evokes pleasant memories. I remember an old suitcase which our family had. There was the picture of the Maharaja and the Air India logo.
Today, it's sad to see Air India/Indian Airlines as an also-ran. Our national carrier has seen better times but now is gasping for breath. I wish the management all the best in turning around the airlines however if it didn't, then the writing is on the wall :(
(Image courtesy: http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/filmi_sangeet/media/1960_Air_India.jpg)
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