Comedian Vir Das pays Rs 50000 for Air India seat, gets ‘broken table, broken leg rests, stuck chair'

Comedian and actor Vir Das has voiced his dissatisfaction with Air India on social media after he pre-booked a wheelchair for his wife. Despite the booking, the cabin crew was reportedly unhelpful when the wheelchair was needed. Das, 45, mentioned that his wife, who has a fractured foot, had to climb down the aircraft steps after the Air India flight landed in Delhi.

The problems faced by the couple were not limited to the wheelchair issue on flight AI816 from Mumbai to Delhi. Das said that despite paying Rs 50,000 per seat, they encountered broken tables, damaged leg rests, and a seat that was stuck in a reclined position.

Taking to social media X, formerly Twitter, Das wrote, “Dear @airindia Please reclaim your wheelchair. I’m a lifetime loyalist. I believe you’ve got the nicest cabin crew in the sky, this post pains me to write. My wife and I book Pranaam and a wheelchair because she’s got a foot fracture that’s still healing. We’re flying to delhi. 50grand a seat. Broken table, broken leg rests, her seat is stuck reclined, won’t straighten fully. Were told the flight is ‘newly refurbished’."

The comedian also mentioned that the flight was already 2 hours late when they were told that there was no wheelchair. “I ask the air hostesses at the front of the plane to assist my wife while I carry four bags. Silence and a clueless look at each other. We step off the plane to the top of the ladder. I ask an air India male ground staff member to help us, looks at me, shrugs, and Ignore’s me. My wife with a fracture makes it down the stepladder. I tell an Air India staff member at the bottom near the buses what happened. He says “sir kya Karein…sorry"," he added.

April 14, 2025

He ended the post by narrating how noone came to help them as das wrote, “I grab a chair and wheel her to baggage claim, then out of the airport to the parking. Encalm lets air India know this is happening. No one shows. Anyway. One of your wheelchairs is on the second floor of the parking in Delhi. Do claim it."

Air India's response

Air India till not responded to this incident. The airline is yet to make a response to their poor service.