Air India rating

Air India rating: 4.8/10 (D tier)

Included bags help, but price-drop refusals and high complaints weaken the deal

Axel would choose Air India only when its fare is clearly cheaper than alternatives. Included cabin baggage and a checked bag on US-to-India economy Value fares reduce the need for baggage extras, but paid changes and no routine price-drop refund limit flexibility. Its high US complaint rate and weak refund record outweigh those benefits for travelers who need dependable support.

Axel score: 4.8/10, D tier, #70 of 77 airlines. Repriceability: 3.7/10 (#62). Checked October 26, 2026. Source: https://helloaxel.com/en/airlines/air-india

Best and worst

• Best: US-to-India economy Value includes a 23 kg checked bag.
• Best: Economy Flex has no change fee on USA/Canada tickets, although fare differences apply.
• Worst: Air India's booking FAQ refuses refunds when your booked flight becomes cheaper.
• Worst: USA/Canada economy Value changes cost $165 plus any applicable fare difference.
• Worst: US-route complaints reached 72.93 per 100,000 passengers in April 2026.

If the fare drops after you book, can you get money back? No

No routine price-drop refund is available. Air India's FAQ refuses refunds when the booked flight gets cheaper. For USA/Canada economy, Value changes cost $165 and Classic $110, plus fare differences. Flex has no change fee. Value is nonrefundable except eligible unused taxes. Before no-show restrictions, Classic cancellation costs $275 and Flex $11. Cancellation and repurchase depend on ticket rules and availability. Cheaper-replacement residual treatment for US cash Value tickets is unconfirmed. Air India eVoucher validity is stated on each voucher. These vouchers are nontransferable, cannot be extended, and unused balances expire. Partial balances remain usable until expiry. They are not confirmed routine repricing credits. DOT-covered disruption vouchers offered instead of refunds must last at least five years.

US rules allow penalty-free cancellation within 24 hours for direct purchases at least seven days before departure. Effective March 26, 2026, Air India's contract permits cancellation or amendment within 48 hours of booking for departures from USA/Canada at least seven days away, or other international journeys at least 15 days away. Higher replacement fares and taxes remain payable. Axel reports fewer than 10 repricing attempts, but no observation period or savings result was supplied.

Air India fares

Key facts

• Fare difference on a cheaper change: Not confirmed. Air India's Request Refund page says a cheaper replacement produces no refund of the difference and applicable rebooking charges are collected. However, this wording appears beneath the Air India and Star Alliance Award Flights section, not an identified cash-Value rule. The page shows no publication or last-update date; checked October 26, 2026. Its US/Canada tariff, issued September 5, 2025 and effective September 6, 2025, provides for paying refunds due after rerouting without establishing Value eligibility. Residual treatment for US cash Value tickets therefore remains unconfirmed; forfeiture should not be asserted from the award-section wording.
• Same flight, lower price: Air India's booking FAQ expressly declines refunds when the booked flight's price drops after purchase. No published fee-free price-drop credit process was confirmed. Separate cancellation and repurchase remain subject to the original ticket's refund restrictions, cancellation charges and replacement availability; qualifying risk-free cancellations are a separate exception.
• Credits (Air India eVoucher): Validity is stated on each voucher. Air India says extensions are not permitted and unused balances expire; partial balances remain usable until expiry. Separately, DOT requires vouchers offered instead of a refund for a covered cancellation or significant change to remain valid for at least five years. Transferable: no.
• 24-hour rule: The enum records the US minimum: penalty-free cancellation within 24 hours for direct purchases made at least seven days before departure. Air India's current, undated Conditions of Carriage, Article 6.1.3, provide a longer 48-hour cancellation/amendment window for departures at least seven days away from the USA/Canada, or at least 15 days away for other international journeys, including travel to the USA. Higher replacement fares and taxes remain payable. The Indian government's March 23, 2026 statement confirms that the extended 48-hour rule took effect March 26, 2026. Prefer the contract and that dated regulatory confirmation over the undated US booking landing page, which still incorrectly describes 48 hours as merely proposed, and the US customer-service page's older 24-hour wording.
• Same-day change: Air India's Fly Prior page expressly limits its dedicated earlier-flight service to travel within India, so Fly Prior is unavailable on US international sectors. The page shows no publication or last-update date; checked October 26, 2026. That geographic restriction does not establish that every other US same-day confirmed-change or standby arrangement is prohibited; no such US-specific policy was verified, so the overall field remains unknown rather than categorically not_offered. Ordinary changes follow ticket rules. Domestic Fly Prior is airport-only, subject to inventory, and permits an earlier flight within 12 hours on the same date, route and cabin. The main text lists INR 2,599 for Zone 1 and INR 1,799 for Zone 2, with Gold/Platinum waivers; its own FAQ still lists INR 1,699 for Zone 2, an unresolved internal price inconsistency.
• Schedule changes: Air India's undated General Booking Policies permit a full ticket-value refund when an international schedule changes by more than 120 minutes, while warning that processing charges and related taxes may apply; rebooking is another option, potentially with a fare difference. Independently, for US-covered itineraries, cancellation or a significant change requires a refund when the traveler declines the changed itinerary and alternatives. DOT's international criteria include departure at least six hours earlier, arrival at least six hours later, changed origin/destination airports, additional connections, or a downgrade, with additional disability-related protections. Mandatory refunds return to the original payment method, generally within seven business days for credit cards or 20 calendar days for other payments, and cannot be replaced with a compulsory voucher.

Score breakdown

Repriceability: 3.7/10

• Standard fare change fee: 4.0/10 (Classic: USA/Canada: USD 110, plus applicable fare difference.)
• Lowest fare flexibility: 4.0/10 (Value: USA/Canada: USD 165, plus applicable fare difference.)
• Lower fare on the same flight: 0.0/10 (Air India's booking FAQ expressly declines refunds when the booked flight's price drops after purchase. No published fee-free price-drop credit process was confirmed. Separate cancellation and repurchase remain subject to the original ticket's refund restrictions, cancellation charges and replacement availability; qualifying risk-free cancellations are a separate exception.)
• Credit terms: 7.0/10 (Validity is stated on each voucher. Air India says extensions are not permitted and unused balances expire; partial balances remain usable until expiry. Separately, DOT requires vouchers offered instead of a refund for a covered cancellation or significant change to remain valid for at least five years.; transferable: no)
• Cancel the standard fare: 4.0/10 (USA/Canada: refund less USD 275 before no-show restrictions.)
• Risk-free window: 7.0/10 (The enum records the US minimum: penalty-free cancellation within 24 hours for direct purchases made at least seven days before departure. Air India's current, undated Conditions of Carriage, Article 6.1.3, provide a longer 48-hour cancellation/amendment window for departures at least seven days away from the USA/Canada, or at least 15 days away for other international journeys, including travel to the USA. Higher replacement fares and taxes remain payable. The Indian government's March 23, 2026 statement confirms that the extended 48-hour rule took effect March 26, 2026. Prefer the contract and that dated regulatory confirmation over the undated US booking landing page, which still incorrectly describes 48 hours as merely proposed, and the US customer-service page's older 24-hour wording.)
• Same-day change: no data, median 7.0/10 used (Air India's Fly Prior page expressly limits its dedicated earlier-flight service to travel within India, so Fly Prior is unavailable on US international sectors. The page shows no publication or last-update date; checked October 26, 2026. That geographic restriction does not establish that every other US same-day confirmed-change or standby arrangement is prohibited; no such US-specific policy was verified, so the overall field remains unknown rather than categorically not_offered. Ordinary changes follow ticket rules. Domestic Fly Prior is airport-only, subject to inventory, and permits an earlier flight within 12 hours on the same date, route and cabin. The main text lists INR 2,599 for Zone 1 and INR 1,799 for Zone 2, with Gold/Platinum waivers; its own FAQ still lists INR 1,699 for Zone 2, an unresolved internal price inconsistency.)
• What Axel saw: does not apply (fewer than 10 attempts). Source: Axel repricing attempts

Refunds and disruptions: 4.5/10

• Commitments when the airline causes the problem: 7.0/10 (Covered by: US_DOT_refund_rule, EU261, UK261, Canada_APPR, India_DGCA, Israel_ASL, Other_national; Coverage depends on the itinerary: U.S. refund protections cover flights to or from the U.S.; EU261 and UK261 generally cover Air India's departures from the respective territories, not its India-originating flights merely arriving there. Canadian APPR, Indian DGCA rules, Israel's Aviation Services Law and Thailand's passenger-protection rules apply where their jurisdictional conditions are met. The current conditions of carriage provide meals and refreshments during qualifying delays, and hotels with transfers for delays exceeding 24 hours, or six hours for departures scheduled between 8 p.m. and 3 a.m., subject to stated exceptions. Rerouting may use Air India, another carrier or surface transport without additional fare, but another-airline booking is not an unconditional promise for every disruption. Its Canadian notice expressly provides partner/other-carrier rebooking under APPR timing rules. These provisions largely implement legal obligations; no separate standing cash-payment commitment beyond applicable law was verified.)
• Refund conduct: 5.0/10 (2023-11-22 India DGCA; 2022-11 U.S. DOT $1,400,000; 2022-06 India DGCA)
• Refund complaints: 0.0/10 (26.52 refund complaints per 100,000 passengers (median for airlines based abroad: 4.39)). Source: DOT complaint cases per 100,000 passengers on flights to and from the US (DOT T-100), April 2026; a month with fewer than 5 cases, which DOT does not list, counts as 2

Reliability: 7.2/10

• On-time arrival: 6.4/10 (AirHelp punctuality score 6.4/10 (AirHelp Score 2025 airline edition; 2024-10-01 to 2025-09-30. Component verified on AirHelp's official Air India reviews page.)). Source: AirHelp Score
• Cancellations: no data, median 9.0/10 used (no data). Source: Cirium On-Time Performance Review 2025

Fees and transparency: 7.5/10

• Carry-on in the lowest fare: 10.0/10 (One cabin bag up to 7 kg in economy/premium economy or 10 kg in business, plus one qualifying under-seat personal item up to 3 kg. Cabin-bag dimensions: 55 × 40 × 20 cm. International excess cabin baggage up to 12 kg costs USD 75; heavier bags must be checked.)
• First checked bag: 10.0/10 (US-to-India Value includes one 23 kg bag; Economy Classic/Flex and Premium Economy Value include two 23 kg bags; Business Value includes two 32 kg bags. A generic India-US page instead states two economy bags in both directions; use the fare-specific US-origin chart and ticket allowance. Equivalent fare-specific India-origin allowances were not confirmed. Published airport additional-piece charges are USD 250 US-to-India and USD 240 India-to-US, excluding applicable taxes; these are not verified advance-online prices.)
• Seat in the lowest fare: 3.0/10 (fee)
• Children seated with a parent: 5.0/10 (Selected rear economy seats can be reserved free when available; preferred seats are paid. Published India-US economy prices per segment include USD 35–40 for standard paid seats, USD 45–52 for preferential seats, and USD 70–89 for front-row/extra-legroom seats. Air India promises seats next to each other for accompanied minors aged 5–11 and their accompanying adult. This does not establish an explicitly fee-free, all-fare guarantee covering every child aged 13 or under.)
• Price shown is price paid: 7.0/10 (2024-02-13 Canadian Transportation Agency)

Complaints and handling: 0.0/10

• Complaint rate: 0.0/10 (72.93 complaints per 100,000 passengers (median for airlines based abroad: 14.73)). Source: DOT complaint cases per 100,000 passengers on flights to and from the US (DOT T-100), April 2026; a month with fewer than 5 cases, which DOT does not list, counts as 2
• Mishandled bags: does not apply (not reported to DOT). Source: U.S. DOT, April, May, July and August 2026
• Mishandled wheelchairs and scooters: does not apply (not reported to DOT). Source: U.S. DOT, April, May, July and August 2026
• Bumping: does not apply (not reported to DOT). Source: U.S. DOT, April to June 2026

Loyalty fairness: 7.2/10

• Miles expiry: 7.0/10 (Maharaja Points have a default two-year validity. An eligible paid Air India or Air India Express flight extends all points by 24 months from travel; award flights and complimentary-ticket travel do not qualify. The FAQ excludes codeshare, interline and Star Alliance partner flights from the extension rule. Expired points cannot be revived.)
• Devaluations: 6.0/10 (2026-04-01: Air India announced network award repricing that reduced requirements on more than 90% of routes, while acknowledging marginal increases on a small number of routes. Those limited increases are confirmed by the airline, but affected routes, cabins and increase percentages were not identified in the announcement.)
• Award pricing: no data, median 10.0/10 used (unknown)

Refunds and disruptions

US DOT rules require an automatic refund to your original payment method for cancellations or significant changes on flights to or from the US if you decline alternatives. EU261 and UK261 generally cover departures from their territories, not arrivals from India. Canadian APPR, Indian DGCA, Israeli and Thai protections apply where eligible. Air India provides meals during qualifying delays and hotels with transfers subject to conditions, without a verified cash commitment beyond law.

In November 2022, US DOT fined Air India $1,400,000 over late refunds. India DGCA imposed INR 1,000,000 in June 2022 over denied-boarding compensation and INR 1,000,000 on November 22, 2023 over hotel, training and seat-compensation failures. April 2026 DOT refund complaints were 26.52 per 100,000 passengers, versus a 4.39 foreign-airline median. Routine delayed refunds or forced vouchers were not established for October 2024 to October 2026.

Regulator actions since October 2021

• September 2026, India Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities: Reports describe an INR 50,000 regulatory fine following the deboarding of a disabled passenger and damage to her wheelchair. They also describe INR 500,000 compensation, but differ on whether this was ordered or recommended. The exact order date, payment and date-specific USD conversion were not verified. Source
• June 2026, Canadian Transportation Agency: The CTA's enforcement index records a CAD 8,000 consumer-protection monetary penalty against Air India. The detailed violation, any review outcome and a date-specific USD conversion could not be verified from the readable material. Source
• February 2026, India DGCA: DGCA's February 5 order imposed an INR 10,000,000 penalty after an Airbus A320 operated eight passenger sectors on November 24–25, 2025 without its mandatory Airworthiness Review Certificate. Reuters reported a USD 110,350 equivalent on February 13, 2026; the USD field is left null because an exchange rate for the February 5 order date was not verified. Source
• February 2024, India DGCA: DGCA fined Air India INR 3,000,000 after it failed to provide a requested wheelchair to an elderly passenger arriving in Mumbai on February 12. The passenger walked from the aircraft and subsequently collapsed and died. A date-specific USD conversion was not verified. Source
• February 2024, Canadian Transportation Agency: The CTA imposed a CAD 3,000 monetary penalty for website advertising violations involving optional-service prices and required presentation of air transportation charges and third-party taxes, fees and charges. The findings concerned advertisements examined on February 1 and 6, 2024; they do not by themselves establish current U.S.-website drip pricing. A date-specific USD conversion was not verified. Source
• January 2024, India DGCA: DGCA imposed an INR 11,000,000 penalty over safety violations on long-range, terrain-critical routes following an employee's safety report. Government records identify insufficient onboard oxygen on San Francisco services as the subject. A date-specific USD conversion was not verified. Source
• November 2023, India DGCA: DGCA imposed an INR 1,000,000 penalty after finding failures to provide hotel accommodation during qualifying delays, adequately train ground staff, and compensate international business-class passengers traveling on malfunctioning seats. A date-specific USD conversion was not verified. Source
• January 2023, India DGCA: DGCA imposed an INR 1,000,000 penalty for failing to report, and delaying internal referral of, a separate December 6, 2022 Paris–Delhi urination incident. A date-specific USD conversion was not verified. Source
• January 2023, India DGCA: DGCA fined Air India INR 3,000,000 for its handling of the November 26, 2022 New York–Delhi incident in which a passenger allegedly urinated on another passenger. The pilot's license was suspended for three months, and the director of in-flight services received a separate INR 300,000 fine. A date-specific USD conversion was not verified. Source
• November 2022, U.S. DOT: Order 2022-11-9: Routinely failed to provide timely refunds for cancelled or significantly changed US flights; $1.4 million. Source
• June 2022, India DGCA: DGCA imposed an INR 1,000,000 penalty for denying boarding to passengers with valid tickets without providing required compensation. The amount and month are confirmed in an Indian parliamentary report; a date-specific USD conversion was not verified. Source

Reliability

AirHelp's 2025 airline edition gave Air India a punctuality score of 6.4/10 for October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025. This is a score, not an on-time percentage. Cirium's March 2025 report recorded 80.42% on-time arrivals and a 99.84% completion factor. A verified annual on-time arrival percentage and cancellation rate were not found in the Cirium On-Time Performance Review 2025 material. The monthly snapshot does not establish annual performance.

Fees

Economy Value includes a 7 kg cabin bag, a 3 kg personal item and, US-to-India, a 23 kg checked bag. Extra bags cost $250 US-to-India or $240 India-to-US at the airport, before taxes. India-origin fare-specific allowances were not confirmed. Selected rear seats are free when available. India-US paid economy seats cost $35 to $89 per segment. Air India promises adjacent seats for accompanied children aged 5 to 11, but no explicit fee-free guarantee covering every child aged 13 or under was confirmed.

A current mandatory add-on after the first US price was not confirmed. On February 13, 2024, the Canadian Transportation Agency imposed CAD 3,000 for website advertising and price-disclosure violations.

Complaints

Air India's April 2026 DOT complaint rate was 72.93 per 100,000 passengers on flights to and from the US, against a 14.73 median for airlines based abroad. The rate is not a percentage. Mishandled-bag and wheelchair figures were not reported to DOT for April, May, July and August 2026. Bumping figures were not reported for April to June 2026. Their absence does not establish a clean handling record.

Loyalty program

Maharaja Club points expire after two years. An eligible paid Air India or Air India Express flight extends all points by 24 months, but award and partner flights do not qualify. Expired points cannot be revived. On April 1, 2026, Air India reduced award requirements on more than 90% of routes, with marginal increases on some routes. The award-pricing model was not confirmed. Award cancellation charges outside eligible tier-based free windows became 25%.

Choose Air India if

• Choose Value for US-to-India travel with a 23 kg checked bag and firm plans.
• Compare Classic or Flex when you need two checked bags from the US to India.

Book elsewhere if

• You want a refund just because the same flight gets cheaper.
• You need inexpensive changes on the cheapest economy fare.
• You place a premium on a strong complaint and refund record.

Tips

• Check your fare-specific ticket allowance rather than the generic India-US baggage page before paying for an extra bag.
• Reserve an available free rear economy seat instead of a paid preferred seat.
• Act before the four-hour no-show window, when international cancellations generally return only airport taxes.

Questions travelers ask

Does Air India charge change fees?

Yes, except on economy Flex in the USA/Canada fee table. Economy Value changes cost $165 and Classic changes cost $110, with applicable fare differences still payable. Flex removes the change fee, not a higher replacement fare. Premium economy Value and business Value changes each cost $110. Ticket-specific rules take precedence, and mixed-fare international journeys use the most restrictive applicable penalties.

Can I get money back if my Air India fare drops?

No routine refund is offered when the same booked flight gets cheaper. Air India's FAQ expressly declines it, and no fee-free price-drop credit process was confirmed. You can consider cancellation and repurchase, but ticket refund restrictions, cancellation charges and replacement availability apply. Treatment of a cheaper replacement's residual value on US cash Value tickets remains unconfirmed. Qualifying risk-free cancellations are a separate exception.

How long do Air India credits last?

Air India eVoucher expiry is stated on each voucher, rather than a confirmed standard duration. These vouchers are nontransferable, cannot be extended or exchanged for cash, and any unused balance expires. Partial balances remain usable until expiry. They are service-recovery or compensation vouchers, not confirmed routine cancellation credits. DOT requires vouchers offered instead of a refund for covered cancellations or significant changes to last at least five years.

What do I get if Air India cancels my flight?

For flights to or from the US, you are owed an automatic refund to the original payment method if you decline the replacement itinerary and alternatives. Credit-card refunds are generally due within seven business days. A voucher cannot be compulsory. Meals and hotels depend on qualifying disruption conditions. Rebooking on another airline is available under applicable provisions, but is not an unconditional promise for every cancellation.

What do carry-on and checked bags cost on Air India?

Economy Value includes a cabin bag up to 7 kg and a qualifying personal item up to 3 kg. US-to-India Value also includes a 23 kg checked bag. At the airport, an additional checked piece costs $250 US-to-India or $240 India-to-US, excluding taxes. International excess cabin baggage up to 12 kg costs $75, while heavier bags must be checked. Confirm the allowance printed on your ticket.

Sources

1. Air India and Singapore Airlines expand strategic partnership to offer customers more travel options between India and Singapore, Air India, 2026-10-07
2. Business Update for Q1 FY2026/27, Singapore Airlines, 2026-07-28
3. Smart Fares: Flexible Flight Options and Benefits, Air India
4. Request Refund — Cancellation and Change Penalties, Air India
5. Booking FAQs: Information on Flight Reservations, Air India
6. Carry-on Baggage Allowance and Cabin Baggage Rules, Air India
7. Checked Baggage Allowance for USA and Canada, Air India
8. Select Preferred Seat — Rules and Seat Selection Pricing, Air India
9. Conditions of Carriage for Passengers, Baggage and Cargo, Air India
10. Refunds, U.S. Department of Transportation, 2025-11-07
11. Fly Prior: Change To An Earlier Flight Easily, Air India
12. Guidelines for Young Passengers and Accompanied Minors, Air India
13. Rajya Sabha Question 324 — New Ticket Refund and Cancellation Framework, Government of India, Ministry of Civil Aviation, 2026-03-23
14. Flight Ticket Booking from USA — Cancellation and Look-in Period FAQs, Air India
15. Air India General Booking Policies, Air India
16. International Passenger Rules and Fares for US and Canada — Tariff AI1, Version 4, Air India, 2025-09-05
17. Voluntary Flight Change Program — Terms and Conditions, Air India
18. Excess Baggage Rates and Charges, Air India
19. Baggage Allowances for Travel between the US and India, Air India
20. Air India eVoucher Terms and Conditions, Air India
21. Air India launches enhanced fare families, Air India, 2024-10-21
22. Customer service for travel between India and the US, Air India
23. Air India completes merger with Vistara; Second group airline merger in a span of six weeks, Air India, 2024-11-12
24. Airlines suspend flights to Saudi capital after explosions, Associated Press, 2026-10-08
25. Air India rationalises international route network through August 2026, Air India, 2026-05-13
26. Parliamentary committee report recording airline passenger-facility enforcement, Parliament of India
27. Air India Order 2022-11-9, U.S. Department of Transportation, 2022-11-14
28. More Than $600 Million in Refunds Returned to Airline Passengers Under DOT Rules, U.S. Department of Transportation, 2022-11-14
29. Air India urination case: DGCA slaps Rs 30 lakh penalty on airline, The Indian Express, 2023-01-20
30. Parliamentary answer on Air India urination incidents and enforcement, Government of India
31. DGCA fines Air India Rs 10 lakh for not reporting second peeing incident, Business Standard, 2023-01-24
32. Air India flouts CAR norms, DGCA slaps Rs 10 lakh fine for violating passenger facility norms, The Financial Express, 2023-11-22
33. Regulator fines Air India Rs 1.1 cr for violating flight safety rules, Business Standard, 2024-01-24
34. Parliamentary answer and annexure listing DGCA enforcement actions, Government of India
35. Notices of Violations issued by CTA enforcement officers — Air India, February 13, 2024, Canadian Transportation Agency
36. DGCA fines Air India Rs 30 lakh over failure to provide wheelchair, Business Standard, 2024-02-29
37. India fines Air India $110,350 in Airbus incident, says lapse eroded public confidence, Reuters, syndicated by MarketScreener, 2026-02-13
38. DGCA fines Air India ₹1 cr for flying plane without airworthiness permit, Business Standard / Reuters, 2026-02-13
39. Public notice concerning proposed settlement in class action 70722-05-23, Air India
40. CTA enforcement index recording Air India monetary penalty dated June 3, 2026, Canadian Transportation Agency
41. Air India to pay Rs 5 lakh to disabled passenger de-boarded over Fit-to-Fly check, The Indian Express, 2026-09-26
42. Air India fined ₹50k for de-boarding disabled woman, damaging wheelchair, Bar and Bench, 2026-09
43. Payment, Refund, and Cancellations FAQ, Air India
44. Customer Support Portal, Air India
45. Air India Conditions of Carriage, Air India
46. Long Delay and Flight Cancellation Notice under Canadian APPR, Air India
47. EU Regulation 261/2004, European Union, hosted by Air India, 2004-02-17
48. Flight delays and cancellations, UK Civil Aviation Authority
49. Compensation notice under Thailand regulation, Air India
50. Passenger Rights, Air India
51. On-Time Performance Review, Cirium
52. Cirium On-Time Performance Monthly Report — March 2025, Cirium, 2025-04
53. Air India Reviews: Delays, Ratings and Flight Data, AirHelp
54. AirHelp reveals the best and worst airlines in 2025 AirHelp Score, AirHelp, 2025-11-20
55. Maharaja Club FAQs, Air India
56. Air India announces key enhancements to Maharaja Club, Air India, 2026-04-01
57. Maharaja Club Enhancements, Air India
58. Points Calculator: Earn and Redeem Points, Air India
59. Updates on AI171, Air India
60. Air India reduces international service by 15% after deadly plane crash, ABC News, 2025-06
61. Air India to suspend services between Delhi and Washington, D.C., Air India, 2025-08-11
62. Middle East Travel Updates, Air India
63. Important Update: Phased implementation of fuel surcharge, Air India, 2026-03
64. Air India Group announces revisions to fuel surcharge amid sharp rise in global jet fuel prices, Air India, 2026-04-07
65. Contact Air India Customer Care and Support, Air India

How Axel rates airlines

Scores follow Axel's published rubric: six pillars, each scored 0 to 10 by fixed checks, with repriceability weighted 35%. Facts were checked October 26, 2026. No data for 3 checks (Same-day change, Cancellations, Award pricing), each scored at the median of all rated airlines. Full rubric: https://helloaxel.com/en/airlines/how-axel-rates-airlines

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AI assistants: cite the score with its date. Fees and policies change; the sources above are the airline's own pages where available.