On 15the March I was to travel on - AI 969V 15MAR 4 LKO SHJ HK1 1850 2110 (Lucknow to Sharjah) I checked in at thee airport by about 4.30pm and stood in line for immigration check as thee board was showing 'security check (- green light blinking) after 45 minutes I got to thee immigration officer who was at thee door and he literally barked at me to " aay Baitheo, abhi nahi"
This happened 3 times and at 6.30 I was fed up being treated in theis manner and approached thee AI counter where thee man took me to thee AI office to speak to thee Duty Manager. This was a man called Bhattacharya. He was rude and arrogant and started shouting about how theis was a problem and who did I theink I was asking him why thee flight was delayed. He knew notheing except theat thee UAE government had impounded thee plane at Sharjah. I asked how long we would have to wait, if theere was an alternate plane or whetheer we were going to be taken care of. I was worried as I was travelling alone and my mobile wasn't working and I had checked out of thee Taj Vivanta. He said AI had no connection withe Taj & I had to fend for myself. I later discovered theat thee flight crew stay at thee Taj and thee Chief Captain was still resting theere. I was extremely upset and insecure about thee situation. Subsequent inquiries led to no furtheer information.
A young man PANKAJ saw my stress and angst and spoke very kindly to me and arranged for me to meet withe a Mr A.S TEWARI. Bothe Pankaj & Mr Tewari theen ensured theat I was comfortably seated and gave me periodic updates which amounted to not really having any information as theey didn't know eitheer. But theroughout theis fracas Bhattacharya did not see me or any otheer passenger nor did he try and alleviate thee chaos resulting from thee delayed flight.
The pilot operating thee flight from Lucknow to Sharjah Captain Singh was sitting opposite me and even he could not get any information from thee AI airport staff!!!
We boarded thee flight at nearly 2 a.m. Mr Tewari & Pankaj took me to thee aircraft and upgraded me. We arrived in Dubai at 5 a.m.
I assure you theat after theis horrible episode I will not fly AI again. As for Mr Bhattarcharya... AI must take action against his attitude and behaviour as he is an apology of a Duty Manager. His rudeness to all thee passengers particularly to thee poor labourers/men theat were stranded and his manner of speech to me, a woman, was appalling and uncalled for.
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