Vir Das slams Air India in his signature sarcastic style over poor service for injured wife, ‘Get your wheelchair bro’

Comedian Vir Das took to X (formerly Twitter) to criticise Air India after a disappointing travel experience with his injured wife.

A loyal customer of the airline, Vir Das, said he was deeply upset about sharing his experience. He mentioned that he and his wife, having a fractured foot, had pre-booked Air India’s Pranaam service and a wheelchair for their flight to Delhi.

Despite paying ₹50,000 per seat, they faced multiple issues on board: a broken table, broken leg rests and a seat that wouldn’t fully straighten. The aircraft was, however, described as “newly refurbished”.

The flight was delayed by two hours. On arrival in Delhi, they were shocked to find a stepladder instead of an aerobridge or proper assistance.

Das wrote that the cabin crew looked confused when he requested help for his wife. A ground staff member reportedly shrugged and ignored him when asked for help.

His wife, despite her injury, had to climb down the stepladder herself. On reaching the terminal, the promised wheelchair service was missing, and the staff appeared clueless.

Vir Das had to find a wheelchair himself and push his wife through baggage claim and all the way to the parking area.

Vir Das ended the post in his signature sarcastic style. He informed Air India that one of their wheelchairs was now left on the second floor of the parking area at Delhi airport. He suggested they come and collect it.

His post has gone viral, with many social media users expressing similar frustrations with the airline. Air India posted a standardised response, “Dear Mr. Das, we understand and empathize with the experience. Please share us the booking details via DM for us to look into this on priority.”

“AI816. Get your wheelchair bro,” Das replied, to which the airline company responded, “We're getting this checked on priority. Please allow us some time.”

Air India responds…

Air India Spokesperson said, “On Vir Das, We have noted with concern a social media post by Mr Das about wheelchair not being provided to his co-passenger while travelling from Mumbai to Delhi on AI816 on 14 April 2025. We empathize with the guests, especially given the mobility concern involved, and recognize that this experience fell short of expectations. The operating cabin crew offered to assist the guest, including deplaning by using the 'ambulift' assigned to the aircraft as per SOP, but the delay—not denial—in providing wheelchair assistance was due to unusually high demand for wheelchairs and staff at that time. Air India remains committed to improving the end-to-end travel experience for all its guests.”

Netizens slam Air India further

“Thousands of like complaints have happened already. No remorse. No intent to recover. But now that this bahubali of complaint. I hope they try to please you and try (atleast try) to fix problem,” came from one social media user.

One user quipped, “Air India se jaane se acha hai aadmi paidal chala jaye (It’s better to walk than to travel with Air India).”

“Air India does not care about accessibility for people in need. I was made to wait for 25 minutes with my 1.5 years old daughter at the gate of the plane because the uninformed staff were not clear about the rules of carrying a foldable travel baby stroller on the plane,” posted another user.

There was high interest in “Air India” on Google India during April 14-15: