Air India on strike - question

littlecloudyskye · Sep 30th, 2009, 07:23

Hello,
This is my first post on this forum.
I am going on a trip to India, leaving Oct. 8 from Cleveland to Delhi via Chicago on Air India. This will be my first visit to India.
Today, I found out that Air India pilots are on strike. http://www.livemint.com/2009/09/2919...Patel.html?h=B
I'm concerned because my trip is so close, and my travel dates aren't flexible. I called Air India and they assured me I would be fine and that flights will be back on schedule tomorrow.
I was wondering if any of you might have any feeling about this at all. Do these strikes typically last a long time? Should I trust Air India? ahhhh!
Thank you for any advice.

ribhu95 · Sep 30th, 2009, 09:06

littlecloud...,

The precise answer is - noone knows.

I would suggest as follows :

Watch it till 5th Oct EOD, IST.

If it doesn't get resolved by them, start making your moves. No harm in developing your plan B though so that you are able to move precise and quick on 5th Oct EOD - if required.

There is a long weekend coming up in India and I would not be surprised if this is resolved only by Saturday / Sunday.

Hoping this gets resolved and you are able to make your trip without disruptions.

Cheers

ribhu

labrol · Sep 30th, 2009, 09:15

I second the above. Usually these resolve fast but keep plan B ready.

edwardseco · Sep 30th, 2009, 09:38

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8279876.stm
..

nycank · Sep 30th, 2009, 10:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by labrol

I second the above. Usually these resolve fast but keep plan B ready.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ribhu95

littlecloud...,

The precise answer is - noone knows.

I would suggest as follows :

Watch it till 5th Oct EOD, IST.

If it doesn't get resolved by them, start making your moves. No harm in developing your plan B though so that you are able to move precise and quick on 5th Oct EOD - if required.

There is a long weekend coming up in India and I would not be surprised if this is resolved only by Saturday / Sunday.

Hoping this gets resolved and you are able to make your trip without disruptions.

Cheers

ribhu

Pray what would your plan B be ?

[too much tequila, so cant be more detailed. Will check back mid-afternoon - mid day manana. ]

ribhu95 · Sep 30th, 2009, 12:28

Plan B - could include changing to another airline to changing the itinerary to all the way upto cancelling the trip.

It would all depend on what one wants to do.

ribhu

shashank.aggarwal · Sep 30th, 2009, 12:32

I guess it has been called off.

Nick-H · Sep 30th, 2009, 16:33

From today's paper (which, necessarily, carries yesterday's news) I gather that a settlement has been reached, but that all the pilots have not returned to work and there was still disruption.

Just for the record: these guys were facing arbitrary cuts reducing their income by as much as half. Due to foreign pilots being employed under international agreements, they were not affected, which rubbed salt in the wound of the Indian pilots. Within the Indian economy, their pay is pretty good, but there are not many people in the world who are happy to get a 50% paycut.

For the long term... the government seems to want a flagship national airline, but they also seem incapable of making it a real going concern.

That exhausts my knowledge of the subject: other members will know far more...

Luci · Sep 30th, 2009, 19:11

Christ I am flying with them in three weeks, hope it gets resolved soon

veggie · Sep 30th, 2009, 19:24

long time no say hello! "hello"

I was talking to a friend over the weekend who is a travel agent and she said to me "you haven't booked any internal flights yet in India have you" and i said "no, not yet why" and she said that the "word on the street" is that the majority of the smaller airlines are going bust and that the government will probably take over some but not all of the airlines. She suggested not booking anything at the moment!

Was the first i'd heard, and it's not confirmed but thought i'd put it out there. It's not my opinion, it's just what i've been told.

LilBoy BigTown · Sep 30th, 2009, 19:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick-H

Within the Indian economy, their pay is pretty good

...

I read some of the AI pilots were on Rs 8,000/- month.

The strike it appears is over and bookings on domestic flights resume later tonight. Don't think the international flights were disrupted.

shashank.aggarwal · Sep 30th, 2009, 20:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by veggie

I was talking to a friend over the weekend who is a travel agent and she said to me "you haven't booked any internal flights yet in India have you" and i said "no, not yet why" and she said that the "word on the street" is that the majority of the smaller airlines are going bust and that the government will probably take over some but not all of the airlines. She suggested not booking anything at the moment!

Holy Cow !! Nothing else but a load of BS...total

Nick-H · Sep 30th, 2009, 20:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by LilBoy BigTown

I read some of the AI pilots were on Rs 8,000/- month.

One of the newspapers carried an analysis of their pay, and the basic is indeed this low --- but this has absolutely nothing to do with their takehome pay, which includes things like a substantial hourly rate for time actually spent flying, various other small benefits, and a 25% additional payment for training. The total, at least before the upset, was over 2 lakh.

nycank · Oct 1st, 2009, 10:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by veggie

long time no say hello! "hello"

I was talking to a friend over the weekend who is a travel agent and she said to me "you haven't booked any internal flights yet in India have you" and i said "no, not yet why" and she said that the "word on the street" is that the majority of the smaller airlines are going bust and that the government will probably take over some but not all of the airlines. She suggested not booking anything at the moment!

Was the first i'd heard, and it's not confirmed but thought i'd put it out there. It's not my opinion, it's just what i've been told.

Word on which street ? If "smaller" or "bigger" airline go down it is good for health of the industry

There are more airlines in India than probably the long term market could sustain, hence consolidation started taking place.

Sahara is jetlite & Deccan is KingfisherRed.

veggie · Oct 1st, 2009, 14:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by shashank.aggarwal

Holy Cow !! Nothing else but a load of BS...total

Probaly is total BS! Was just relaying what i had been told! Didn't say i agreed, disagreed or believed it!

Sep 30th, 2009, 07:23	#1
littlecloudyskye Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 1	Air India on strike - question Hello, This is my first post on this forum. I am going on a trip to India, leaving Oct. 8 from Cleveland to Delhi via Chicago on Air India. This will be my first visit to India. Today, I found out that Air India pilots are on strike. http://www.livemint.com/2009/09/2919...Patel.html?h=B I'm concerned because my trip is so close, and my travel dates aren't flexible. I called Air India and they assured me I would be fine and that flights will be back on schedule tomorrow. I was wondering if any of you might have any feeling about this at all. Do these strikes typically last a long time? Should I trust Air India? ahhhh! Thank you for any advice.

Sep 30th, 2009, 09:15	#3
labrol Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Gurgaon, India Posts: 305	I second the above. Usually these resolve fast but keep plan B ready. __________________ Alone I walked. Strangers joined in. We became a caravan.

Sep 30th, 2009, 12:32	#7
shashank.aggarwal The Fortunate One Join Date: May 2007 Location: Road Posts: 6,820	I guess it has been called off. __________________ Spineless Travelogue - Around India

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Sep 30th, 2009, 09:06	#2
ribhu95 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 264	littlecloud..., The precise answer is - noone knows. I would suggest as follows : Watch it till 5th Oct EOD, IST. If it doesn't get resolved by them, start making your moves. No harm in developing your plan B though so that you are able to move precise and quick on 5th Oct EOD - if required. There is a long weekend coming up in India and I would not be surprised if this is resolved only by Saturday / Sunday. Hoping this gets resolved and you are able to make your trip without disruptions. Cheers ribhu

Sep 30th, 2009, 09:38	#4
edwardseco Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Land that shakes and bakes. Posts: 5,841	http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8279876.stm ..

Sep 30th, 2009, 12:28	#6
ribhu95 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 264	Plan B - could include changing to another airline to changing the itinerary to all the way upto cancelling the trip. It would all depend on what one wants to do. ribhu

Sep 30th, 2009, 16:33	#8
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 36,193	From today's paper (which, necessarily, carries yesterday's news) I gather that a settlement has been reached, but that all the pilots have not returned to work and there was still disruption. Just for the record: these guys were facing arbitrary cuts reducing their income by as much as half. Due to foreign pilots being employed under international agreements, they were not affected, which rubbed salt in the wound of the Indian pilots. Within the Indian economy, their pay is pretty good, but there are not many people in the world who are happy to get a 50% paycut. For the long term... the government seems to want a flagship national airline, but they also seem incapable of making it a real going concern. That exhausts my knowledge of the subject: other members will know far more...

Sep 30th, 2009, 19:11	#9
Luci Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: England Posts: 18	Christ I am flying with them in three weeks, hope it gets resolved soon

Sep 30th, 2009, 19:24	#10
veggie Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Australia Posts: 13	long time no say hello! "hello" I was talking to a friend over the weekend who is a travel agent and she said to me "you haven't booked any internal flights yet in India have you" and i said "no, not yet why" and she said that the "word on the street" is that the majority of the smaller airlines are going bust and that the government will probably take over some but not all of the airlines. She suggested not booking anything at the moment! Was the first i'd heard, and it's not confirmed but thought i'd put it out there. It's not my opinion, it's just what i've been told.