Actor Lisa Ray took to her X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday to criticize Air India for denying a medical waiver for her ailing father. In a swift response the following day, the airline labeled Ray’s claims as “unfounded” and clarified her situation.
An Air India spokesperson stated, “While fully empathizing with the passenger, we would like to clarify the following points:”
- The assertion that Air India lacked empathy for her sick father is inaccurate. The passenger had booked a flight with two other co-passengers, neither of whom included her father, for whom medical documents were submitted.
- The ticket was purchased through a travel agent, and initial contact was made with that agent, rather than directly with Air India.
- After Ray raised the issue with Air India, the airline reached out to her and offered solutions as an exception, including a complimentary date change or a one-year period to utilize the tickets for future travel. Ray declined these offers and requested a full refund instead.
The spokesperson urged the media to refrain from damaging the airline’s reputation without verifying facts, emphasizing that Air India serves millions of passengers and such reports undermine its commitment to customer care and empathy.
In her X post, Lisa Ray expressed her frustration, stating, “Here we go again @airindia. My father is 92, unwell, and I have to cancel travel due to his ailing condition. I submitted a doctor’s letter, and the waiver was denied? How is that possible? Where is the empathy from an airline that claims to care about passengers?” Following her post, Air India’s account responded, after which she shared a screenshot of the medical emergency documentation.
