Attempts at Air India miles credit

My wife, Betty, and I flew Air India from Los Angeles to New Delhi on Jan. 25, 2006, and returned on Feb. 15, 2006. Wanting to apply to their frequent-flyer program so we could get credit for air-miles with Air India and/or their partners, I asked on the plane for an application. They said they didn’t have any but usually do and to ask at their check-in desk when we stopped in Frankfurt, Germany. I did and was told, “Ask on the plane to New Delhi.” Again, they said they had none (though they usually do) and to ask at check-in in New Delhi, which I did. I was told to apply for one on the Internet when I got home.

Online, for some reason my application could not be received by the airline, but I was told to call the 800 number in New York (800/205-2800). I called that number a half dozen times. Each time, I got an answering machine and the tape said the box was full and could not accept any more messages.

On May 16, 2006, I sent a note to their office in New York asking for an application. After three months I have not heard one word from them.

I have all of the documents I need (boarding pass, etc.) to apply for an application. How do I get one?

RAY FRANDSEN

Walnut Creek, CA

ITN sent a copy of Mr. Frandsen’s letter to Air India (70 Lexington Ave., 15th Floor, New York, NY 10022) and received the e-mail reply, “On receipt of your letter we have faxed a copy of the enrollment form to Mr. Frandsen as well as informed him how he could download the form directly from the website (www.airindia.com). With regard to the other issues mentioned in his letter, we are taking up the matter with the concerned departments for necessary investigation and corrective action. — Mrs. DILSHAD GOGIA, Customer Relations Manager, Air India, New York.”

Mr. Frandsen wrote the following in letters to ITN.

Jan. 14 — I did hear from Mrs. Gogia. She told us to e-mail an application request. I still could not get an e-mail accepted by them for who knows what reason. I called her and she faxed me an application. We completed the application and faxed it to her along with our boarding passes and flight information. We did this in mid-December and have not heard anything back. She did say it could take four to six weeks.

March 6 — We have just received a reply from Air India regarding air-miles credit for our flight a year ago. The reply included a member number for each of us (but only a plastic identification card for my wife, who wrote the letter). It also said that an “air miles” member kit would be sent to us in four to six weeks.

March 19 —We are now members of Air India’s “Flying Returns,” as indicated in their air-miles member kit, which also included our PINs. We checked today to see if we had been credited with our miles. We had not, so I tried to phone to ask for them. The voice-mail box was full. I tried to send an e-mail. Once again, their site would not receive our e-mail. We corresponded with AOL to see what the problem was. The person at AOL said they could not get one accepted either.

We quit.