When Systems Fail, Humanity Steps In : Rachana & A Flight I Won’t Forget

When Systems Fail, Humanity Steps In :  Rachana & A Flight I Won’t Forget

Recently, I had an experience that left me reflecting deeply not just about administrative lapses, but about the quiet goodness that still lives among strangers.

I had carefully booked my ticket through the official Air India website. I have been having severe pain in the right knee over the last few days so I chose seat 3C, an aisle seat that would allow my right leg,  some ease of movement. At no point during the booking process was I asked to pay extra for this seat. The booking went through smoothly. I felt reassured.

My staff normally helps me with the check in so as usual I  informed them that my seat was blocked and they had to just check in without making any seat change. I was totally shocked when I received the boarding pass with a middle seat and conveyed this to my staff immediately . They gave many excuses for this , some as weird as stating that due to change in aircraft there was no premium economy and so my seat had changed. Not one to give up easily,  I pursued and they finally seem to have blocked 6 A stating that 3 C would be given to me at the airport in Mumbai. 

On arrival at the airport there was a system breakdown already  and the queue was becoming longer. It was over thirty minutes before the system was restored and the check in began. 

On reaching the counter I stated that I needed to be given back my blocked seat 3 C since it had been changed without prior notice. 

The staff's immediate reaction was that it is not available. This was followed by a casual remarkable that  “The seat was not paid for.”

I was stunned.

I had not been asked to make any payment for the seat at the time of booking. The computer had asked me make a choice and it was blocked as usual. There had been no warning, no prompt, no indication that the seat selection required an additional fee. Yet at the airport while cheking in  multiple staff members kept mentioning about paid and unpaid seats. Some  offered varying and somewhat irrelevant explanations. They  spoke about their policy. When asked for the rules , they were unwilling to show them.  There was no clarity , only confusion.

For a passenger with a medical concern, this was not a small inconvenience after standing for about one hour.  It was physical discomfort layered with emotional anguish. Administrative errors are not just clerical oversights; they affect real people with real needs.

What hurt more was the indifference. The ground staff kept discussing again and again amongst themselves and came to no conclusion. As time for boarding was coming near I kept getting more and more restless. The supervisor finally called the passenger on seat 3 D who gave her kind consent for exchange of  her seat with me.

When I entered the aircraft subsequently , the passenger who had been assigned seat 3C despite my blocking of seat appeared perfectly healthy. When I mentioned that I had booked that seat specifically due to my knee problem, he casually replied that nobody had informed him of anything. Neither did he make any effort to let me sit in seat C instead of D.  Perhaps he was unaware but in that moment, it felt like the system had failed to consider basic sensitivity.

Though the lady had been gracious and had  exchanged her seat, 3D, with me. It was not ideal, as my right knee gives me trouble, but it was still a significant relief. She did not debate policy. She did not question rules. She simply saw another human being in discomfort and responded with kindness.

That simple gesture restored something that the system had momentarily shaken , my faith.

In large organisations, procedures, algorithms, and automated systems often override human context. “Suo moto changes,” policy adjustments, aircraft swaps are explained as routine. But for the person affected, they are anything but routine. They become personal difficulties. 

This experience made me aware of two parallel truths again that systems can make mistakes but kind hearted people can make life easy. 

Administrative efficiency is definitely important but transparency is more essential. If a seat requires payment, the passenger must be clearly informed at the time of booking. If any changes are made by airlines or in the aircraft, then  vulnerable passengers should be prioritised. Policies can neither be declared to cover up mistakes nor must they operate in a vacuum devoid of empathy.

Ultimately what eases discomfort beyond policy manuals and booking engines, are human beings and humanity.

I boarded that Air India flight feeling wronged and unheard. I landed feeling grateful not to the system, but to a stranger whose quiet generosity made my journey possible. 

Institutions may falter at times just as individuals can rise to make the difference. Rachana was one among them and I was fortunate to get her support. 

R.Vimala,  IAS, 

Resident Commissioner  & Secretary, 

Government of Maharashtra & 

PhD Scholar at IIT Bombay