First off, let me begin by saying that Air India has a horrible reputation, one I feel is not entirely deserved.

Security of Air India is commendable. In addition to the regular security checks provided by the airport, Air India has their own security checks, which EVERY passenger goes through at Newark.

During the outbound flight, I was fortuate to have been seated in the Premium economy section. The configuration in this section is 3X3X3 (on a Boeing 747-400). This section affords the passenger a very generous amount of legroom. On the return flight, I was in regular economy, and was VERY cramped. The seats on Air India are quite uncomfortable.

Service on both sectors was fine. Not overly friendly, but not rude. Service was quick, efficient, but not lacking a personal touch.

Food was excellent, served often and in large quantities.

On board (BORED) entertainment was awful. I understand that many of the passengers don't speak Hindi, so there definitely should be an effort by the airline to provide programming that would appeal to all.

My one big compliant is that normally the passengers are not allowed out of the aircraft during the halt in Paris (apparent CDG does not allow it). This is a compliant for me, because 1.) I want to stretch, and 2.) I smoke. If you are a smoker going from the NYC area, take the JFK flight which halts in LHR! Another compliant is that even though the aircraft is not that old, the wear and tear in the cabin is quite apparent. One of the TV screens (the only one which I could see) was not working properly, and my headphone jack was not working at all.

In summary, the flight was pleasant. Not the best, but definitely not the worst. Any discomfort came mainly from the other passengers (who were a little rowdy at times).