The much-loved travel vlogger gains millions of views per video
A travel vlogger recently took a flight with what’s been labelled India’s “worst-rated airline” and is now encouraging viewers to overlook one key detail—the airline’s poor rating. In a video that has since gone viral, the Scottish travel vlogger said he’s “catching a one-hour flight with India’s worst-rated airline, which is IndiGo”.
Highlighting a screenshot from AirHelp’s global rankings, IndiGo is placed 103rd out of 109 airlines worldwide. He admits it’s “pretty bad — but I want to find out just how bad they really are.”
Hugh – better known online as HughAbroad – has gained millions of followers across platforms like TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, with his TikTok videos alone regularly racking up millions of views. On a trip to Bengaluru, formerly Bangalore, he mentioned that his plane ticket cost 3,760 Indian rupees, which is roughly £34 or $44.
He revealed that for this price, you get 20kg of luggage and a chicken sandwich on board. With his window seat secured, he checked in and dropped off his bags – all of which was an easy process and no issues.
Boarding the aircraft, he was baffled it was ranked so low. “Usually with these cheap airlines you go on the tarmac and up the stairs but here there’s a tunnel straight in,” he noted.
Filming his seating area, he said: “Spotless. Really, really clean and the leg room is pretty good. There’s literally no rubbish at all down here, just the usual magazine and safety instructions. The seat is relatively comfortable as well.”
Giving it the thumbs up, he said: “Pretty good so far. I don’t see why this is rated the worst airline in India – no complaints.”
After taking off, he gave an update, and still didn’t see any issues. “Only seven minutes after the estimated departure time, we have taken off. Impressive.”
“So far IndiGo, so good”, he added, noting that despite coming in at 103rd place, it was on time and the plane was clean, the seat went: “What’s not to like? Also very, very affordable.”
Speaking about his Chicken Junglee sandwich, he said that the “bread is very fresh, fluffy and inside that chicken is pretty moist with the mayonnaise”. He rated the sandwich seven out of 10.
“So far, this has been the best experience I could’ve ever imagined, nothing has gone wrong,” he said. Within an hour, he landed and praised the airline yet again.
He concluded his airline review by saying: “That honestly was an absolute fantastic experience and if anyone tells you anything negative about IndiGo, they are lying. I’m rating that at 10 out of 10 – flawless honestly for a budget airline that was spot on.”
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Hugh said: “I was shocked at how low IndiGo was on the rankings, as it’s one of the best budget airline experiences I’ve had. On time, clean, spacious and affordable. I think the rankings need to be taken with a pinch of salt, to be honest.”
According to the Hindustan Times: “IndiGo has been ranked among the ‘world’s worst airlines’ in the 2024 AirHelp Score report, securing 103rd place out of 109 with a score of 4.80. The low rating is attributed to underwhelming customer satisfaction and poor handling of flight disruption claims.
“Responding to the ranking, IndiGo criticised the methodology, saying the survey does not disclose the sample size from India, casting doubt on the survey’s credibility.
“Conducted by AirHelp, an EU-based claim processing agency, the survey evaluates airlines globally on punctuality, quality of service, and handling of compensation claims. These criteria, weighed equally, form the overall score. The analysis covers data from January to October, incorporating on-time performance, customer claims processing, and feedback from passengers across 54 countries on food, comfort, and service.”
Hugh has travelled across India, visiting Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kerala and Bengaluru – to name a few. You can watch his full YouTube video here.