TikToker Complains Air India Lounge Smells Like Indian Food, Gets Roasted

Okay, this is sort of hilarious, and I think many people will get a kick out of this (and as you’ll hopefully see, I’m not intending to be mean toward the person who initially posted the video, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be entertained).

Air India Lounge JFK “review” backfires hilariously

A popular TikTok user posted a response video to another smaller content creator who covers “travel & food,” after she posted a roughly minute-long video about her experience at the Air India Lounge JFK. She accessed the lounge via Priority Pass, and declares it “the worst airport lounge” she has ever been in, while acknowledging she “feels kind of bad saying that.”

She points out how there was no wait to get into the lounge, and therefore she should’ve known it wouldn’t be that good. So, what was the problem with the lounge? Aside from it being basic, she seems to have two issues.

The first issue is that upon entering the lounge, she noticed there was just one other female in the lounge, and everyone else was male, which made her “slightly uncomfortable.”

But she then says that “the worst thing about this lounge was the smell,” and that it “really smelled like Indian food.” The dude who does the response video is just *chef’s kiss* with his delivery:

“Allow me to offer a helping hand. Air India is an airline that transports 20 million people per year to and from India. Hence the name Air India. And oh my god, you guys, it turns out that people who like going to India also like Indian food.”

That was funny, but in the TikToker’s defense…

While I think the general discussion around this is hilarious, in the interest of being fair, here’s the extra context:

“It just really smelled like Indian food, and I know that’s just what they had there, and I honestly could’ve stayed in here and been perfectly fine, but I have a really sensitive nose, and I just couldn’t get over the smell. So if you’re fine with the smell of Indian food and like kind of just a mediocre lounge, then you could totally go here. If you’re someone who doesn’t have a good sense of smell, you’d be fine, but not me, unfortunately.”

@goodbutrandom

Worst Airport Lounge I’ve been in was the Air India Lounge at JFK in New York. Am I becoming an airport lounge snob? #airportlounge #airportlife #traveltiktok #airindia #jfkairport

♬ original sound – Hannah’s Good Travels

So I think that qualifier is largely fair, in the sense that this just isn’t the right lounge for her. However:

  • It’s probably not fair to label this “the worst lounge” based on one not liking the smell of Indian food, though it makes for a good headline
  • One can have “a good sense of smell” and still like Indian food (raises hand!)

At the end of the day, I think this is what the democratization of media looks like. Lots of content creators don’t necessarily have huge followings, so they don’t typically face much scrutiny for what they post. But TikTok can make anything go viral, and suddenly every word in a content piece is being scrutinized.

As someone who has been blogging for nearly 18 years, I can certainly say I’ve had my fair share of lessons in saying stupid things, and realizing how dumb they sounded in retrospect. So I hope this TikToker takes this in stride, and can just laugh off the whole thing, while learning a lesson in how the internet sometimes picks things apart, and can be unforgiving.

Bottom line

A TikToker posted her thoughts on the Air India Lounge JFK, which she accessed with Priority Pass. Her primary complaint (other than the lack of women) was how the lounge smelled like Indian food, which elicited roughly the response you’d expect.

In fairness to her, she claims that she has a sensitive nose, and that this lounge should be fine for those who don’t have a “good sense of smell” (lol).

What do you make of this Air India Lounge JFK TikTok drama?

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AD Diamond

I've been in that lounge and my recollection was not that it smelled like Indian food (which it may have) but that it was filthy and the furniture was falling apart. It has to be the worst lounge at JFK, regardless of the smell.

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iamhere Guest

Agree that there is probably a deeper issue with the lounge. Also agree that it is not the worst lounge. It was probably well equipped. I think some of the most basic lounges I have been it were worse and some lounges of certain airlines that have needed a refresh for decades were worse. Furthermore, I would hope for the AI lounge to serve Indian food....

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Adambrau Member

Who doesn't love Indian food? So ridic.

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omarsidd Diamond

I've been in dozens (literally) of places that serve Indian food. There is always, always a detectable smell of Indian food. Just like steakhouses smell like steaks, beer halls smell like beer. It's not a bad thing. Places with food aren't meant to be sterile, bland, industrial-smelling experiences (and the desire for that surely explains a lot about the atrocity of American "cuisine"). More broadly i think we're seeing (both the original tiktoker and some of the comments here) the American fear of smelling like "anything". The triumph of consumer products businesses that have sold you on everything from "body deodorant" to "febreze" being an absolute necessity have made using one of your primary senses a negative experience. What a weird culture.

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justindev Guest

She is right. That's where SQ sent or may still send its J class pax. It is the worse lounge I have ever visited.

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