Gujarat Congress President and Rajya Sabha MP Shaktisinh Gohil has accused Tata Group-owned Air India of mistreating a passenger by downgrading his ticket from business class to economy without justification. Gohil has demanded government intervention to address what he described as “arbitrary” behaviour by the airline.
The allegation stems from an incident on November 19, 2024, involving a Gujarati passenger Sudhanshubhai Mehta on Air India flight AI 531 from Delhi to Ahmedabad. According to Gohil, Mehta had purchased a business-class ticket and was issued a boarding pass. However, upon boarding, he was informed that he would need to move to economy class because his assigned business class seat was “damaged.”
Air India has issued an apology following allegations by Gohil regarding the downgrading of a passenger from business class to economy on a recent flight. Air India has said that it will investigate the matter.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Gohil claimed that Mehta later discovered his seat was occupied by an Air India employee and the seat was not damaged as initially claimed. Gohil wrote, “When the passenger entered the plane, he saw someone sitting on his business class seat and the seat was not damaged. Upon protesting, the commercial staff stated that it is company policy to downgrade passengers when employees need to travel on duty.”
Gohil shared a written statement reportedly provided by Air India staff, supporting the claim that the downgrade was in line with company policy. He criticised the practice, questioning whether any airline has the right to implement such a policy without considering customer rights.
“Can any airline make such a one-sided policy? Has the government given such permission? If the passenger does not seek compensation and simply wishes to travel in the seat they paid for, why should they be forced into economy without consent?” Gohil asked in his post.
The Congress leader highlighted the broader implications of such actions, urging the government to intervene to prevent similar incidents in the future. “If there is an illness or special reason, it is understandable. But why should a passenger leave their seat for an airline employee? I request the government to take appropriate action to ensure no sick, elderly or other passengers face such issues again,” he added.
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