AI stops Companion Free Scheme on account of irregularities

National carrier Air India has decided to stop the Companion Free Scheme (CFS) with immediate effect on account of irregularities in issuance of such tickets.

Under the scheme, passengers buying first class or business class tickets or full fare economy class tickets were entitled to one free ticket for their companion.

In a statement Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh today said he has directed Air India’s chairman to stop this scheme with immediate effect after several irregularities were detected in tickets issued under the CFS between October 2011 and April 2012. In a sample of 332 CFS tickets issued at Delhi Airport Terminal-III, irregularities were found in 196 such companion free tickets.

These irregularities include issuance of CFS tickets without any full fare ticket, cancellation of the main ticket after issuance of CFS tickets. According to the existent guidelines, the companion availing of the CFS ticket should be the spouse, child or parent of the main ticket holder. This stipulation has not been followed in most cases, the ministry said in a statement.

Additionally, in several cases the main tickets and CFS tickets did not have any cross-reference. In fact, outbound journeys were not undertaken by together by the main and CFS ticket holders. The scrutiny also found that often CFS tickets were issued on a sector different from the main ticket routing.

Similar irregularities have also been detected in the CFS tickets issued at Chandigarh where 435 tickets were scrutinized.
In the CFS tickets issued at Delhi, the agent code of one particular employee, Rajesh Sharma, traffic assistant, is featuring in large number of tickets.

The statement said Sharma issued about 130 fraudulent CFS tickets in the sample check at Delhi Airport Terminal-III. An FIR has been lodged by Air India Airport Manager against Rajesh Sharma and he has been placed under suspension.

The airport manager has been directed to lodge FIR against all other errant officials. Besides the Vigilance Department has advised the Commercial Director, Air India to verify the CFS tickets issued on all-India basis and to initiate action against erring employees.