Air India downgrades passenger, crew 'caught sleeping' in business class

An Air India passenger has claimed that multiple crew members were using business class seats - allegedly the same ones reassigned from paying customers

A recent Air India flight from Chicago to Delhi has reignited criticism of the airline’s service, following allegations from a passenger who claimed she was moved from business class under false pretenses — only to later see crew members occupying those very seats to sleep.

 

The traveler shared her story with aviation blog View from the Wing, saying that she was told at the boarding gate that her business class seat was not reclining properly. She was then given two economy seats as an alternative, which she refused. It was only after boarding that she realised the fault was restricted to a broken tray table, contradicting the claim made by the airline.

 

 

Mid-flight, the passenger reported seeing multiple crew members using business class seats — allegedly the same ones reassigned from paying customers. “This is the same seat they were pushing me to vacate. Now they’re using it to sleep,” she said, adding that the seats were prepared in advance with blankets and left unoccupied by passengers.

 

She also pointed out the reassignment form she was handed, which had a glaring typo on it — "that thee is a technical issue". It was also pre-filled with the flight number, suggesting how common such downgrades are.

 

On her way back, she observed the same thing happen to another business class passenger who was downgraded based on the same reason and documentation. Once again, the empty premium seats were allegedly occupied by crew members during the flight.

 

Air India's response

 

Air India has not made an official public announcement on the allegations. However, a report by Aviation A2Z quotes the airlines' spokesperson saying: "A passenger who was told to sign a seat relocation consent form was just for her own good as sometimes they can be allocated a broken seat or dysfunctional seat and they can be downgraded to working seats due to limited premium seats." 

 

The spokesperson added: "The legacy aircraft has no crew rest area and the airline blocks some first and business-class seats for their rest as per the regulatory requirements. So this is the case for all the 12 Boeing 777s that are deployed on long-haul routes."

 

Systemic concerns amid modernisation drive

 

Air India, which is now owned by the Tata Group, has also initiated a large-scale fleet renewal programme and placed huge orders for aircraft in an effort to up their operations. However, such incidents showcase the disconnect between plans and ground reality, particularly on long-haul sectors such as the 12,080-kilometre Chicago–Delhi route, which is operated by aged aircraft that are under the process of refurbishment.

 

Travelers have increasingly complained of being presented with pre-printed forms with "technical issues" as an excuse and being requested to agree to downgrades. In several instances, these same business class seats were subsequently occupied by crew, which suggests a disconcerting trend.

 

Air India's present troubles are a continuation of lingering operational and cultural issues based on its history as a state-owned airline. Previous problems included cabin disrepair, lapses in customer service, and abuse of premium services.

 

New travel policy for Air India staff

 

In an attempt to give precedence to paying clients, Air India rolled out a new travel policy from April 1, 2025, requiring employees to travel in economy class on domestic flights. Senior pilots will make the switch from June.

 

Access to premium economy or business class will be made available to staff only if seats in these categories go unsold 50 minutes prior to flight departure. This policy cuts across the board — even the CEO.

 

It is important to mention that following privatisation, AI witnessed the sale of Business class seats doubling. "We do not wish the best seats to go to anyone but our paying passengers. As of next month, even the CEO of the airlines will be upgraded to premium economy (PY) or business in domestic flights only if there are empty seats in those categories 50 minutes prior to departure time," sources told The Times of India.

 

At present, Air India operates approximately 50,000 premium economy seats a week on 39 domestic routes and is planning to double this to more than 65,000 seats by October.