Air India mandates economy class travel for employees starting April 1st to prioritize premium seats for customers, reflecting Tata Group's ongoing investment in improvements.
Air-India: Air India has taken a significant step to address criticism and improve its tarnished service image. Effective April 1st, all employees are mandated to travel in economy class. This aims to ensure premium seats are prioritized for customers, minimizing empty seats. The airline states that employees will only be allowed premium economy and business class seats if those seats remain unbooked 50 minutes prior to departure.
Promoting a customer-centric culture
An airline spokesperson stated, "Premium seats are in high demand, and we want to ensure our premium cabins are available to our customers first." This move promotes a customer-centric culture within Air India, demonstrating the company's ongoing efforts to improve its image.
Air India improvements following Tata Group acquisition
Since acquiring Air India from the government in 2022, the Tata Group has implemented numerous changes. These include upgrading the airline's fleet, ordering new jets, and even redesigning the company logo. Billions of dollars have also been invested in improving internal services.
Facing service criticism
However, Air India has also faced criticism regarding its services. Recently, Australian cricketer David Warner criticized the airline after discovering a lack of pilots upon boarding, resulting in a lengthy delay.
Criticism from a Union Minister
Similarly, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan experienced poor service, encountering a broken seat on a flight from Bhopal to Delhi. This prompted him to question Air India's service quality, although the airline subsequently apologized.
