New Delhi: Will Air India's entry into Star Alliance from July 11 finally achieve the impossible: Clamp the brakes on free upgrades that netas, babus, other influential people and their kin have enjoyed for years by buying the cheapest economy tickets but getting 'bumped' up to business or first class? Or check the age-old practice of AI employees filling up these seats?
The Maharaja is majorly upgrading his business and first class facilities at a substantial expense from July 11 to be on a par with fellow blue-blooded Star members like Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa. Now, unless the practice of free upgrades of the well-connected (not commercially important persons who all airlines upgrade) is stopped, all this expense will be a total waste — at the cost of taxpayers funding the airline's survival.
27/06/14 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India
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The Maharaja is majorly upgrading his business and first class facilities at a substantial expense from July 11 to be on a par with fellow blue-blooded Star members like Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa. Now, unless the practice of free upgrades of the well-connected (not commercially important persons who all airlines upgrade) is stopped, all this expense will be a total waste — at the cost of taxpayers funding the airline's survival.
27/06/14 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India
