As premium demand soars, AI downgrades seats for employees

Tata Air India on Monday announced a significant change to its staff travel policy, mandating that all employees, including top management and CEO Campbell Wilson, will fly in confirmed economy seats during domestic work travel instead of the previously reserved business class seats.

- Neha LM Tripathi

NEW DELHI: Tata Air India on Monday announced a significant change to its staff travel policy, mandating that all employees, including top management and CEO Campbell Wilson, will fly in confirmed economy seats during domestic work travel instead of the previously reserved business class seats.

The policy shift comes amid surging demand for premium cabin space following the Air India-Vistara merger and will be implemented in two phases — April 1 for vice presidents and above, and June 1 for all other staff.

"We want to ensure that our premium seats, both Business and Premium Economy — for which we are seeing huge demand — are available for booking to our customers first, demonstrating a culture of customer centricity in the new Air India," an Air India spokesperson told HT.

According to airline officials, demand for premium seats has more than doubled since Tata Group acquired the carrier in January 2022.