After regular fliers exploit scheme, AI stops online booking facility for defence personnel

To prevent regular fliers from exploiting 50% discounts on airfare meant for defence personnel and their family members by submitting fake documents, the national carrier Air India has discontinued the online booking facility extended to the defence personnel.

Air India spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar confirmed the move. He said, “We have stopped the online concession scheme for the armed forces. Before the online service was introduced, defence personnel used to avail the facility only at the airline’s booking centres.”

Sources said the decision was taken after cases came to fore about regular fliers availing the discounts by submitting forged documents while booking tickets online. Tickets for defence personnel and their family members will now be available at Air India’s city offices and airport ticketing offices only.

“Whenever officials found someone travelling with fake documents, the passenger was asked to de-board. In most cases, such passengers created ruckus at the airport.So the airline stopped online booking service to ensure that only eligible passengers are able to avail
the scheme,” said an airport official.

Air India gives 50% discount on the basic fare of the economy class tickets for any sector within the country to in-service defence personnel and their family members, which includes dependent parents and spouse. Concession is also extended to children between ages 12 and 26 (married children cannot avail the benefit.)

These tickets can be purchased anytime. While defence personnel can book tickets directly, any family member wanting to avail the scheme has to produce the dependent card at the time of booking.

Tickets booked under this scheme have a validity of one year from the date of issue.