On Wednesday, Air India revealed a revised policy about discounted travel benefits for its retired staff, signaling a substantial change in the long-standing benefits received by its former employees.

The revised policy reduces the allowances previously provided to retired employees to a fixed allocation of four “passages” per year. Despite this modification, the policy document’s release caused the airline’s retirees to sigh jointly in relief, casting doubt on the future of this specific retirement benefit for months.

The main portion of the travel benefit is still in place, as retired workers and their designees are eligible for free tickets with only taxes to pay. However, there is a degree of unpredictability to the process as it depends on seat availability at the time of flight closure, particularly during the busiest travel seasons.

With the introduction of a structured booking framework, the updated policy assigns different classes according to the job positions held at the time of retirement. Furthermore, respecting a code of conduct is highly valued, and recipients are expected to positively represent Air India and refrain from exploiting the benefits for their own gain. As a requirement for eligibility, they must maintain a spotless record during their entire service term, highlighting the airline’s dedication to developing an ethical and responsible culture.

Significantly, employees are only permitted to travel if there are still open seats at the time of flight closure, which happens after the check-in counter opens. This means that the travel privilege is “subject-to-load” based. Furthermore, it is made clear that a return journey—whether it be direct or involves transportation—constitutes a single passage, guaranteeing consistency in usage regulations.