It was meant to be a relaxed weekend in Mumbai to get away from Delhi?s overbearing politics. But politics climbed aboard with me on Indigo Airlines? Flight#341 last Saturday ? to be more precise, a politician in economy class. Civil aviation minister Praful Patel had a window seat in the first row (1A) while I had a middle seat two rows behind.
Patel was clearly headed to Maharashtra to thrash out the NCP-Congress seat formula for the Vidhan Sabha elections, but with travel itineraries dominating headlines, the aviation minister travelling in a low-cost airline (rather than the chronically sick Air India) seemed newsworthy. While I plotted an introduction in thin air, Patel received a call on his mobile phone from a ministerial colleague.
The minister, at the other end , it seemed, wanted some clarity on Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee?s diktat of domestic travel by economy class. Patel?s colleague wanted to know if he could buy economy class and get ?upgraded? to executive class. ?Upgrades are possible. If a seat is vacant, we can always get the airline to upgrade, as that is not at the cost of revenue. I will be here to help our colleagues,? I heard Patel tell the caller.
I made a few notes to check later?can ?aam aadmi? passengers be upgraded without paying the fare difference; how many business class seats on a typical aircraft and so on?
This piqued the curiosity of my neighbour in the aisle seat, a former CEO who now helps foreign investors set up shop in India.
The man found the hullabaloo over austerity rather misplaced. ?Let them travel club class, give them higher salaries and professional support staff?as long as their actions are in national interest and not driven by underhand dealings,? he asserted, buttressing his point with the bad experience of an European client last year.
Moral of the story: wallowing in austerity with ?cattle class? is nice. But instead of 10% savings in travel costs, we would prefer if ministers gave a 100% to their job without a single percent in inessential debates.
vikas.dhoot@expressindia.com