Air India denied boarding to woman over points booking? Airline reacts to Reddit post

A confirmed flight ticket did not guarantee a seat for a woman travelling with Air India, a Reddit user has alleged, claiming ground staff told them that bookings made using points were not prioritised on oversold flights.Air India reacts to Reddit post (Photo: Representational Image from Getty Images)New Delhi,Oct 15, 2026 12:42 ISTA Reddit user has alleged that Air India refused to board their mother despite her having a confirmed ticket booked using points, claiming the airline said such bookings were not prioritised on oversold flights.In a post on Reddit's r/AirTravelIndia community, the user recounted booking an Air India flight from Mumbai to Ahmedabad for their mother earlier this week.The user said the airline's app did not allow online check-in, which they later considered an early warning sign. At the airport, ground staff allegedly told them that the flight was oversold, and their mother would not be allowed to board because “points bookings aren't on the priority list.”“I managed to get that in writing from the ground staff. She never volunteered to give up her seat,” the user said. The only alternative offered was a flight around nine hours later. Since the user’s mother had a medical condition and needed to reach home that day, the user said they bought an IndiGo ticket for Rs 7,629.The Reddit user said they had filed a formal complaint with Air India and raised the issue on X. While the airline refunded the points and taxes, the user claimed that the airline refused to reimburse the cost of the replacement IndiGo ticket. As per their account, Air India argued that it had offered an alternative flight and that the user had chosen to travel with another airline. The user also claimed the airline had said reimbursement was “not applicable under any scenario.”Compensation, however, was still under review, with the airline promising an update within 24 to 48 hours.The user sought advice from fellow travellers on whether the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) rules on denied boarding compensation applied to award tickets booked using points. They also asked whether declining a much later alternative flight would affect their eligibility for compensation and whether anyone had recovered the cost of a replacement ticket through AirSewa or a consumer court.The user planned to escalate the matter to AirSewa and approach the consumer forum if necessary. They also questioned whether prioritising passengers who paid directly over those who redeemed points was a DGCA-permitted practice or simply an airline policy.Read the entire post here:The issue also went viral on X after an account named Professor Cardz shared the Reddit post and questioned the airline's alleged treatment of passengers travelling on points bookings.This is worrysome to the next level. Air India Denied boarding to a passenger because it was a Points Booking? Hey @airindia kindly share your policy on this so that we don’t book our important travel tickets with you with points. #ccteeks #creditcards #airindia https://t.co/1Pye8VpjOO— Professor Cardz (@ProfessorCardz) October 14, 2026Air India responded by asking for the passenger's booking details so it could investigate the matter.The response did not clarify Air India's policy on passengers travelling on points bookings or directly address the allegation that such bookings were deprioritised on oversold flights.- Ends