NEW DELHI: Nearly three months after the tragic Air India Dreamliner crash on June 12, the demand for seat 11A , where the sole survivor, Ramesh Viswash Kumar Ramesh, was seated, remains unusually high, with airline sources saying even the entire 11th row now gets pre-booked.
“Prior booking of preferred seats on planes is allowed on payment of specific sums ranging from Rs 200 to Rs 500 and this depends on the seat position. The trend in our economy class category has usually been to book seats in the front row as there is ample leg space. Or atleast near the Emergency Exit by a good number as it is a reassurance that they can quickly exit in the face of any danger,” said a senior official in a prominent airline, requesting anonymity.
“Seat 11A, which is kind of a middle position, is just not something that used to catch the fancy of flyers,” he explained. He added that not just the seat but the entire row gets booked in each of our flights since the Dreamliner plane crash.
“If 11A is not available, it appears that other seats in the 11th row get picked. In fact, this row is always booked in advance,” he added.
“It is pretty obvious from the booking trends that the row is considered a lucky one or a safe one. This kind of a demand for an unpreferred row is quite unprecedented, the official said.
When asked if the airline was resorting to measures like jacking up the ticket fare for this specific row, he ruled that out. Another established airline too is reported to have witnessed a similar trend which continues as on date.
Two other airlines contacted refused to divulge the seating preferences of their customers. Both responded stating they were not ready to take part in any discussion on the topic.