Lawyer Blasts Air India For Deducting 20,000 Points For Missed Concert, Airline Refutes Claim

What was meant to be a simple invite to a Lucky Ali concert has now turned into a full-blown controversy online. In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), lawyer Safir Anand called out Air India for deducting loyalty points for an event he didn't even attend. His experience has struck a chord with many frequent flyers across the country. Safir Anand pointed out not one but two recent experiences that left him disappointed with the airline.

X User Slams Air India For Deducting Points After He Couldn't Attend An Invite

I'm sorry to say but @airindia maharajaclub is shameful.
I'm a platinum member. I was invited by them to attend a lucky Ali concert. They sent me 2 passes, asking who will accompany and I said I don't know if I will or not as I'm a busy lawyer and will try. I did not attend. They…

— Safir (@safiranand) March 26, 2026

On X, Safir Anand shared that he was charged a cancellation fee even when he cancelled four days before his flight. And more surprisingly, he was charged 20,000 loyalty points for an event he didn't attend. He called these “red flags” and warned that such decisions could push away even loyal, premium customers like himself.

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The bigger controversy came from an event invite. He explained that he was invited by Air India's Maharaja Club to attend a concert by Lucky Ali. He was sent two passes and asked to confirm who would accompany him. He told them he might or might not attend because of his busy schedule and didn't confirm a second guest. Eventually, he couldn't attend the event.

Later, he shared that Air India informed him that 20,000 points would be deducted because he didn't show up.

Also if points are used, for whatever reasons, that's a deemed use of monetary value to an invite which makes the invite a sale governed by GST. So @airindia should be subjected to legal scrutiny too on ticketing vs invite. https://t.co/cfRmYmaJLG

— Safir (@safiranand) March 26, 2026

Shocked by this action, he posted, “Even if this was stated, this is not an invite to a member but a forced invite. Sorry to say, but this is blatant cheating and totally misleading.” He even raised a legal angle, arguing that if points are deducted, they have monetary value. That turns the invite into a transaction, which should then be subject to GST rules.

After his posts gained attention, Air India replied, “Dear Sir, thank you for bringing this to our attention. Please allow us some time to review this on priority, and we will get back to you shortly.”

Air India Issues Clarification

Dear Mr. Anand, we hold our Maharaja Club members in high regard and maintain complete transparency in all our programme communications. For the referenced event, our invitation and subsequent follow-ups to members explicitly stated the applicable deduction of points in case of…

— Air India (@airindia) March 27, 2026

Amid the backlash, Air India issued a clarification on X, responding to Safir Anand's claims. The airline maintained that the points deduction policy for no-shows was clearly communicated in advance and is meant to ensure fairness for other waitlisted members. It also added that seats had been blocked in this case without prior intimation of non-attendance.

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They concluded by reiterating their commitment to fairness and equal access for all Platinum members, while also thanking him for being part of the Maharaja Club.