Associating with sporting icons in some way is often an easy way for brands to gain salience. It was somewhat surprising that Indian athletes didn't figure on the Tony Fernandes-led Air Asia group's list of Olympic medallists, who were being offered free flights - some of them for life - on the low-cost carrier.
Some wondered if it was another case of missed opportunity, given that the group's India subsidiary, Air Asia India, co-owned by Tata Sons, is in expansion mode.
In an apparent change of heart, the airline on Wednesday announced lifetime free flights for gold medallists and five years and three years of free flights for silver and bronze medal winners respectively at the Olympics and the Paralympics.
