TTE (Traveling Ticket Examiner) has authority to allocate vacant berths post-departure.
TTE can give vacant berths to:
- RAC passengers (priority)
- Counter WL ticket holders
- Current booking passengers boarding at intermediate stations
- Passengers requesting upgrade (with applicable fare difference)
TTE cannot:
- Take away your confirmed seat
- Charge unauthorized fees
- Allocate without verifying ID
If your group's empty seats (one or two passengers in a 4-person bay) are given to others — that's legal since those berths weren't allocated to anyone confirmed.
Always carry original photo ID matching the ticket. TTE can verify and issue penalties for ID mismatch.