Its a huge relief for travelers as, Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has prescribed many measures regarding the refund of airline tickets. Now, Air passengers may soon be allowed to cancel or amend their tickets without additional charges within 48 hours of booking.
In a draft made public on its website, the DGCA stated, “While the government is committed not to interfere in the commercial practices of airlines, the volume of complaints necessitates affirmative action to safeguard the interests of the traveling public. The matter has been discussed in several meetings with airlines, with no improvement in the refund system. It is now considered that the onus rests with the Government to set minimum benchmarks for refund policies to address the growing dissatisfaction among passengers regarding refund procedures adopted by some airlines.”
“During this period, passengers can cancel or amend their ticket without additional charges, except for the normal prevailing fare for any revised flight,” the draft stated.
When booked directly through the airline website, flights departing within five days for domestic travel and fifteen days for foreign travel will not be eligible for this service. Passengers must pay any applicable cancellation fees for changes made after 48 hours from the original booking.
To prevent airlines from holding back ticket fares as credit for future travel, the DGCA clarified, “The option of holding the refund amount in a credit shell shall be at the passenger’s discretion and not the default practice of the airline.”
Airlines are also required to clearly announce the refund amount and its breakdown on the ticket or a separate form. “The policy and refund amount shall also be displayed on the airlines’ respective websites,” the draft said
Refund Details
For credit card payments, refunds must be made within seven days to the cardholder’s account. For cash transactions, refunds must be issued immediately at the airline office where the ticket was purchased.
For tickets purchased through travel agents or online portals, the airline remains responsible for the refund process. Airlines must ensure refunds are completed within 21 working days.
Cancellation fees beyond the basic fare plus fuel cost cannot be imposed by airlines or their representatives. Travel agent fees, which must be fully disclosed at the time of booking, are not included in this. If an error is discovered within 24 hours of making a reservation via the airline's website, there may be no further fees for processing a refund or changing a passenger's name. Refunds must be given by foreign carriers operating to and from India in compliance with their home country's laws.
