India refund policy for air passengers: domestic flyers entitled to 75pc: International between 30 and 70pc

NEW DELHI Jan 26: Air passengers will now be entitled to get 75 per cent of the ticket cost refund from the airline whose domestic flight tickets have been downgraded.

For downgrading of international tickets, the reimbursement amount will vary from 30 per cent to 75 per cent of the ticket costs, including taxes, depending on the distance covered by the particular flight.

The directive comes at a time when there have been several complaints about airlines such as Air India downgrading passengers to a lower class than the one they booked because of issues such as unserviceable seats.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)on Wednesday informed that it has amended facilities to be provided to passengers by airlines due to denied boarding, cancellation of flights, and delays in flights.

“The new norms will be effective from February 15. This step is taken to strengthen the rights of air travellers affected by the downgrading of their tickets, it said.

“The amendment will allow the passenger, who is downgraded involuntarily and is carried in a class lower than that for which the ticket is purchased, to be reimbursed by the airline.

For the downgrade of a domestic flight ticket, the passenger concerned will get 75 per cent of the cost of ticket, including taxes, from the airline.

In the case of a downgrade of an international ticket, a passenger will receive 30 per cent of the cost of ticket, including taxes, for flights flying 1,500 kilometres or less.

Inclusive of taxes, the amount will be 50 per cent if the flight covers a distance between 1,500 and 3,500 kilometres”, the DGCA said in a statement.

“The reimbursement amount will be 75 per cent of the cost of ticket, including taxes, for flights covering more than 3,500 kilometres”, it said.

In December last year, DGCA had proposed that airlines should have to refund the full value of such tickets, including taxes, and also that affected passengers will be flown free of cost in the next available class.