Cancel Flights, Change Dates For Free? DGCA Planning Major Relief For Air Travellers

In what could be a major relief for air passengers, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is drafting new rules that could allow travellers to cancel or amend their tickets without paying additional charges within 48 hours of booking.

The aviation regulator, which is proposing significant changes to ticket refund norms, has also suggested that when a ticket is purchased through a travel agent or online portal, the “onus of refund shall lie with the airlines as agents are their appointed representatives.”

According to the DGCA’s draft, airlines will be required to provide a “look-in option” for a period of 48 hours after booking.

“During this period, passengers can cancel or amend the ticket without any additional charges, except for

the normal prevailing fare for the revised flight for which the ticket is sought to be amended,” the draft said.

However, the facility will not apply to flights scheduled to depart within five days for domestic routes or 15 days for international routes from the date of booking, when tickets are booked directly through the airline’s website.

“Beyond 48 hours of initial booking time, this option is not available and the passenger has to pay the relevant cancellation fees for amendment,” the draft Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) stated.

The DGCA has also proposed that airlines complete the refund process within 21 working days, as part of broader changes to the CAR provisions on ticket refunds.

In another key proposal, the draft states that an “airline shall not levy any additional charge for correction in the name of the same person when the error is pointed out by the passenger within 24 hours of making the booking, when the ticket is booked directly through the airline website,” according to the document accessed by the Press Trust of India.

The DGCA has further suggested that airlines may either refund tickets or offer a credit shell in cases where passengers cancel their bookings due to medical emergencies.

The proposed changes come amid continuing complaints and concerns from flyers regarding air ticket refunds and related charges.

The regulator has invited comments from stakeholders on the draft CAR until November 30.