In an ideal world, I would travel to one Indian and one International destination every month in 2019. But unfortunately, it isn’t ideal. So I hope that whenever I travel, the experience is hassle-free and enjoyable. And I’m happy to report that the government is making one aspect of travel i.e. flight cancellations and refunds easier for all of us.
At the Aviation Conclave 2019, Civil Aviation minister Suresh Prabhu released a ‘Passenger Charter’ that will prove to be a boon for air travellers. The charter also outlines the rights of fliers in case of delays or cancellations caused by airlines.
The minister said that these rules are for the benefit of both air travellers and airlines. Here are some of the new rules you should know about.
- No charges on ticket cancellation within 24 hours of booking if done 7 days before the travel date. This also applies to amendments.
- If airlines fail to inform passengers about cancellation at least 24 hours in advance, full refund or alternate flight arrangements must be made.
- In case of delays of more than 6 hours, a passenger can claim a full refund or an alternate flight.
If the delay is more than 24 hours or a flight that was to take off between 8 pm and 3 am is delayed for over 6 hours, free accommodation must be provided to passengers.
- If a flight gets delayed by 2-6 hours, the airline will have to provide travellers waiting at the airport with refreshments and free meals.
- Due to delay, if a passenger misses his/her connecting flight, he/she is entitled to compensation.
- In case of overbooking, the carrier has to arrange alternate flight within an hour of the original flight.
Loss or damage of baggage by carrier comes with compensation of up to Rs.350 per kg or up to Rs.20,000. Injury or death on board an aircraft has the compensation of Rs. 20 lakh.
In case the delays or cancellations happen due to external factors beyond the control of the carrier, then these rules will not apply.