Full Refund for Flight Delay: New Passenger Rights Charter Released

Are flight delays, long hours of waiting at the airport and outrageous cancellation charges ruining your air travel experience?

Well, not anymore! The new passengers rights charter has been released by the Ministry of Civil Aviation that covers flight delays, overbooking, cancellations, and other emergencies.

Here are the new provisions from the charter that every flyer must know:

1. Flight Delays

If a flight gets delayed by 2 to 6 hours, the airline will offer refreshments and free meals (only if the passengers wait at the airport).

If the flight is delayed for more than 6 hours, the passengers are entitled to an option of full refund or an alternate flight.

Airlines are expected to inform flyers a day in advance, if the flight is delayed for more than 6 hours and also offer free hotel accommodation.

2. Cancellation of Flight or Tickets

If the airline fails to inform the flyer about the cancelled flight, or if a passenger misses their connecting flight because of a delay, the passengers will receive a compensation of Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000. This compensation is dependent on travel time or one-way base fare plus fuel charge (whichever is less).

3. Refund

If done within a day of the booking, passengers can cancel their ticket without paying any cancellation amount.

Although, this zero cancellation charge won’t be applicable, if the tickets are booked in less than 7 days before the scheduled departure of the flight.

4. Change of Name

Flyers can make corrections to their name within 24 hours of the booking without paying any charge. Earlier, a change in the name was considered as a cancellation, which required additional charges.

5. Overbooked Flights

In case of an overbooked flight, a passenger is eligible for a compensation of up to Rs. 20,000, if the airline denies boarding to the passenger or does not offer an alternate flight within an hour of the original flight time.

6. Loss/Damage of Baggage

If a passenger’s baggage or cargo is lost or damage, the airline will have to pay a compensation of up to Rs.20,000. This is 75% more than the earlier compensation.