DGCA makes air ticket refund rules passenger friendly; no additional charges for changes within 48 hours of booking

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has amended the air ticket refund rules making it passenger friendly. 

Passengers can now cancel or amend the ticket without paying any additional charges within 48 hours of booking. Only the normal prevailing fare for the revised flight  - for which the ticket is sought to be amended - has to be paid.

The aviation regulator said airlines shall provide “Look-in option” for a period of 48 hours after booking ticket to facilitate this option for the passengers. 

However, the facility would not be available for a flight whose departure is less than seven days for domestic flight and 15 days for international flight from booking date when the ticket is booked directly through airline website. 

Beyond 48 hours of initial booking time, the passengers would have to pay the relevant cancellation fees for amendment.

Name correction made free 

“Airline shall not levy any additional charge for correction in name of the same person when the error is pointed out by the passenger within 24 hours of making the booking, when ticket is booked directly through airline website”, the DGCA said.

In case of purchase of ticket through travel agent/portal, onus of refund shall lie with the airlines as agents were their appointed representatives. “The airlines shall ensure that the refund process is completed within 14 working days.”

Cancellations due to medical emergency 

In the event of ticket cancellations due to a medical emergency, where the passenger or a family member listed on the same PNR gets admitted/hospitalised during the travel period, airlines may provide either a refund or a credit shell. 

For all other situations, refunds would be issued once an opinion on the passenger’s fitness to travel certificate was received from an airline’s Aerospace Medicine specialist/DGCA empanelled Aerospace Medicine specialist.