DGCA revises ticket refund norms in a bid to make air travel passenger-friendly

In a bid to make the standard procedure of air travel easier and more passenger-friendly, DGCA on Thursday announced a slew of revisions regarding the ticket refund norms for airlines.

According to the aviation watchdog, passengers can now cancel or change air tickets without paying an additional charge within 48 hours of booking, subject to certain conditions.

Moreover, DGCA also said that that airlines should 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, if the ticket is booked directly through the airline's website.

DGCA further said if a passenger is booking a ticket through a travel agent the onus of the refund lies with airlines.

"In case of purchase of ticket through travel agent/portal, onus of refund shall lie with the airlines as agents are their appointed representatives. The airlines shall ensure that the refund process is completed within 14 working days," the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said.

Besides, there are changes with respect to norms for ticket cancellations due to a medical emergency faced by the passenger.

The new amendments comes months after IndiGo saw mass flight cancellations triggered by failure to adjust to new DGCA pilot rest rules which left many passengers stranded at airports across India.

The ticket refund issue also got highlighted during the disruptions, and at that time, the civil aviation ministry had directed the airline to complete the refunds within a specified timeline.

The amendments to the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) for 'Refund of Airline Tickets to Passengers of Public Transport Undertakings' come against the backdrop of the rising passenger complaints about not receiving refunds on time.

The revised CAR was issued on February 24.

(with PTI inputs)