No additional charge, cancel flight tickets within 48 hours of booking; DGCA with new proposal

KOCHI: Passengers will henceforth be able to renew or cancel air tickets within 48 hours of booking without paying any additional fee. The new refund guidelines were issued by the Director General of Civil Aviation. The exemption is called the look-in option time. However, tickets purchased directly from the airline's website will not be eligible for the exemption if the travel is within seven days for domestic services and 15 days for international routes.

There should be no additional charge for changing the name of the passenger within 24 hours of the ticket being booked directly. Airlines are responsible for refunding tickets booked through travel agencies and online portals. Refunds should be completed within 14 days. Airlines should provide refunds if any of the passengers travelling on a single PNR (Passenger Name Record) are hospitalised during the journey.

Ministry of Civil Aviation suggested changes to the refund terms following the crisis that stalled IndiGo's operations last year. In December alone, 29,212 complaints were received, of which 7.5 per cent were regarding refunds.