Fliers/Consumers rights with airlines
Refunds
According to the DGCA website, if you have paid by cash, the airline has to refund the money immediately. On the other hand, if you have paid by credit card, the money has to be refunded within seven days. In case of tickets booked via a travel agent, one should approach the agent.
The refund should include Passenger Services Fee, Airport Development Fee/User Development Fee and service tax. You have the option to either take the refund money or use it to travel on a different date.
what DGCA rules say about delays, cancellations and denial of boarding.
Delays
According to the DGCA, if the delay is for less than 24 hours from the scheduled departure time, you as a flier are entitled to get meals and refreshments at the airport. And if it is for more than 24 hours, you will have to be provided with hotel accommodations with transfers. However, the choice of hotel is totally up to the discretion of the airline, says DGCA.
Do keep in mind that the airline is not obligated to compensate the flier if the delay is caused due to extraordinary circumstances or force majeure.
Remember this term -- force majeure - it will crop up when it comes to cancelled flights as well.
What is force majeure: Force majeure basically means unusual and unforeseeable events that are beyond the airline's control and the impact of which lead to the cancellation/delay of flight(s), and which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken by the airline. This is according to the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) of the DGCA.
These force majeure events include events that occur due to political instability, natural disaster, civil war, insurrection or riot, flood, explosion, government regulation or order affecting the aircraft, strikes and labour disputes causing cessation of flights etc.
Cancellations
The airline has to inform you about the cancellation of your flight as far in advance as possible (at least two weeks) of the scheduled time of departure. If you have not been informed at least three hours in advance about the cancellation of your flight, the airline is liable to provide you compensation as follows:
a) Rs 5,000 or booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel charge, whichever is less for flights having a block time of up to and including 1 hour. Block time refers to the time taken by a flight to travel from one point to another.
b) Rs 7,500 or booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel charge, whichever is less for flights having block time of more than 1 hour and up to and including 2 hours.
c) Rs 10,000 or booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel charge, whichever is less for flights having a block time of more than 2 hours.
In the case of a cancellation, the airline is bound to provide you alternate travel opportunities at no additional cost. The airline has to refund the ticket in case you are not willing to travel on its alternate or the subsequent flight or on another airline's flight.
If you have already reported at the airport to catch the original flight which is cancelled and are waiting for the alternate flight, then the airline is bound to provide you meals and refreshments.
However, you will not be entitled for any compensation if you don't accept alternate travel arrangements offered by the airline or when the cancellation occurs due to extraordinary circumstances beyond the control of the airline i.e., force majeure.
Denied boarding
Overbooking a flight to reduce the possibility of it departing with empty seats is a common practice in the aviation industry. In case of overbooking on a particular flight it may happen that the number of passengers reporting for the flight is more than the number of seats available. Under such conditions, the airline may deny boarding to you even though you may be holding confirmed bookings for travel on the flight and have reported for the flight well within the specified time before departure.
Now, according to the CAR, if the boarding is denied due to an overbooked flight, the airline is not liable to pay compensation if it arranges an alternate flight which is scheduled to depart within one hour of the scheduled departure time of the original flight for which tickets had been bought. If the airline does not do this, then the flier has to compensated as follows:
a) An amount equal to 200 percent of booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel charge, subject to maximum of Rs 10,000, in case airline arranges alternate flight that is scheduled to depart within 24 hours of the booked scheduled departure.
b) An amount equal to 400 percent of booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel charge, subject to maximum of Rs 20,000, in case airline arranges alternate flight that is scheduled to depart more than 24 hours of the booked scheduled departure.
c) In case passenger does not opt for alternate flight (in either of the cases a and b above), refund of full value of ticket and compensation equal to 400 percent of booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel charge, subject to maximum of Rs 20,000.
Points to keep in mind
DGCA states that airlines have to display their policies about compensations, refunds and the facilities that will be provided in the event of denied boardings, cancellations and delays on their respective websites as part of their passenger Charter of Rights. So, do check out the airline's website.
Further, make sure you provide proper details while booking your ticket. This include the correct (check the spelling) of your email address and your mobile phone number. This is because the DGCA rules state that those who provide wrong contact information are not entitled for financial compensation more
According to the DGCA website, if you have paid by cash, the airline has to refund the money immediately. On the other hand, if you have paid by credit card, the money has to be refunded within seven days. In case of tickets booked via a travel agent, one should approach the agent.
The refund should include Passenger Services Fee, Airport Development Fee/User Development Fee and service tax. You have the option to either take the refund money or use it to travel on a different date.
what DGCA rules say about delays, cancellations and denial of boarding.
Delays
According to the DGCA, if the delay is for less than 24 hours from the scheduled departure time, you as a flier are entitled to get meals and refreshments at the airport. And if it is for more than 24 hours, you will have to be provided with hotel accommodations with transfers. However, the choice of hotel is totally up to the discretion of the airline, says DGCA.
Do keep in mind that the airline is not obligated to compensate the flier if the delay is caused due to extraordinary circumstances or force majeure.
Remember this term -- force majeure - it will crop up when it comes to cancelled flights as well.
What is force majeure: Force majeure basically means unusual and unforeseeable events that are beyond the airline's control and the impact of which lead to the cancellation/delay of flight(s), and which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken by the airline. This is according to the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) of the DGCA.
These force majeure events include events that occur due to political instability, natural disaster, civil war, insurrection or riot, flood, explosion, government regulation or order affecting the aircraft, strikes and labour disputes causing cessation of flights etc.
Cancellations
The airline has to inform you about the cancellation of your flight as far in advance as possible (at least two weeks) of the scheduled time of departure. If you have not been informed at least three hours in advance about the cancellation of your flight, the airline is liable to provide you compensation as follows:
a) Rs 5,000 or booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel charge, whichever is less for flights having a block time of up to and including 1 hour. Block time refers to the time taken by a flight to travel from one point to another.
b) Rs 7,500 or booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel charge, whichever is less for flights having block time of more than 1 hour and up to and including 2 hours.
c) Rs 10,000 or booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel charge, whichever is less for flights having a block time of more than 2 hours.
In the case of a cancellation, the airline is bound to provide you alternate travel opportunities at no additional cost. The airline has to refund the ticket in case you are not willing to travel on its alternate or the subsequent flight or on another airline's flight.
If you have already reported at the airport to catch the original flight which is cancelled and are waiting for the alternate flight, then the airline is bound to provide you meals and refreshments.
However, you will not be entitled for any compensation if you don't accept alternate travel arrangements offered by the airline or when the cancellation occurs due to extraordinary circumstances beyond the control of the airline i.e., force majeure.
Denied boarding
Overbooking a flight to reduce the possibility of it departing with empty seats is a common practice in the aviation industry. In case of overbooking on a particular flight it may happen that the number of passengers reporting for the flight is more than the number of seats available. Under such conditions, the airline may deny boarding to you even though you may be holding confirmed bookings for travel on the flight and have reported for the flight well within the specified time before departure.
Now, according to the CAR, if the boarding is denied due to an overbooked flight, the airline is not liable to pay compensation if it arranges an alternate flight which is scheduled to depart within one hour of the scheduled departure time of the original flight for which tickets had been bought. If the airline does not do this, then the flier has to compensated as follows:
a) An amount equal to 200 percent of booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel charge, subject to maximum of Rs 10,000, in case airline arranges alternate flight that is scheduled to depart within 24 hours of the booked scheduled departure.
b) An amount equal to 400 percent of booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel charge, subject to maximum of Rs 20,000, in case airline arranges alternate flight that is scheduled to depart more than 24 hours of the booked scheduled departure.
c) In case passenger does not opt for alternate flight (in either of the cases a and b above), refund of full value of ticket and compensation equal to 400 percent of booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel charge, subject to maximum of Rs 20,000.
Points to keep in mind
DGCA states that airlines have to display their policies about compensations, refunds and the facilities that will be provided in the event of denied boardings, cancellations and delays on their respective websites as part of their passenger Charter of Rights. So, do check out the airline's website.
Further, make sure you provide proper details while booking your ticket. This include the correct (check the spelling) of your email address and your mobile phone number. This is because the DGCA rules state that those who provide wrong contact information are not entitled for financial compensation more
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Dear Sir/s, Let's not talk about foreign countries as their system is quite different e.g even the check-in baggage comes with a price. In our country, everything is under chaos. I narrate one incidence. I was returning back from Switzerland by Swiss air and landed to IGI airport around midnight and my way back flight ticket to destination was at morning 07.30 Hrs by Jet. I was not being allowed to get into the lounge but compelled to wait at the waiting passage ( it is so small area). After cajoling with CISF for about 45 min, I alone was allowed to be inside to talk to Jet counter to inquire of any early flights and there was indeed one at 02.30 AM. They agreed and provided two tickets and thereafter, it was running with the luggage all the way to the flight along with my wife. No amount of rules can mitigate the situation except if everyone of us are acting honestly. More highly placed you are, propensity to flout the rule becomes obvious and rules would be tightened further, in case the same come to light but at the cost of hapless lesser mortals like me. In my opinion, every airport must open a kiosk 24x7 on behalf of consumer redressal forum to accept consumer complaints. In case the complainant is in a hurry, they should provide email id and phone number with them and a docket number should be generated and thereafter, the traveler must provide all the detail. The traveler should not be asked to contest his case at the place of lodging complaint but instead online/digital method should be adopted. The above would create more Jobs as they can be paid per complaint solution basis. more
Dec 29
Similar to the safety rules which the aircraft crew makes the boarders to understand similar effort needs to be done by DGCA or tell all the aircraft carriers to display clearly the rules in the aircraft so that fliers can read the same and also has to be there in the airports at prominently place displayed and also name of the airlines who have endorsed the same. more
Dec 29
The airlines cancellation charges are very high and should be reduced. The flight tickets should be based on some rationale more
Dec 28
