Aviation ministry proposes to do away with fee on air tickets cancelled within 24 hours of booking
The draft passenger charter also suggests that airlines cannot levy cancellation charges that total more than the basic fare plus fuel surcharge.
The government has proposed to remove the cancellation fee if flight tickets are cancelled within 24 hours of booking, reported The Economic Times on Tuesday. However, if a passenger books a ticket four days before the flight, he will not be eligible for the cancellation fee waiver, according to the “Passenger Charter of Rights” released by the Ministry of Aviation.
The draft also proposes that airlines cannot levy cancellation charges that total more than the basic fare plus fuel surcharge. The ministry has put the draft out for public consultation for 30 days and plans to notify the final version within two months, The Hindu reported.
The ministry has also proposed that airlines not levy any additional charge for correcting the name on a ticket if the error is pointed out within 24 hours of booking it and provided that correction is not required for more than three characters.
A compensation of Rs 20,000 will be given to passengers in the event of a flight being delayed by more than 12 hours and passengers missing their onward flights. For baggage loss, passengers will be paid Rs 3,000 per kg. In case a flight is cancelled and passengers are not notified before 24 hours of the scheduled departure, the airlines must refund the full value of the ticket.
“The Directorate General of Civil Aviation could look into matters where the airlines are not in agreement with the passenger on the compensation issue,” said Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Aviation, according to Business Standard.