DGCA Amends Flight Tickets Refund Rules
Introduction
The Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) for passengers who are unable to board due to refused boarding, airline cancellations, or flight delays has been modified by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). With the CAR modification, travelers who are unintentionally degraded and transported in a lower class than that for which the ticket was paid would receive reimbursement from the airline. 75 percent of the ticket price, including taxes, will be paid for domestic flights. For international flights, the following fees apply: 30% of the whole ticket price, including taxes, for flights under 1500 km; 50% of the total ticket price, including taxes, for flights between 1500 km and 3500 km; and 75% of the total ticket price, including taxes, for flights beyond 3500 km.
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The civil aviation regulator stated in a statement that the adjustment to the civil aviation requirement aims to strengthen the rights of air travelers whose tickets have been downgraded.
Refund Policies
One can amend your travel arrangements and cancel your reservation. If you purchased your ticket at a refundable rate, the refund will be performed in accordance with the cancellation and refund policies associated with your fares. Only the non-airline taxes on a non-refundable ticket will be reimbursed. Please be aware that various fare categories have varying cancellation and refund policies.
Any refunds will be given in the same form of payment that was used to make the reservation. When a booking made through a travel agent is cancelled, the refund money will be sent to the account of the travel agency. To get a refund, visitors must speak with the relevant organisation directly.
Currency – Fares and fees must be paid in any form of payment that the carrier accepts. When paying using a currency other than the one in which the fare is displayed, the conversion rate will be determined in compliance with banking, credit card, and carrier laws. Purchased tickets and refunds will also be subject to these rules.
Refund claims must be submitted within a year of the day your booking was cancelled.
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
The Government of India established the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) as a statutory agency to oversee civil aviation in India. By virtue of the Aircraft (Amendment) Act of 2020, it was became a statutory body. The DGCA is in charge of issuing licences for aviation in India, including PPLs, SPLs, and CPLs. It also conducts investigations into aviation accidents and incidents and upholds all aviation rules. Its main office is located in New Delhi on Sri Aurobindo Marg, next to Safdarjung Airport. The Indian government intends to replace it with a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) that will be modelled after the US Federal Aviation Administration.
Amended Rules: The New Norms
The new regulations for flight ticket refunds will take effect on February 15; the DGCA reached this decision in response to concerns from passengers.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has changed the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) for passengers who are unable to board due to denied boarding, airline cancellations, or aircraft delays (DGCA). The airline will compensate passengers who accidentally degrade themselves and are carried in a lower class than that for which the ticket was purchased under the CAR modification.
With the implementation of new standards by the aviation regulator DGCA, airlines will now pay 75% of the ticket expenses to travelers whose domestic flight tickets have been reduced. According on the distance covered by the specific aircraft, the refund amount for the downgrading of international access will range from 30 percent to 75 percent of the ticket prices, including taxes.
According to a senior official at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the new regulations will take effect on February 15th. In response to complaints from passengers that airlines had degraded their tickets reserved for a specific class, the regulator decided to change the rules. The DGCA suggested in December of last year that airlines be required to refund the full cost of such tickets, including taxes, and that impacted customers be provided with free transportation in the next available class.
The official said that such suggestions had been altered in accordance with international standards. The watchdog has modified its Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) on the amenities that airlines must offer customers who are refused boarding, cancellations and delay in flights.
According to a statement released by the DGCA on Wednesday, “the revision would allow the customer, who is degraded unwillingly and is transported in a class lower than that for which the ticket is paid, to be compensated by the airline.” The airline will refund 75% of the ticket price, including taxes, to the affected passenger for downgrading a domestic flight.
In the event that an international ticket is downgraded, the traveler will get 30% of the original ticket price; for flights traveling no more than 1,500 kilometers, the passenger will receive 30% of the original ticket price, including taxes. If the flight travels between 1,500 and 3,500 kilometers, the price will be 50%, taxes included. For flights that go more than 3,500 kilometers, 75% of the ticket price, including taxes, will be reimbursed. According to the regulator, the adjustments were made to strengthen the rights of air travelers whose tickets were downgraded.
Conclusion
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aviation industry’s regulatory body, updated the regulations regarding the amenities that airlines must offer customers in the event of rejected boarding, aircraft cancellations, and flight delays. The change will enable the airline to compensate the customer who is unintentionally degraded and transported in a lower class than that for which the ticket was purchased. It’ll aid customers who are denied boardings, and cancellations and delays in flights.
Contributed by Sanal Pillai
Edited by Imtiaz Ullah