Refund of plane ticket: after SC order, DGCA issues detailed refund rules | India Business News


NEW DELHI: The General Directorate of Civil Aviation on Wednesday issued detailed guidelines for the refund of fares for flights canceled during the Covid-19 lockdown after the Supreme Court recently ruled on the issue. The regulator, based on SC directives, has classified reimbursement applicants into three categories and has issued different directives for them.
Category 1 – Passenger who booked tickets during the lockdown to travel during the lockdown from March 25, 2020 to May 24: if an airline has received payment from said passenger for a domestic or international trip, “it will refund the total amount charged without no cancellation charges… within three weeks from the cancellation date, ”says the DGCA order.
If the tickets have been booked through a travel agency, “the airlines will immediately grant the full refund to the respective travel agent (who in turn) will immediately deliver it to the passengers.”
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Airlines, both Indian and foreign, will be required to refund the full fares to Category 1 passengers who booked tickets for international travel outside of India.
Category 2 – Passengers who booked tickets at any time before the travel blockade until May 24, 2020 and the flight canceled due to Covid-19: “The airlines will do everything possible to refund the amount charged to the passenger within 15 days as of October 7, 2020. If due to financial problems, an airline / airline cannot do so, they must provide a credit shell, equivalent to the amount of the fare charged, on behalf of the passenger when the reservation is made directly by the passenger or through the journey. agent to consume (use) the same on or before March 31, 2021, … on any route of (his) choice or the passenger can transfer the credit deposit to anyone, including the travel agent through the whoever has booked the ticket and the airlines will respect said transfer ”, says the order.
The credit shell issued in the name of the passenger will be transferable and will be used for travel until March 31, 2021. “In cases where tickets are booked through an agent, the credit shell issued in the name of the passenger who it is not used before March On December 31, 2021, the refund of the fare charged will be made to the same account from which the airline received the amount of the account ”, he adds.

Based on the directives of the SC, the DGCA has asked the airlines to incentivize all those credits issued. “… Compensate the passenger from the date of cancellation until June 30, 2020, in which case the credit shell will increase by 0.5% of the face value (the amount of the fare charged) for each month or part of it between the cancellation date and June 30, 2020. Thereafter, the value of the credit shell will increase by 0.75% of the face value per month until March 31, 2021 ”, he says.
Category 2 passengers who have booked a ticket for international travel on a foreign airline and the reservation is prior to India, “then the airline will make a full refund to the passenger.”
Category 3 – Passengers who booked a ticket at any time for a trip after May 24, 2020: normal refund rules according to the applicable civil aviation requirements (rules) of the DGCA will apply to Category 3 passengers, whether they are nationals or ex-India International.
“All interested parties are instructed to ensure strict compliance with the instructions issued by the Supreme Court in the previous ruling,” reads the order issued to all Indian and foreign airlines operating to and from India, by the DGAC on Wednesday.

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