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NEW DELHI: Clearing up the confusion over ticket reimbursement for flights during the lockout period, the guidelines proposed by the Center oblige airlines and travel agents to immediately reimburse passengers if they had booked tickets between March 25 and April 14 for travel from March 25 to May 3.
In an affidavit presented to the Supreme Court after consultations with different airlines, the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA) reported that for air tickets booked after April 14, airlines and travel agents will have a 15-day window to return the money as Aviation requirements say this should be convenient for travelers.
However, the DGCA provided an alternative to domestic airlines, whose revenues have plummeted during the pandemic, with respect to refunds for tickets booked after April 14.
“If because of financial problems, the airlines cannot do it, then they must provide credit coverage equivalent to the amount of the fare charged. This credit shell will be issued in the name of the passenger who has reserved the ticket, ”he said.
By making the credit shells valid for travel until March 31, 2021, on whichever route the passenger chooses, the DGCA said: “If the traveler wants to buy a ticket with a higher value than the credit shell, then you can use cash to fill in above. If you want to buy a ticket worth less than the credit deposit, you can do so and the amount of the credit deposit balance will be available. ”
For tickets reserved on international flights operated by foreign airlines, the refund of the ticket amount to the passenger must be made within 15 days, as no credit facility is allowed for foreign operators. For money blocked with airlines and travel agencies for canceled flights, the DGCA said that the amount of the ticket in the credit shell will increase by 0.5% until June 30 of this year and, thereafter, in 0.75% per month until the passenger uses the credit shell to buy a ticket until March 31, 2021.
He said that the passenger can transfer the credit shell to anyone of their choice and the airlines will create a mechanism to make and respect said transfer. However, if a passenger does not use the credit shell until March 31, 2021, then the person is entitled to a cash refund of the full amount from the airlines, the DGCA said.
He said that in case of passengers who died after tickets were booked on flights that were canceled due to the blockade, the airlines would give a full refund to their family members. Attorney General Tushar Mehta had recently told Justices Ashok Bhushan, RS Reddy and MR Shah that the DGCA had spoken with the airlines and was finalizing a proposal.
DGCA consulted representatives of Air India, Go Air, Air India Express, Viewer, Air Asia, IndiGo and SpiceJet. The DGCA said that the previous proposal was formulated as an exception taking into account the problems during Covid-19 and without prejudice to the regulatory framework provided in the Civil Aviation Requirements.
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