The Draft Passenger Charter that was made public on Tuesday, has proposed free cancellation of flight tickets within 24 hours of booking.
As per the key highlights, air travellers can cancel their tickets without any deductions within 24 hours of booking, and four days (96 hours) before the scheduled departure.
The Aviation Ministry aims to come up with the final version in the next 2 months, post which, domestic airlines will comply with its provisions.
The other provisions include compensation norms for passengers. According to the proposal, if the flight gets cancelled and the passenger is informed about it between two weeks to 24 hours before the flight, the airline must either refund the ticket or offer an alternative flight that departs within 2 hours of the scheduled departure time of the flight.
The airline must offer full refund in case a flight delay is communicated more than 24 hours before the scheduled departure. If the delay leads to the flight departing the next day, the airline will have to offer a free hotel stay. These norms won’t be applicable if the delay is not because of airline’s fault but bad weather or other factors. If the passenger misses a connecting flight due to the delay, airlines are liable to pay Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 20,000.
The minimum compensation proposed in case of loss of baggage is Rs. 3,000 per kg. In case of delay or damage to the baggage, the airline is liable to pay Rs. 1,000 kg.
The final call on the proposal would be taken once it’s accepted by the airlines.
