No cancellation charge, refund on delay: Aviation Ministry plans new flight rules

New Delhi: In what may be seen as a big respite and good news for air passengers, the Ministry of Aviation has proposed a lock-in period of 24 hours from cancellation charges for flight tickets.

However, ticket booked 96 hours or 4 days before the flight will not be eligible for the cancellation fee waiver.

“No cancellation charges will be levied if the tickets are cancelled within 24 hours of booking, provided the ticket is booked 96 hours before flight departure,” said Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Aviation.

In the draft on passenger charters released today, the civil aviation ministry also said the cancellation fee can, in no condition, be more than the base fare.

Here are key points from the draft aviation charter:

• If a flight is delayed for more than four hours, the passenger will be offered a full refund.
• In case of flight being delayed till the next day, the airline has to offer free hotel accommodation to passengers.
• If passengers are informed about a cancelled flight less than 24 hours before take-off, they can get a full refund.
• A ticket booked 96 hours before a flight will not be eligible for the cancellation fee waiver.
• The airline has to compensate passengers for missed connecting flights.
• If a connecting flight is missed because the first flight was delayed for more than three hours, then the airline has to pay Rs 5,000. If the delay is four to 12 hours, the passenger can get Rs 10,000. For more, the airline is liable to pay Rs 20,000.
• If the flight is on the tarmac for more than an hour, passengers must be provided enough food and drinks at free of cost.
• If the time stretches beyond two hours, then the passengers must be allowed to exit the plane.
• If a passenger is denied boarding due to over-booking, the airline is liable to pay a minimum compensation of Rs 5,000, depending on the ticket price.
• The cancellation charges must be printed prominently on the ticket in a minimum font size of 12 and not as fine print. This information must also be provided as part of the reservation and ticket documentation.

Aviation secretary R N Choubey said the draft would likely be final within a period of one month.