Passengers can either hold the ticket in credit for future use with the airline or get a refund

“We have been receiving complaints that refund of cancelled air tickets are not completed in a reasonable timeframe,” said Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, proposing that the process will have to be completed within 15 working days for domestic travel and 30 for international travel. It will be the airline’s responsibility to ensure the refund reaches the passenger on time even if the tickets are booked from travel portals.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), had observed in some cases that cancellation charges were often higher than the cost of the ticket due to various fees.

Also, passengers will have an option to either hold the ticket in credit for future use with the airline or get the refund amount from the airline or the travel portal.

Beginning June 15, passengers can carry five kilos of extra baggage over the free allowance of 15 kg on a flight, by paying upto a maximum of Rs. 100 a kg to the airline, as reported by The Hindu on Thursday. This baggage rule will, however, not be applicable on Air India flights as the airline allows 25 kg of free baggage. Private airlines presently charge passengers Rs. 250-Rs, 350 for each extra kg.

“When we are packing and carrying our luggage, we don’t know its exact weight and at times when we land at the airport, we find that we are carrying excess luggage beyond just two kilos or so,” Civil Aviation Secretary R.N. Choubey said.

In another proposal, passengers who report to the airport before the scheduled departure of a flight but are denied boarding by airlines will get 200 per cent of the price of the base fare and airline fuel charge component of the ticket up to a maximum compensation of Rs. 10,000 if the airline arranges for a flight within 24 hours of the scheduled departure.

If passengers are accommodated on alternative flights beyond 24 hours of the departure of the original flight, the compensation will be 400 per cent of the basic fare and airline fuel charge of a ticket, up to a maximum of Rs 20,000.

Airlines often overbook seats expecting a few cancellations or no-show passengers. “This is normal industrial practice all over the world. Nevertheless, it causes significant inconvenience to the passenger who is denied boarding,” Mr. Choubey said.

However, there will be no compensation if the passenger is accommodated on another flight within an hour of the original flight.

The compensation in case a flight is cancelled is proposed to go up to Rs. 5,000-Rs. 10,000 from Rs. 2,000-Rs. 4,000 currently.

The government has proposed that airports should provide a towable ramp for wheelchair passengers in case the airport does not have an ambulift or aerobridge. Also, airlines have been asked to develop procedures and prominently display the same on their websites for making advance requests for stretchers by differently-abled passengers.