‘No charge on cancellation of air tickets within 24 hours of booking’

In a major relief to the passengers, the charter also proposes that the airline or its agents, including online booking agents, cannot under any circumstance charge a cancellation fee higher than the price of the ticket.

One of the major proposals under the “Passenger Charter of Rights” is that cancellation of airline tickets within 24 hours of booking will not attract any charge, provided it is done more than four days before the date of departure. Unveiling the first-ever draft of the charter which defines passenger rights and compensation during air travel, Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu revealed a slew of passenger-friendly proposals on Tuesday.

In a major relief to air passengers, the charter also proposes that an airline or its agents, including online booking agents, cannot under any circumstance charge a cancellation fee higher than the price of the ticket. It specifies that the taxes and levies have to be refunded in full. And in case of flight delays which lead to onward flights being missed, passengers can be compensated by up to Rs 20,000 depending on the circumstances under which it is delayed.

On the issue of compensation amount in case of lost or damaged baggage, the proposal states that “minimum compensation for lost baggage is to be Rs 3000 per kg. For delayed and damaged baggage, minimum Rs 1000 per kg.”

Prabhu also said there would be no charges levied on correction of passenger name up to three characters within 24 hours of booking. The Aviation ministry further hopes to improve the flying experience of the passengers with its proposal to introduce free wi-fi service for at least 30 minutes across all airports in the country.