Flyers may soon get refund for involuntary downgrade of booked tickets

New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is set to amend the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR), which will allow a passenger to get full refund of ticket including taxes if the flyer’s ticket is downgraded involuntarily from his booked class of ticket. In addition, the particular airline will carry the air traveller free of cost in the next available class.
A senior DGCA official said that the amendment had been moved to protect the rights of air travellers affected by downgrading of tickets.
He said that in view of rapid expansion of air services within India and on international routes to/from India and with the increase in the volume of passenger traffic, it has been noticed that sometimes airlines downgrade passengers (tickets).
For example, when a passenger who has booked his ticket on first class, business class or premium economy, is downgraded to a lower class at the time of check-in due to various reasons like unserviceable seats, change of aircraft, overbooking, etc.
To cater to such situations, DGCA is in the process of amending its “Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) Section-3, Series M Part IV — facilities to be provided to passengers by airlines due to denied boarding, cancellation of flights and delays in flights,” to protect the rights of air travellers affected by the downgrading of their ticket.
The amendment will allow the passenger, who is downgraded involuntarily from his booked class of ticket, to receive the total value of ticket including taxes as refund from the airline and the airline will carry the passenger free of cost in the next available class. However, this proposal will go through stakeholders’ consultation and the final regulation shall be published and made applicable afterwards.