Do You Know How To Avail Refund On Cancellation While Flying To India?

January 3, 2018September 18, 2023 admin

Every single day, a number of flights get delayed or canceled. As a result, passengers need to face uncomfortable situations. Delays and cancellations are not in hand for the airlines, so to balance the situation; officials try to compensate the passengers by offering different stuff. This may include an upgrade to a higher class, free accommodation or cash prices and even more.

For passengers traveling to India, there are a number of rules regarding the compensation and refund procedure.

IN CASE, YOUR FLIGHT GETS CANCELED:

Flights Cancellation can frustrate any passenger. To minimize the discomfort for passengers, multiple airlines come with different offers.

Cancellation can be different types:

CASE – 1: If it is a scheduled cancellation and the airline informed its passengers two weeks prior to the date of the flight, then generally the airline contact the passengers and inform them for rebooking an alternate flight. In case, you don’t like the alternative, you have the right to ask for another flight or a full refund.
CASE – 2: The other case is when the cancellation happens less than 2 weeks but more than 24 hours before travel. In such situation, the airline can’t get away with a refund. They have to offer a flight to depart within 2 hours of your original scheduled time of departure.
CASE – 3: There is another case attached to the cancellation of flights which is quite a rare one. In this, the airline does not manage to inform you of a delay. As a result, the respective airline has to provide you with an alternate flight at no additional cost. In addition to that, you will also serve refreshment. If you don’t like the options provided, you can opt for the cancellation compensation and refund; details of which are shown under:





	S.No. CONDITIONS COMPENSATION




	1 If your flight duration is Up to 1 hour Rs 5,000 or one-way fare; whichever is low


	2 If your flight duration is 1 to 2 hours Rs 7,500 or one-way fare; whichever is low


	3 If your flight duration is 2 hours+ Rs 10,000 or one-way fare; whichever is low





IN CASE, YOUR FLIGHT GETS DELAYED:

S.No.	CONDITIONS	COMPENSATION
1	If your flight duration is Up to 1 hour	Rs 5,000 or one-way fare; whichever is low
2	If your flight duration is 1 to 2 hours	Rs 7,500 or one-way fare; whichever is low
3	If your flight duration is 2 hours+	Rs 10,000 or one-way fare; whichever is low

When it comes to delayed flights, these are not on the hand of the airline. The carriers fly at their normal time but due to some circumstances, they can’t able to reach their destination on time. Airlines can be a delay due to reasons like bad weather, complicated political situation, and other factors. In some instances, you don’t have rights, in other cases you do.

The advice for passengers in such a situation is that always put your phone number on the ticket so that the airline can contact you in case of a delay and keep you updated on the status of the flight.

Passengers can enjoy complimentary refreshments or meals in case of delays. It includes the following conditions:

S.No.	DURATION OF FLIGHT	CONDITIONS
1	Up to 2.5 hours	For refreshments, the delay must be more than 2 hours
2	Between 2.5 to 5 hours	For refreshments, the delay must be more than 3 hours
3	More than 5 hours	For refreshments, the delay must be more than 4 hours

Most of the airlines distribute snack boxes among passengers through announcements in case of delays.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS:

In case, the delay is of more than 24 hours: In such a condition, you are eligible to get a hotel room from the airline, along with the transfer service to and from the hotel. There are exceptions if the flight delayed due to factors like a natural disaster, war, floods, strikes, labor disputes, etc.

COMPENSATION FOR LOST, DELAYED & DAMAGED BAGS:

DELAYS OF BAGS: In general, the bags of the passengers arrive on the same flight in which they are flying (within the country). In case, the bags do not arrive, the airline will make all attempts bring it to you at the earliest.
DAMAGE TO BAGS: You need to file a Property Irregularity Report with the airline’s baggage desk at the airport in case your bag is damaged. You won’t get any kind of compensation in case of damage to bags from the airline but yes, if the damage is a lot, then it can offer to repair your bag. Plus, you can ask for a settlement from the airline if you don’t like the replacement offered. The value in such case will be determined by the age of the bag and the original cost.
LOST BAGS: In case, you don’t get the bag within 21 days from the airline, then it is taken under the category of lost bags. Then, you get paid as per the weight of bags checked in.

READ MORE: Air Travel Tips: How To Protect Your Baggage While Flying!

REFUND ON CANCELLATION OF TICKETS:

Gone are the days when you had to chase the airlines to receive your refund. Nowadays, you have all the right to claim your compensation in case of cancellation of your tickets or planned travel.

If you booked the ticket using a credit card: Your money has to be returned to you within a week after cancellation.

If you booked your ticket through a travel agent (including an online travel agent): It will take a period of around 30 days to process your refund.

OPTIONS FOR REFUND IN CASE OF CANCELLATION OF TICKETS:

It’s up to you whether you want a refund of tickets to your account or holds your money for future reservations. The airline would tempt you towards the latter but you can claim a cash refund from the airline immediately at their ticketing office. Getting aware of the refund policy of different airlines can help you in such a case.

In case, you canceled the tickets: The airline can’t impose a charge more than the basic fare and fuel surcharges on the passenger. So, the next time you miss a flight, you have all the right to get your money back by calling or emailing the airline or your travel agent.

COMPENSATION IN CASE OF GETTING BUMPED:

Bumping is a situation which no passenger wants to face. But usually, you will run into an overbooked flight.

BUMPING: It is a condition when airlines sell more than the number of seats available on a flight so that they don’t have empty seats left on the plane after last-minute changes by passengers. And it is totally legal to overbook a flight. So if you get bumped from a flight, do know tips regarding bumping.

What if there are fewer seats and more passengers available?

Well! In such a case, the airline starts seeking volunteers i.e. passengers who want to give their seats to others. In return, these volunteers could claim for an upgrade, extra miles or cash from the airline.

What if no volunteer come forward?

In case, no passenger comes forward to give up his seat, the airline is forced to deny boarding to some extra passengers. And the airline also organizes a seat for you on a flight that is scheduled to depart within one hour of your original flight.

The airline has to get you to your destination and sometimes, it is liable to pay you up to Rs 20,000 as compensation. Passengers can be paid in cash via bank transfer or via future travel vouchers on the airline.

Following are the details regarding that:

S.No.	CONDITIONS	COMPENSATION
1	New flight within 24 hours of original departure time	200% of base fare & Rs 10,000 fuel surcharge
2	New flight beyond 24 hours of original time of departure	400% of base fare & Rs 20,000 fuel surcharge
3	Choose not to fly on alternate options	400% of base fare & Rs 20,000 fuel surcharge + full refund of ticket cost

Maybe the airlines want to make you believe it is your fault that you cut it too close. To avoid that, make ensure that you have completed the check-in formalities and collect a completed denied boarding form before you leave the gate.

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