No Charges on Air Ticket Cancellation Within 48 Hours of Booking; Faster Refunds - DGCA Proposes New Ticketing and Refund Norms

Free Cancellation Within 48 Hours

Under the proposed Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR), airlines must provide a “Look-in option” giving passengers a 48-hour window to cancel or amend bookings without any extra charges. The only applicable cost would be the difference in fare for a revised flight, if any.

This benefit, however, won’t apply if the scheduled flight departs within five days for domestic journeys or within fifteen days for international ones. After 48 hours, normal cancellation or amendment fees will apply.

No Extra Charge for Name Corrections

In a relief for those making spelling mistakes during booking, passengers can correct name errors within 24 hours without paying any additional fee. The DGCA draft clearly states that airlines cannot levy extra charges if the correction is for the same person and made within 24 hours of booking on the airline’s official website.

Faster Refunds for Passengers

The DGCA has also tightened refund timelines to make the process faster and more transparent:

Credit card payments: Refunds must be processed within seven days.
Cash payments: Refunds must be provided immediately at the airline’s office.
Bookings via travel agents: Airlines will be responsible for ensuring refunds through agents within 21 working days.

Additionally, passengers cancelling tickets due to medical emergencies will be eligible for a full refund or a credit shell for future travel.

The DGCA has invited comments from airlines, agents, and the public on these draft rules until November 30. If implemented, these changes will make air travel in India more passenger-friendly and transparent.