Many of us must have heard of or even witnessed hours of flight delays, whether domestic or international. No matter what the reason--a shortage of crew, planes, technical glitches or bad weather--it is a frustrating experience as a passenger, right? But that is exactly where you, as a passenger, must be aware of the compensation you are entitled to receive in case of flight delays, cancellations etc.
The civil aviation regulator DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) has a specific CAR (Civil Aviation Regulation) to deal with cases of delayed flights, cancelled flights and overbooking. The obligation of compliance rests with the airline which performs or intends to operate the flight.
As per DGCA,?if the delay is less than 24 hours, you as a passenger are entitled to meals & refreshments at the?airport. If the delay is more than 24 hours, you are entitled to hotel accommodation with transfers. But the condition is that the airline has no obligation to compensate if the delay is caused due to extraordinary circumstances.??
Also, as per the Ministry of Aviation,?airlines also need to compensate passengers for missing connecting flights: If a delay is more than three hours: Rs 5,000; if the delay is between four and 12 hours: Rs 10,000; if the delay is more than 12 hours: Rs 20,000. Moreover, amid the flight delay, if the passenger's?baggage is lost, delayed, or damaged the minimum compensation will be as follows: Rs. 3,000 per kg for loss of baggage, Rs 1,000 per kg for delay and Rs 1,000 per kg for damage of baggage.
When an airline books more people than it can accommodate on a flight, it is required to first request volunteers to give up their seats in exchange for any benefits the airline deems appropriate. If the passenger refuses to board, the airline must find a replacement flight within one hour of the original scheduled departure. If this is not possible, the airline must reimburse the passenger with 200% of the booked one-way fare plus the airline fuel charge, which is capped at Rs? 10,000 if a flight is scheduled within the next 24 hours.
The penalty increases to 400% of the booked one-way fare plus airline fuel charge and remains capped at Rs 20,000 if the alternate flight on offer is more than 24 hours after the original departure time, as per HT report. Should the traveller choose not to use a different flight, the airline will have to reimburse the entire cost of the ticket along with an amount equal to 400% of the one-way basic fare plus airline baggage, up to a maximum of Rs 20,000. The compensation is limited to the first flight for the flight leg if this occurs on a connecting flight.
Also Read:?Explained: How Do Airlines Calculate Your?Flight?Cost?
The airline must notify the customer of the cancellation at least two weeks prior to the scheduled departure date, make arrangements for a replacement flight, or provide a refund, according to the regulations. The airline is required to provide a substitute flight or refund the ticket if it announces a cancellation between two weeks and up to 24 hours prior to the planned departure time. From the standpoint of the passenger, this is easier said than done because last-minute fares are very expensive and make travel challenging for the scheduled passenger.
The airline is required to offer an alternative flight or compensation if the passengers are not notified or miss the connecting flight using the same ticket number. This compensation can include a full refund and Rs 5000 or booked one-way basic fare, whichever is less, for flights with block times up to one hour, Rs 7,500 or booked one-way basic fare, whichever is less, for flights between one and two hours, and Rs 10,000 or booked one-way basic fare, whichever is less, for flights longer than two hours.?Airlines are required to offer lodging, meals, and refreshments, as well as any necessary hotel transfers.
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