Flight delayed or cancelled? What to know about your rights and how to get a full refund Explained

It has been a week of cancellations and delays for travelers across the country as flight movement has been severely affected due to ‘very dense’ to ‘dense fog’. Nearly 500 flights were delayed while 10 were canceled at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Sunday.

Visibility at Delhi airport stood at zero meters from 12:30 am to 10:30 am on Sunday and was below 200 meters by 11:30 am, the worst spell of fog this season.

Fog conditions remained the same across the country and major delays were reported at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport. On Sunday, 53 flights were delayed while eight were cancelled, leaving Bengaluru passengers angry.

The delay also led to minor clashes and demands for legal action against the airliner. A passenger on board an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Goa assaulted the pilot while he was making an announcement regarding the delay.

Another passenger spoke on Passenger Kaushal Kumbhat threatened to sue IndiGo for “gross negligence, mental harassment and indifference” after his son’s flight was delayed for several hours before it was cancelled.

But what rights do passengers have in the event of a delay or cancellation? Airline regulator DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) has a specific CAR (Civil Aviation Regulation) to deal with cases of delayed flights, canceled flights and overbooking.

flight delay

There is a provision to provide refreshments or food to passengers in case of flight delay. However, delays will be considered applicable on the basis of block time (duration of flight). The criteria are:

– If a flight with a block time of up to two and a half hours is delayed by more than two hours.

– If a flight with a block time between 2.5-5 hours is delayed by more than three hours.

– If a flight is delayed by more than four hours.

If the delay is six hours or more, the airliner must notify the rescheduled time 24 hours before the departure time. Passengers can also seek an alternative flight or a full refund of the ticket.

If the flight is delayed by more than 24 hours, accommodation must be provided to the passengers. The same will apply if flights departing between 8:00 pm and 3:00 am are delayed by more than six hours.

Air India recently launched the “Fog Care” initiative, which allows affected passengers to reschedule or cancel their flights without any additional charges.

However, when the delay is due to air traffic control (ATC), security, natural disasters, political issues, etc., airlines are exempted from paying any compensation. While other provisions are well defined, parameters like ATC may not be well defined.

Cancelled

In case of cancellation, DGCA guidelines say the airline must inform the passenger at least two weeks before the date of travel and make arrangements for an alternative flight or refund the money to the passenger.

If the cancellation is announced between two weeks and up to 24 hours before the scheduled time, the airline is obliged to offer an alternative flight or refund the ticket.

If passengers are not informed or miss a connecting flight on the same ticket number (PNR), the airline must provide an alternative flight or compensation which includes:

– Full refund for flights with block time up to one hour plus Rs 5,000 or the basic one-way fare booked, whichever is lower

– Full refund plus Rs 7,500 or basic one-way fare booked for flights between one and two hours, whichever is lower.

– Full refund for flights of more than two hours plus Rs 10,000 or the basic one-way fare booked, whichever is lower.

In case of alternative flights, airlines must provide meals and refreshments and hotel accommodation, including transfers as required.

Travel insurance, check flight policy

In some cases, passengers affected by fog-related disruptions may be eligible to be rebooked on the next available flight at no additional charge. They may also be offered a refund for the affected travel.

It is always advisable to check your travel insurance policy, as it may provide coverage for certain expenses incurred due to flight delay or cancellation.

How to cancel a flight and claim a full refund

Here’s how to cancel your flight ticket.

– Visit your airline’s website and go to the ‘Manage Booking’ section.

-Enter the PNR or Booking Reference Number, which is available on the ticket or on your booking receipt on your mail, and enter the last name of the passenger whose booking is to be cancelled.

– Select Modify/Cancel option and proceed accordingly. It is advisable to read the cancellation terms and conditions.

A passenger can claim compensation in case of cancellation and delay by taking up the matter with the nodal officer of the concerned airline. However, passengers must claim a refund if denied boarding within one month of the incident.

While filing their claim, customers need to upload all the necessary documents required by the airline to complete the process. These include your contact details, the number of the credit card used for the purchase, ticket number, flight number, date of travel and billing address.

If the passenger feels that his complaint has not been resolved, there is a provision for online reporting and tracking of complaints related to airports, flights and other matters related to air travel on the Airseva portal of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.