Business Standard

FLIGHT REPORT

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inform passengers two weeks in advance, and it also needs to either refund the tickets or offer an alternativ­e flight. In case the passengers are informed of the cancellati­on less than two weeks, but before 24 hours, of the scheduled departure, the airline needs to offer an alternate flight allowing them to depart within two hours of their booked scheduled time of departure. If the airline fails to do so, passengers can get a compensati­on of up to ~10,000 depending on the difference of time between the original flight and the alternativ­e one.

When it comes to delays, there are no compensati­ons for passengers, but the operator needs to provide meals and refreshmen­ts to passengers. If the delay is over 24 hours, then the airline also needs to give accommodat­ion to fliers. To make the best use of their capacity, airlines have also started taking more bookings on a flight than the number of seats available. In case of cancellati­ons, the extra passengers can be accommodat­ed. But there are times when all the passengers turn up, and a few cannot be accommodat­ed.

In such circumstan­ces, according to DGCA norms, the airline should January February March April May 2,598 2,988 1,313 2,702 2,627 first ask for volunteers to give up their seats in exchange for benefits which the airline decides. If a passenger is denied boarding against his will, then he receives compensati­on but you need to hold a confirmed ticket and should be at the airport at the specified time for it. Depending on when the time between the original flight and alternativ­e one, and whether a passenger flies or opts for a refund, fliers can get compensati­on of up to ~20,000.

The refund process is straightfo­rward. The operator can either pay you by cash or do a bank transfer. Only if a customer agrees, airlines can give out travel vouchers. For refunds, if the airline staff is not cooperativ­e, you can approach the nodal officer of the airline. Alternativ­ely, you can approach the DGCA or file a complaint at the government’s AirSewa portal (airsewa.gov.in).

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