In a move that will widely benefit air travellers in the country, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Thursday introduced a 48-hour ‘look-in period’ during which tickets can be cancelled or changed without any additional fees.
Revising its Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) as regards airline ticket refunds, the aviation regulator said passengers will now be permitted to cancel or amend their bookings without paying any extra charges for the above mentioned period if the tickets were booked through the airline’s website or app.
In case a passenger is changing the ticket to another flight, he/she will be required to pay the difference in fare, if any.
The DGCA said in a notification that this facility will be available only if tickets are booked at least seven days in advance of the date of departure for domestic flights. In case of international flights, tickets must have been booked 15 days in advance to avail of the facility.
After the expiry of the 48 hours, the DGCA said, normal cancellation charges or change fee will apply.
These revised rules will come into effect from March 26, 2026.
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The DGCA has also issued clear guidelines on name corrections and refund timelines.
In case of an error in name, the same passenger can get the correction done without any charges within 24 hours of booking. In this case as well, the ticket must have been booked from the airline’s own platform.
As regards air ticket refunds, the DGCA said the responsibility for issuing refunds will rest with the airlines in cases where tickets were booked through travel agents or online portals, as agents act as their representatives.
Airlines need to complete the refund process within 14 working days in such cases.
Refunds for credit card transactions must be processed within seven days, while tickets booked at the airline’s office using cash should be refunded immediately at the same location.
Further, the airlines have been mandated to refund all statutory taxes and passenger-related charges in case of cancellations or no-shows, even if the base fare is non-refundable.