Booked the wrong flight? You can cancel or change it for free

“You can cancel or amend the ticket without any additional charges, within 24 hours of booking. This facility is available up to seven days prior to the specified flight departure on the first leg,” says the ministry of aviation’s Passenger Charter of Rights.

For instance, if you book a flight on 14 July at 9am but have a change of plan the next morning, then there is no charge for cancellation or rescheduling it if the flight is at least seven days away, said Ajay Awtaney, an aviation expert and founder ofLiveFromALounge.com, a popular blog.

Some airlines may not automatically offer a full refund when cancellations are made online on their website, mobile application, or through the online travel agent (OTA) website. If cancelling online shows a refund amount that includes cancellation fees, experts say you should contact the airline’s customer service to cancel the ticket.

Cancellation by airlines

The charter says airlines must inform the passenger at least two weeks before the scheduled departure and arrange an alternative flight or refund the ticket according to the passenger’s choice. Even if the flight is cancelled less than two weeks before, but up to 24 hours before the scheduled departure, then the airline must issue a full refund or arrange an alternative flight to depart, according to the passenger’s discretion.

If the airline did not inform you, and you have missed the connecting flight booked on the same ticket number, you have the right to ask the airline to provide an alternative flight or a full refund, along with compensation. For flights that have a block hour of up to one hour, a compensation of ₹5,000, or a booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel charge, whichever is less, is applicable.

A block hour refers to the time an aircraft takes from the moment it leaves the gate at the departure airport to the moment it arrives at the gate of the destination airport.

If the flight has a block time of more than one hour and up to two hours, compensation of ₹7,500 or the booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel charge, whichever is less, is applicable. If the block time is greater than two hours, a compensation of ₹10,000 or basic fare plus fuel charge, whichever is lower, is applicable.

On top of that, if you have already reported for the flight, the airline must provide refreshments and free meals, in relation to the waiting time. The catch is that you must provide valid contact details at the time of booking, or else compensation will not be provided.

If the airline offers a flight to/from an airport or terminal other than the one for which you had booked, the airline shall bear the cost of transferring you to/from that alternative airport or terminal/to the one for which you booked. However, if you have been informed of the last change at least six hours in advance, the passenger shall be responsible for making their own arrangements.

Ashish Karundia, a Delhi-based chartered accountant, explained that when a customer cancels a ticket, it is considered a return of services. In such cases, the seller, whether an airline or a travel agent, can adjust the GST already paid against their output GST liability. Therefore, the seller is required to refund the entire amount, including the GST, without making any deductions for taxes.

Entry denied due to overbooking

Sometimes, an airline might have accepted more bookings than the number of seats available. If all passengers arrive on time, a case of overbooking can arise. In such cases, an airline must ask volunteers to give up their seats to make room for other passengers who have booked the flight, provided the airline gives the volunteers a benefit according to the airline’s discretion.

If the airline offers an alternative flight scheduled to depart within one hour of the original scheduled departure, the passenger cannot hold the airline liable for any compensation. If the airline fails to arrange a flight within one hour but arranges within 24 hours of the scheduled departure, compensation equal to or 200% of the booked one-way basic fare plus fuel charge with a cap of ₹10,000 is applicable.

If the alternative flight is more than 24 hours after the original flight, compensation equal to 400% of the booked one-way basic fare plus fuel, with a cap of ₹20,000, is to be given. If a passenger does not opt for an alternative flight, 400% of the booked one-way fare plus airline fuel charge, subject to a maximum of ₹20,000, is applicable, according to the aviation ministry’s charter.

Delayed flights

If your flight is delayed, you are entitled to certain perks from the airline. The airline must offer free meals and refreshments in relation to the waiting time. This applies when there is a two-hour delay of a flight with up to 2.5 hours block time, three hours or more if the flight has more than 2.5 hours block time and up to five hours, and four hours or more if the block time is above five hours.

If the domestic flight is delayed for more than six hours, the airline should communicate a rescheduled time 24 hours before the scheduled departure. The airline shall also offer the option of either an alternative flight within six hours or a full refund of the ticket.

Free hotel accommodation needs to be provided if the communicated flight timings, one day prior to the original flight timing, are delayed by more than 24 hours. If the delay is more than six hours for a flight scheduled to depart between 20:00 (8pm) and 3am, a free hotel accommodation has to be provided.