Recently, there have been scenarios in airports where flight delays happened due to intense fogging, and a shortage of aircraft flying, and crew members. The reasons for delays and cancellations were countless and most of the time were not communicated with the passengers. This led to huge discomfort among the passengers flying.
In November, 2.69 lakh passengers were compensated by airlines for delays, 40 thousand passengers were compensated for cancellations and 1231 were compensated for denied boarding.
To deal with situations like delayed flights, canceled flights, and overbooked flights, the regulator DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) has a specific CAR (Civil Aviation Regulation). Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has also instructed the DGCA to issue an SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) to airlines on “Better Communication and Facilitation of Passengers” affected by the cancellations and delays by the airlines.
In case of Overbooking / Denied Boarding due to Flight Delays
The airline must first request volunteers to give up their seats in exchange for any benefits at the airline’s discretion if it books more people on a flight than it can accommodate. The airline must, however, find a replacement flight within an hour of the original scheduled departure if the passenger refuses to board. If this is not possible, the airline must reimburse the passenger with 200% of the booked one-way fare plus the airline fuel surcharge, which is capped at INR 10,000 if the airline has scheduled a flight within 24 hours.
If an alternate flight is offered more than 24 hours after the original departure time, the penalty increases to 400% of the booked one-way cost plus airline fuel charge and stays capped at INR 20,000. Should the traveler choose not to use a different flight, the airline will have to reimburse the entire cost of the ticket together with an amount equal to 400% of the one-way basic fee including airline baggage, up to a maximum of INR 20,000. The reimbursement is limited to the first flight for the flight leg if this occurs on a connected flight.
In case of Cancellation
The airline must notify the customer of the cancellation at least two weeks before 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 before the planned departure time. From the standpoint of the passenger, this is easier said than done because last-minute rates are quite 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 INR 5000 or booked one-way basic fare, whichever is less, for flights with block times up to one hour, INR 7500 or booked one-way basic fare, whichever is less, for flights between one and two hours, and INR 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.
In case of Delay
The most frequent of all are flight delays, for which passengers typically expect the airline to provide meals or refreshments if the delay exceeds two hours for flights with a block time of no more than two and a half hours; a delay of more than three hours for flights with a block time of two and a half hours to five hours; and a delay of more than four hours for other flights. Passengers should be accommodated if there is a delay of more than twenty-four hours or more than six hours for flights departing between 2000 and 0300 hours.
There are several ways delayed flight scenarios might occur, and passengers’ entitlements vary depending on the circumstances. Travelers must confirm exact policies and timetables with their airline or travel agent, as they may differ based on the situation and the method of booking.
Also read: Infrastructure Development: Key to India’s Economic Growth and Future Prospects
