India's DGCA mandates 60% of flight seats be offered free
Change
India's DGCA mandated that airlines offer at least 60% of seats on each flight without additional charge and require clear online display of seat-selection and optional-service fees, effective April 20.
Why it matters
Airlines must change seat-inventory and booking logic to ensure a majority of seats are available without selection fees, restricting how many seats can be sold as paid extras. They must also publish all optional-service charges and liability terms on booking interfaces and, where practicable, seat passengers on the same Passenger Name Record (PNR) in close proximity to one another.
Implications
- • Airlines' revenue management teams must reconfigure seat inventory and fare rules to guarantee at least 60% of seats per flight are selectable without charge by the effective date — failure to do so will breach the DGCA circular.
- • Airlines' IT and distribution teams must update airline websites and third-party booking channels to display free-seat availability and all optional-service charges and liability conditions — failing to update interfaces will leave bookings non-compliant with regulator requirements.
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