REGULATORY · INDIA
India aviation regulator adds 48-hour penalty-free booking change/cancel window
Change
India’s DGCA revised ticket refund rules to add a 48-hour penalty-free “look-in” window for cancellations/changes (and 24-hour free name correction), effective March 26, with eligibility limited to direct airline website bookings and minimum lead times before departure.
Why it matters
DGCA’s updated Civil Aviation Requirements (issued Feb 24) create a 48-hour post-booking period during which passengers can cancel or amend without charges, but only for tickets bought on an airline’s own website and only if departure is at least 7 days away (domestic) or 15 days away (international). Airlines also cannot charge for correcting a passenger name if the error is reported within 24 hours of booking, again limited to direct website purchases. For bookings made via travel agents/third-party portals, DGCA places refund accountability on the airline rather than the intermediary. The rules specify refund completion within 14 working days and credit-card refunds within 7 days, setting clearer timing constraints for airline refund operations and dispute handling.
Implications
- • Direct-channel ticketing must support 48h free change/cancel flows from Mar 26
- • Free name-correction within 24h becomes a binding constraint for direct web sales
- • Airlines retain refund liability even when tickets are sold via agents/OTAs
- • Refund processing timelines (14 working days; 7 days for cards) tighten exposure
Who is affected
- • Airlines operating/selling tickets in India (especially direct web channels)
- • Airline customer service, ticketing, and refund operations teams
- • Online travel agencies and travel agents (intermediary role in refunds)
- • Passengers booking directly on airline websites (domestic and international)
Source
Topics
World & Politics Policy & Regulation Law & Public Safety Regulatory Actions Compliance