DRMumbai: According to reports, one of the major proposals under the ‘Passenger Charter of Rights’ is that cancellation of flight tickets within 24 hours of booking will not attract any charge, provided it is done four days before the date of departure.
Unveiling the first-ever draft of the charter, which defines passenger rights and compensation during air travel, Suresh Prabhu, Union Civil Aviation Minister, revealed a slew of passenger-friendly proposals.
In a major relief to air passengers, the charter also proposes that an airline or its agents, including online booking agents, cannot under any circumstance charge a cancellation fee higher than the price of the flight ticket.
It specifies that the taxes and levies have to be refunded in full. And in case of flight delays which lead to onward flights being missed, passengers can be compensated by up to Rs. 20,000 depending on the circumstances under which it is delayed.
On the issue of compensation amount in case of loss or damage of baggage, the proposal states that “minimum compensation for lost baggage is to be Rs.3000 per kg. For delayed and damaged baggage, the minimum compensation has been pegged at Rs. 1000 per kg.”
Prabhu also said there would be no charges levied on correction of passenger name up to three characters within 24 hours of booking.
The Aviation Ministry further hopes to improve the flying experience of the passengers with its proposal to introduce free Wi-Fi service for at least 30 minutes across all airports in the country.
