Now, Airlines To Compensate You For Delays, Cancellations

It’s now the turn for airlines to fasten seat belts. From Thursday, fliers can claim compensation for flight delays, denial of boarding or flight cancellations, according to guidelines formulated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The draft policy proposes a compensation of Rs 2,000 - 4,000 if a flight is delayed for more than two hours, but only if the airline is directly responsible for the delay. If the journey is delayed by more than 24 hours, the airline will have to compulsorily provide food and accommodation to passengers. “It will be on the DGCA website on Thursday,” said Mau-shumi Chakravarthy, civil aviation ministry spokesperson. Until now there was no rule to protect stranded fliers. Their only option was to approach a consumer court, often a time consuming exercise. The draft also protects the rights of travelers denied boarding during peak seasons owing to airlines overbooking flights. “Airlines will have to pay compensation in addition to a full refund,” reads the draft. Passengers are not entirely happy. “A workers’ strike can’t be equated with a natural calamity or emergency. Also, why allow airlines to get away for delays of less than two hours?” asked Sudhakar Reddy, president, Air Passenger Association of India.

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The above article was extracted from Skyline updates of Skyline College. Skyline College is amongst the top MBA and BBA institutes in Delhi, Gurgaon (NCR).