Overview
- Airlines would offer a 48‑hour look‑in period after booking for penalty‑free cancellation or amendment, excluding tickets for flights departing within five days (domestic) or 15 days (international).
- Refund deadlines are fixed: seven days for credit‑card payments, immediate cash refunds at the point of sale, and completion within 21 working days for tickets bought via agents or portals, with airlines responsible.
- Statutory taxes and airport fees (UDF, ADF, PSF) must be returned even on promotional or non‑refundable fares, and cancellation charges must be disclosed and capped at the basic fare plus fuel surcharge.
- Airlines cannot default to credit shells, may offer them only with passenger consent, must not levy processing fees for refunds, and must allow free name corrections within 24 hours for direct website bookings.
- The draft, issued by DGCA chief Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, responds to sustained refund‑related complaints and would cover Indian carriers and foreign airlines operating to and from India pending finalization after consultation.