DGCA to lay down rules on airfares, refunds
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The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will shortly lay down guidelines on fares and refund timelines and ban charges on certain services such as providing wheelchairs. The new rules will be implemented after being approved by the aviation ministry. Airlines will be asked to be more transparent in their fare structures, where carriers will need to explicitly mention all the components in their fares, including fuel surcharges, airport taxes, service taxes and insurance.
“The intention is to check airfare prices from going up extraordinarily in these difficult times,” Bharat Bhushan, Director General of Civil Aviation was reported saying by livemint.com.
The rules will also ban the airlines from charging for wheelchairs, seat assignments and assisting unaccompanied minors. In addition, the new rules will require airfares to be commensurate with distances. For example, if a Delhi-Dehradun flight ticket is available for INR3,000, a Delhi-Kullu flight of an equal distance cannot be charged at INR15,000. The DGCA will also mandate under the new rules that airlines ensure refunds to passengers are released within one week in cash or by transfer. Currently, some airlines do not provide refunds and instead ask passengers to offset the money in a future flight within one year.
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