Airlines told to refund fare for bookings

It’s a mixed bag for flyers. Airlines will now have to refund full flight ticket costs, without charging cancellation fee, to passengers who booked tickets during the lockdown period between March 25 and April 14 for travel between April 15 and May 3. However, the passengers who booked tickets before March 25, for travel between April 15 and May 3, will not be eligible for full refund.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Thursday issued an advisory directing all airlines to refund airfares to passengers who booked tickets during the lockdown for flights cancelled during this period.

In a notification issued on Thursday, the Ministry said,”If a passenger has booked a ticket during the first lockdown period, and the airline has received the payment for booking of air ticket during first lockdown period for travel during the second lockdown period, for both domestic and international air travel,