NEW DELHI: If an airline involuntarily downgrades a passenger who bought a business, first or premium economy ticket, to a lower cabin class at the time of check-in, they could be required to refund the entire premium fare paid and fly the person free of cost. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday said it is soon going to issue rules to protect consumer rights in this instance after after holding stakeholder consultation. These upcoming rules will apply to all airlines that operate to and from India, said DGCA chief Arun Kumar.
“In view of rapid expansion of air services within India and on international routes to/from India and with the increase in the volume of passenger traffic, it has been noticed that sometimes airlines downgrade passengers. For example a passenger who has booked his/her ticket on first class, business class or premium economy but is downgraded to a lower class at the time of check-in due to various reasons like unserviceable seats, change of aircraft, or overbooking,” Kumar said.
