New ticket downgrade norms could make airlines give seats for free, DGCA is in the process of amending rules

Airlines may be required to fly a passenger for free and refund the full value of the ticket in the event of an involuntary downgrade in the booked class of ticket. Involuntary downgrade is when a passenger who has booked a first class, business class or premium economy ticket is downgraded to a lower class at the time of check-in.

India currently does not have rules for such downgrades, whereas in western markets passengers are entitled to refunds. The current deliberations by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) could be the most consumer friendly in the world.

The aviation regulator said on Friday it is in the process of amending rules to compensate flyers who were denied their right to travel the class of their choice.

Involuntary downgrades happen because of unserviceable seats, change of aircraft and overbooking. Existing DGCA rules look only into cases of boarding denied and cancellation of



flights.

“The amendment will allow the passenger, who is downgraded involuntarily from his booked class of ticket, to receive the full value of ticket including taxes as refund from the airline and the airline will carry the passenger free of cost in the next available class,” DGCA said in a statement.

The proposal, however, has to go through stakeholder consultation and the final regulation shall be published and made applicable afterwards.

In May, the regulator had warned airlines against offering unserviceable seats to passengers on domestic and international flights. Earlier in the year, it had conducted an audit of seats and other cabin fittings in aircraft and found that many had broken or unserviceable seats.

US carriers like Delta and United Airlines only refund the difference in fare of the travelling class. Law in the UK requires airlines to refund 30-75% of the ticket cost. The same law was adopted by German giant Lufthansa.