Flier-friendly norms to start in from August 1

The flier-friendly norms that caps the cancellation charges of air tickets and bars airlines from levying surcharges for processing refund requests will kick in from August 1.

Also, airlines will have to display cancellation charges "clearly" on every ticket besides "prominently displaying" it on the website of the airline.

Announcing that the new cancellation regulations for fare refund will come into effect from August 1, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju tweeted, "Cancellation amount not to exceed



basic fare plus fuel surcharge, all statutory levies and taxes to be refunded under all circumstances."

The process of refund will have to be completed within 30 days even when booked through travel agents or online portals, according to the new norms.

In another good news, no charges can now be levied by airlines for corrections in errors of names of the passengers. Several fliers had to shell out money to make corrections on the tickets after they make inadvertent errors while booking the ticket.