According to a proposal from the aviation authority, domestic and international airlines may soon be compelled to refund the whole ticket price and offer free travel for any passenger they downgrade from business or premium economy to economy class.
The idea is being made at a time when there have been several complaints about airlines like Air India downgrading travellers to a lower class than the one they bought due to problems like unserviceable seats.
Before changing a provision of its Civil Aviation Requirement that lays out compensation rules for passengers refused boarding or who experience aircraft delays and cancellations, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will solicit feedback from stakeholders on its proposal.
Strict standards
Given that the DGCA’s guideline is much stricter than accepted international standards, airlines are likely to be against it.
For instance, according to the Department of Transportation’s website, a traveller in the United States is only entitled to a reimbursement for the cost of the two classes.
In the U.K., according to its Civil Aviation Authority, a passenger is only entitled to reimbursement of a percentage of the ticket price for the flight on which they are downgraded. If a flight is up to 1,500 km long, a passenger can get 30% of the flight price, if it is between 1,500-3,500 km long it is 50% of the flight price, and when it is more than 3,500 km the refund amount is 75% of the flight price.