Archive · 7 Nov 2025
DGCA Proposes 48-Hour Free Ticket Cancellation Rule for Airlines
Imagine you buy a plane ticket, but then realize you made a mistake with the date or time, or found a cheaper ticket.
Right now, you usually only have 24 hours to change it for free if your flight is far away.
The people in charge of flying in India, called the DGCA, want to give you more time – 48 hours – to make these changes without paying extra fees.
This is like a special 'cooling off' period for your ticket.
They also want to make sure that airlines, not travel agents, are the ones who give you your money back if you cancel.
They think this will make flying fairer for everyone.
Airlines might have to do some extra work to manage this, but it could make travelers happier and trust airlines more.
It's like giving passengers a better safety net when booking their trips.
The DGCA proposes extending the free 'look-in' period for airline ticket cancellations and modifications from 24 to 48 hours.
This extended period allows passengers to correct details or cancel without penalty, provided the flight is not too close to the departure date.
Airlines will be directly responsible for processing refunds, even for tickets purchased through third-party agents or online portals.
The proposed rules mandate airlines to refund all statutory taxes and fees regardless of the fare type when tickets are cancelled.
While aiming to improve passenger convenience and trust, the changes could initially present operational and revenue forecasting challenges for airlines.
- Who
- Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
- What
- Proposing new customer-friendly rules for air ticket cancellations and refunds, including extending the free cancellation window to 48 hours.
- When
- Comments from the public and stakeholders are invited until November 30, before finalization.
- Where
- India
- Why
- To enhance passenger convenience, address growing complaints against airlines regarding refunds, and align with global passenger-friendly norms.
Passengers
Airlines
Cancellation Flexibility
Passengers
Passengers will benefit from an extended 48-hour window to cancel or modify tickets without extra charges, offering more flexibility for corrections or taking advantage of lower fares.
Airlines
Airlines may face increased volatility in early bookings and potential complications in inventory management and revenue forecasting due to the longer no-penalty cancellation period.
Refund Responsibility
Passengers
Airlines will be directly responsible for processing refunds, even for tickets bought through agents or online portals, eliminating the current confusion and redirection.
Airlines
Airlines will bear the primary responsibility for refunds, potentially increasing their immediate financial outflow and operational burden.
- Current Rule
- 24-hour free cancellation for tickets booked at least 7 days before departure.
- Proposed Rule
- 48-hour free cancellation for tickets booked at least 5 days before domestic departure, or 15 days for international.
- Name Correction
- Allowed within 24 hours of booking without charge, if booked directly with the airline.
- Credit Shells
- Must be at passenger's discretion, not a default airline practice.
- Refund Processing Time
- Proposed within 21 working days.
- International Norm
- Typically 24 hours of free cancellation (e.g., US, UAE, Canada).
- Tax & Fee Refunds
- Airlines must refund all statutory taxes and fees (UDF, ADF, PSF) on cancellation or non-utilization.