Air passengers in India will now get a wider window to change their minds after booking tickets. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has updated its rules regarding the refund of airline tickets, which will enable passengers to cancel or modify their tickets within 48 hours without incurring any extra cost, provided certain conditions are met. Here’s the official document.
The new rules, which came into effect on February 24, are part of the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) regarding “Refund of Airline Tickets to Passengers of Public Transport Undertakings.”
What is the new 48-hour ‘Look-in option’?
Under the revised norms, airlines must provide a 48-hour “Look-in option” after ticket booking. During this time, passengers are free to cancel or change their tickets without any extra cost.
However, there are certain conditions attached to this advantage:
This service is only available if the ticket is purchased directly from the airline’s website.
This service will not be available for flights that depart within seven days (for domestic flights) or 15 days (for international flights) from the date of booking.
If the passenger wishes to change their ticket, they will still have to pay the difference in fare if the new flight is more expensive.
After the 48-hour window closes, standard cancellation or amendment charges will apply.
No extra charge for name correction within 24 hours
In another significant move, the regulator has clarified that airlines must not levy any additional charge for correcting the name of the same passenger if the error is pointed out within 24 hours of booking, provided the ticket was booked directly via the airline’s website.
This addresses a common grievance where minor spelling errors often resulted in hefty correction fees.
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Refund responsibility lies with airlines
The DGCA has also made it clear that in cases where tickets are booked through travel agents or online portals, the responsibility for issuing refunds rests with the airline.
“In case of purchase of ticket through travel agent/portal, onus of refund shall lie with the airlines as agents are their appointed representatives. The airlines shall ensure that the refund process is completed within 14 working days,” the regulator said.
This provision aims to reduce delays where passengers are caught between airlines and intermediaries during refund disputes.
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Medical emergency provisions updated
The revised CAR also introduces clarity regarding ticket cancellations due to medical emergencies.
If a passenger or a family member listed on the same Passenger Name Record (PNR) is hospitalised during the travel period, airlines may offer either a refund or a credit shell.
For other medical situations, refunds will be processed after an assessment of the passenger’s fitness-to-travel certificate by the airline’s Aerospace Medicine specialist or a DGCA-empanelled specialist.
The amendments are set against the growing number of passenger complaints regarding refunds.
Refund complaints also featured in the disruptions in December 2025 flights operated by IndiGo, where the civil aviation ministry asked the airline to finish the pending refunds within a certain timeframe.
India remains one of the world’s fastest-growing civil aviation markets. Domestic airlines carried over 1.43 crore passengers in December 2025 alone, and more than 16.69 crore passengers during the year, according to DGCA data.
