{"id":1194,"date":"2026-02-04T18:19:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T12:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advmriduljindal.com\/blog\/?p=1194"},"modified":"2026-11-01T19:20:43","modified_gmt":"2026-11-01T13:50:43","slug":"flight-cancelled-delayed-refund-compensation-dgca","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advmriduljindal.com\/blog\/flight-cancelled-delayed-refund-compensation-dgca\/","title":{"rendered":"Flight Cancelled, Delayed or Overbooked? Your Refund and Compensation Rights"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group tldr-box has-background\" style=\"border-left-color:#b8860b;border-left-width:4px;background-color:#fdf8ec;padding-top:16px;padding-right:20px;padding-bottom:16px;padding-left:20px\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Quick answer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Passenger rights for domestic airlines are set by the DGCA&#8217;s <strong>Civil Aviation Requirements, Section 3, Series M, Part IV<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n<li>If an airline cancels without telling you at least two weeks in advance and cannot offer an alternative close to your original time, you get a refund or alternate flight <strong>plus compensation of \u20b95,000 to \u20b910,000<\/strong> depending on flight duration, unless the cause was beyond its control.<\/li>\n\n<li>If you are denied boarding despite a confirmed ticket, compensation is up to <strong>\u20b910,000<\/strong> (alternate flight within 24 hours) or <strong>\u20b920,000<\/strong> (later), unless you volunteered.<\/li>\n\n<li>Complain to the airline&#8217;s nodal officer, then on <strong>AirSewa<\/strong>, and if unresolved, before the consumer commission.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cancellations, long delays and overbooking leave passengers stranded and out of pocket. The rules give you defined rights, but airlines rarely volunteer them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are my rights if the flight is cancelled?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Informed at least <strong>two weeks<\/strong> before: alternate flight or full refund.<\/li>\n\n<li>Informed between two weeks and 24 hours before: an alternate flight departing within about two hours of the original time, or a full refund.<\/li>\n\n<li>Informed less than 24 hours before, or at the airport, with no suitable alternate: full refund, plus compensation of <strong>\u20b95,000<\/strong> (block time up to one hour), <strong>\u20b97,500<\/strong> (one to two hours) or <strong>\u20b910,000<\/strong> (more than two hours), or the one-way basic fare plus fuel charge, whichever is lower.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No compensation is payable if the cancellation is due to &#8220;extraordinary circumstances&#8221; beyond the airline&#8217;s control, such as severe weather, political instability or security risks. Routine technical problems are generally not treated as extraordinary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What if the flight is delayed?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Meals and refreshments, depending on how long the delay is and the flight&#8217;s duration<\/li>\n\n<li>For a delay of more than six hours (informed less than 24 hours in advance): the option of an alternate flight or a full refund<\/li>\n\n<li>For long delays at night, hotel accommodation and transfers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What if I am denied boarding?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you have a confirmed ticket and reported on time but are denied boarding because of overbooking, the airline must first ask for volunteers. If you are involuntarily denied boarding, you are entitled to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>No compensation if an alternate flight departs within one hour<\/li>\n\n<li>200% of the one-way basic fare plus fuel charge, up to \u20b910,000, if the alternate departs within 24 hours<\/li>\n\n<li>400%, up to \u20b920,000, if the alternate departs after 24 hours<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How fast must refunds be made?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Refunds for card payments should be processed within <strong>7 days<\/strong>, cash payments immediately, and bookings through travel agents or online portals within <strong>30 days<\/strong>. Airport taxes and user fees are refundable even on non-refundable fares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What about lost or damaged baggage?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Report it at the airport and get a Property Irregularity Report before leaving. Domestic liability is limited under the Carriage by Air Act, 1972, and international liability under the Montreal Convention, unless you declared a higher value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do I complain?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Write to the airline&#8217;s nodal officer with your PNR, boarding pass and receipts.<\/li>\n\n<li>If there is no satisfactory reply, file a complaint on the <strong>AirSewa<\/strong> portal of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.<\/li>\n\n<li>File a consumer complaint for deficiency in service on e-Jagriti. Consumer commissions often award compensation for harassment beyond the DGCA amounts. Read <a href=\"https:\/\/advmriduljindal.com\/blog\/consumer-complaint-online-e-jagriti-guide\/\">how to file on e-Jagriti<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Need help?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speak to our <a href=\"https:\/\/advmriduljindal.com\/consumer-court-lawyer-noida.php\">consumer court lawyer in Noida<\/a>, see our <a href=\"https:\/\/advmriduljindal.com\/civil.php\">civil law practice<\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/advmriduljindal.com\/contact.php\">contact us<\/a>. Also read about <a href=\"https:\/\/advmriduljindal.com\/blog\/insurance-claim-rejected-remedies-india\/\">insurance claim rejections<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do I get compensation if my flight is cancelled due to bad weather?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Usually not cash compensation, because severe weather is an extraordinary circumstance. You are still entitled to a refund or an alternate flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How much compensation is payable for denied boarding?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Up to \u20b910,000 if the alternate flight departs within 24 hours, and up to \u20b920,000 if it departs later, unless you volunteered to give up your seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How long does an airline have to refund my ticket?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Seven days for card payments, immediately for cash, and up to 30 days for bookings made through agents or online portals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can I go to consumer court against an airline?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes. A cancellation or delay handled unfairly is a deficiency in service, and consumer commissions can award refunds, compensation and costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements, Section 3, Series M, Part IV \u2014 Facilities to be provided to passengers by airlines due to denied boarding, cancellation of flights and delays in flights<\/li>\n\n<li>DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements, Section 3, Series M, Part II \u2014 Refund of airline tickets<\/li>\n\n<li>Carriage by Air Act, 1972; Montreal Convention, 1999<\/li>\n\n<li>Consumer Protection Act, 2019 \u2014 Sections 2(11), 34 and 69<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><em>This article is general legal information, not legal advice for your specific case. Amounts are as per the DGCA rules at the time of writing and may be revised; please check the current CAR or consult an advocate before acting.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n  \"mainEntity\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Do I get compensation if my flight is cancelled due to bad weather?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Usually not cash compensation, because severe weather is an extraordinary circumstance. 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A cancellation or delay handled unfairly is a deficiency in service, and consumer commissions can award refunds, compensation and costs.\"\n      }\n    }\n  ]\n}\n<\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Air passenger rights in India under the DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements: compensation for cancellations and denied boarding, facilities during delays, refund timelines, AirSewa and consumer court remedies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1193,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-civil-law"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/advmriduljindal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1194","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/advmriduljindal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/advmriduljindal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advmriduljindal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advmriduljindal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1194"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/advmriduljindal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1194\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1206,"href":"https:\/\/advmriduljindal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1194\/revisions\/1206"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advmriduljindal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/advmriduljindal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1194"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advmriduljindal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1194"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advmriduljindal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1194"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}