Air India to not charge fees for ticket cancellation done on booking day. Details inside

Air India has decided that from May 1, if a customer wants to cancel his air ticket or make changes in it within 24 hours of booking, he will not be charged any fee, according to an airline document.

However, this facility will be available only if the flight is scheduled at least seven days after the booking date.

Indian aviation regulator DGCA had issued a "passenger charter" on February 27, which specified the rights of air travellers. One of the provisions in the passenger charter has been implemented by the national carrier through the aforementioned decision that will come into effect from May 1.

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A circular issued by Air India's Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) on April 24 said, "It has been decided that for sale and travel, effective May 1, 2019, all domestic tickets will have the free look-in option for change and cancellation as prescribed by the DGCA."

"The passenger has an option of cancelling or amending the ticket without any additional charges, that is cancellation or change fee is not applicable, when the same is done within 24 hours of ticketing," it added.

However, according to the circular, the normal prevailing fare and the related fare conditions on a particular flight -- for which the ticket is being sought -- will be applicable. Moreover, the circular stated that the facility "shall not be available for a flight whose departure is scheduled less than seven days from the booking date".

"Beyond 24 hours of initial booking time, this option is not available and the passenger has to pay the relevant cancellation/change fees for amendment," it added.

Read: Here's Whose 'efficiency And Honesty' Dr Subramanian Swamy Credits For Air India's Improved Functioning

Earlier, BJP MP Dr Subramanian Swamy wrote a letter to the Civil Aviation Minister, Suresh Prabhu, pertaining the Jet Airways crisis, urging the government to merge the ailing airline with state-owned Air India citing the interest of Jet employees and national interest.

Explaining the urgency of the matter, he wrote about the ramifications faced by the passengers and the air traffic within as well as outside the country.

“The passenger numbers are multiplying at a high rate and foreign airlines with small population are constantly looking for ways to get a share of this growing passenger traffic. Therefore, the closure of Jet Airways on the ongoing trouble of the airlines are destructing the traffic of the passengers".

Dr Swamy also mentioned about his ongoing India-Jet-Etihad bilateral and FDI case in the letter.