Denied Boarding on a Domestic Flight? Here’s What You Should Know About Compensation
Denied Boarding on a Domestic Flight? Here's What You Should Know About Compensation
The aviation authority has fined Akasa Air Rs 10 lakh for not compensating seven passengers who were denied boarding on a Bengaluru-Pune flight on September 6. TOI looks at the compensation regulations related to denied boarding situations.
What Happened to Akasa Air?
On September 6, an incident took place when passengers were prevented from boarding a flight from Bengaluru to Pune.
The flight experienced a delay after the aircraft was grounded due to damage caused by a foreign object, leading to the provision of a replacement plane that had nine non-functional seats. Consequently, seven passengers were unable to board. While an alternative flight was organized, the airline failed to provide compensation to those affected, which the DGCA identified as a violation of the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) Section-3, Series M, Part IV.
This event has turned the spotlight on discussions on domestic passenger rights.
Airlines have the legal right to deny boarding. To minimize the chances of flights leaving with vacant seats due to no-shows, they may overbook flights within certain limits. When more passengers check in than there are seats available, some individuals will be denied boarding. If a passenger who is denied boarding is rebooked on a flight that departs within an hour of their original flight, the airline is not required to provide compensation. However, if the rebooking does not meet this criterion, the airline must compensate the passenger with either 200% of the one-way basic fare plus the airline fuel charge or Rs 10,000, whichever amount is lower.
Compensation should be 400% of the booked one-way basic fare plus the airline fuel charge, or Rs 20,000, whichever amount is lower if the alternative flight departs more than 24 hours after the original flight’s scheduled time. If a passenger chooses not to take the alternative flight, they are entitled to a full ticket refund along with compensation equal to 400% of the booked one-way basic fare plus the airline fuel charge, or Rs 20,000.
