No Refund For Air Tickets Booked Via Online Portals, Travel Agents – Centre

The civil aviation ministry  on Friday told the Supreme Court that it would not be feasible for the Airlines to issue credit shells in the name of travel agents for refund of tickets they booked in the name of passengers in flights which were cancelled during the pandemic caused lock down period.

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta informed a bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R Subhash Reddy & MR Shah , “The travel agent, if any, involved in the purchase of any ticket on behalf of any passenger remains only a via-media, leaving the principal contract between the airlines and the passenger only, which is the only mode recognized under the regulatory mechanism of the DGCA.”

Earlier, according to the IANS report, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had informed the Supreme Court that people who had booked air tickets during the lockdown are entitled to immediate refunds .

The DGCA also clarified that in case of tickets booked prior to the lockdown up to May 24, the refund would be governed by the credit shell and incentive scheme.

The Centre had earlier introduced an incentive scheme by which 0.5 per cent interest will accrue on the original fare lying in the credit shell from the date of cancellation of the flight till June 30, 2020. Beyond this period, the passenger can avail 0.75 per cent interest every month till March 31, 2021, the reported added.