A flight refund is your right in many more situations than airlines advertise. Since 26 March 2026, revised DGCA rules require faster refunds, a free 48-hour cancellation window on many tickets, and the return of taxes and fees even when you do not fly.
Quick answer
If you cancel, the airline can keep only its cancellation fee, which cannot exceed the base fare plus fuel surcharge. Statutory taxes and airport fees (UDF, ADF, PSF) must be refunded, even on a no-show. Card payments must be refunded within 7 days; for agent or portal bookings, the airline must complete the flight refund within 14 working days.
If the airline cancels or badly delays your flight, you can choose a full refund or an alternative flight, and may also get compensation of ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 under DGCA rules. A credit shell is optional, never compulsory.
Which flight refund rules apply
- DGCA CAR Section 3, Series M, Part II (refund of airline tickets), revised on 24 February 2026 and in force from 26 March 2026.
- DGCA CAR Section 3, Series M, Part IV (facilities and compensation for denied boarding, cancellation and delay).
- Consumer Protection Act, 2019, for deficiency in service and unfair trade practices.
Flight refund if you cancel the ticket
| Situation | What you get |
|---|---|
| Cancel or change within 48 hours of booking (look-in option) | Free; pay only any fare difference. Not available on direct bookings for domestic flights departing within 7 days, or international flights within 15 days |
| Cancel later | Fare minus the cancellation fee; the fee cannot exceed base fare plus fuel surcharge |
| No-show | Statutory taxes and airport fees must still be refunded |
| Name spelling error, direct booking | Free correction if reported within 24 hours |
| Hospitalisation of the passenger | Airline may give a refund or a credit shell |
Airlines may not charge an extra fee for processing a flight refund. A credit shell (travel credit) can be offered, but you can insist on a refund to your original payment method.
If the airline cancels, delays or denies boarding
| Situation | Your rights |
|---|---|
| Flight cancelled with less than 2 weeks’ notice | Alternative flight or full refund |
| Cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice | Plus compensation: ₹5,000 (block time up to 1 hour), ₹7,500 (1–2 hours) or ₹10,000 (over 2 hours), capped at one-way base fare plus fuel charge, unless an alternative flight is offered within the rules |
| Delay of 2 hours or more | Meals and refreshments, depending on flight length |
| Domestic delay over 6 hours | Alternative flight or full refund |
| Long or overnight delay | Hotel accommodation in many cases |
| Denied boarding (overbooking) | Nothing if an alternative leaves within 1 hour; otherwise 200% of base fare plus fuel (max ₹10,000) within 24 hours, or 400% (max ₹20,000) beyond |
Cash compensation is not payable for “extraordinary circumstances” beyond the airline’s control, such as bad weather, air traffic control restrictions or security issues. You still get a flight refund or an alternative flight.
How to claim a flight refund: step by step
- Check who cancelled and when, and save the booking, emails and SMS alerts.
- Claim from the airline through its website or app, or through the travel agent or portal if you booked there.
- Ask for a refund to the original payment method, not a credit shell, unless you want the credit.
- Escalate to the airline’s nodal or appellate grievance officer if the refund is not received within the time limits.
- Complain on AirSewa (airsewa.gov.in), the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s grievance portal.
- File a consumer complaint on e-Jagriti for the refund, interest and compensation if the airline still does not pay.
Booked through a travel agent or portal?
The airline remains responsible for your flight refund, because the agent is its appointed agent. Under the 2026 rules, the whole refund process must be completed within 14 working days. Complain to both the portal and the airline, and keep the booking reference.
Lessons from the December 2025 disruption
When thousands of flights were cancelled in early December 2025, the Ministry of Civil Aviation ordered all pending refunds to be cleared within days, and compensation under the DGCA rules was paid through the airline’s portal. If you face a mass cancellation, file your claim in writing promptly and keep proof of extra expenses.
Train ticket refunds in brief
Indian Railways refunds are governed by the Railway Passengers (Cancellation of Ticket and Refund of Fare) Rules, 2015. If a train is cancelled, you get a full refund. For e-tickets, cancellation is done on IRCTC and the refund goes to the original account; for counter tickets, file a TDR or cancel at the counter within the time allowed.
Flight refund when you miss a connection
If both flights are on one ticket (one booking reference) and the first is delayed so you miss the second, the airline must rebook you or give a flight refund for the unused part. If you booked two separate tickets, the second airline treats you as a no-show; you can still get back taxes and airport fees on the unused ticket.
Flight refund for a medical emergency
If you or a family member travelling with you are hospitalised, airlines may give a refund or a credit shell under the 2026 rules. Send the hospital certificate quickly. If the airline offers only a credit shell, ask in writing whether a refund is possible and keep the reply.
How to write a flight refund complaint
- Booking reference (PNR), flight number, date and route
- What happened (cancellation, delay, denied boarding) with times
- What you are claiming: refund amount, taxes, compensation, extra expenses
- The DGCA rule relied on (CAR Section 3, Series M, Part II or Part IV)
- A deadline, say 7 days, after which you will go to AirSewa and the consumer commission
Extra expenses after a cancellation
If the airline cancels and you have to buy a costlier ticket, or pay for a hotel, keep the bills. DGCA compensation is fixed, but in a consumer complaint you can claim actual loss and compensation for harassment, beyond the flight refund itself.
Worked example: how much flight refund you get
Ravi books a Delhi–Bengaluru ticket directly with an airline for ₹7,200. The fare breaks down as a base fare of ₹5,400, a fuel charge of ₹600 and taxes and airport fees of ₹1,200. Twelve days before the flight he cancels. The airline’s cancellation fee for this fare is ₹4,000.
- The fee (₹4,000) is below the cap of base fare plus fuel charge (₹6,000), so it is allowed.
- His flight refund is ₹7,200 − ₹4,000 = ₹3,200, which includes the full ₹1,200 of taxes and fees.
- He paid by card, so the money should reach his card within 7 days.
- If he had simply not turned up (a no-show), he would still be owed the ₹1,200 of taxes and fees.
- If instead the airline had cancelled the flight, he would get the full ₹7,200 back, whatever the fare type.
Always ask the airline for a break-up of the refund. Many people never notice that the taxes were held back.
Flight refund timeline at a glance
| Stage | When |
|---|---|
| Ask for the refund (airline website, app or agent) | As soon as you cancel, or as soon as the airline cancels |
| Card payment refund | Within 7 days |
| Booking through a travel agent or portal | Whole process within 14 working days |
| Cash payment | Immediately at the airline office where you paid |
| Escalate to the nodal or appellate grievance officer | Once the time limit passes |
| AirSewa complaint | After the airline fails to resolve it |
| Consumer complaint on e-Jagriti | Within 2 years of the cause of action |
Flight refund on international and foreign airline tickets
For international trips, the DGCA rules cover airlines operating in India, but the fine print of your ticket (the airline’s conditions of carriage) matters more. Some foreign laws also give you extra rights. For example, EU Regulation 261/2004 covers flights departing from an EU airport on any airline, and flights arriving in the EU on an EU airline. It gives fixed compensation of €250 to €600 for long delays and late cancellations, depending on distance. If your trip touches Europe, check whether it applies before accepting a voucher.
If a foreign airline does not respond, you can still file a consumer complaint in India when you bought the ticket here, and you can complain to the regulator of the airline’s home country.
Using your card dispute when the refund is stuck
If you paid by credit or debit card and the flight refund does not arrive after the airline cancelled the flight, you can raise a dispute (chargeback) with your card issuer. Card networks have their own time windows for this, often around 120 days, so do not wait for months. Give the bank the cancellation message and your refund request. This works alongside, not instead of, AirSewa and the consumer commission.
Delayed, lost or damaged baggage
Baggage is not covered by the flight refund rules, but you have separate rights under the Montreal Convention, 1999, which India applies through the Carriage by Air Act, 1972 (to domestic flights too). Report the problem at the airport before leaving, and get a Property Irregularity Report (PIR).
- Damaged baggage: complain in writing within 7 days of receiving it.
- Delayed baggage: complain within 21 days of the date it was delivered to you, and keep bills for essentials you had to buy.
- Lost baggage: the airline’s liability is capped at an amount set in Special Drawing Rights (a value of about 1,500 SDR per passenger after the 2024 revision) unless you declared a higher value at check-in.
Documents to keep for a flight refund claim
- E-ticket and booking confirmation showing the fare break-up
- Every SMS and email about the cancellation, delay or schedule change
- Boarding pass, if issued, and photos of the departure board for long delays
- Payment proof (card statement or UPI reference)
- Bills for meals, hotels or replacement tickets
- Your written complaints and the airline’s replies, with dates
Flight refund for an unused return or onward leg
If you fly only one leg of a return or multi-city ticket, ask for a refund of the unused part. At the very least, the taxes and airport fees for the unused leg are refundable, because they are charged for a journey you never made. On some fares the airline recalculates the price of the leg you did fly, so the amount may be lower than you expect. Ask for the calculation in writing.
When the airline changes the schedule
A big change in departure time is treated much like a cancellation. If the new timing does not suit you, you can refuse it and ask for a full flight refund instead of accepting the new flight or a credit shell. Reply in writing to the schedule-change email, so that there is a record that you did not accept the change. If the airline told you less than 24 hours before departure and you were not offered a suitable alternative, the compensation rules in the table above may also apply.
Tips to get your flight refund faster
- Cancel through the same channel you booked on (airline website, app or portal), so that the refund is processed automatically.
- Choose “refund to original payment method” on the cancellation screen, not “credit shell”.
- Take screenshots of the cancellation confirmation and the refund amount shown.
- Quote the DGCA rule in your written request; airlines answer faster when the rule is named.
- If the refund is short, write back with your own break-up and ask the airline to explain the difference.
- Note the dates of every step; the deadlines in the rules run from the date of your request.
Most refunds are paid without a fight once the request is in writing. Escalation is needed only when the airline misses the deadlines, keeps the taxes, or pushes a credit shell you did not ask for.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Accepting a credit shell by default when you wanted cash back.
- Not claiming taxes and airport fees after a no-show.
- Throwing away the boarding pass or delay messages needed for compensation.
- Complaining only by phone; always put it in writing.
- Waiting too long; consumer complaints must be filed within two years.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a flight refund take in India?
For card payments, within 7 days. For agent or portal bookings, the full process must be completed within 14 working days. Cash payments are refunded at the counter.
Can I cancel a flight for free?
Yes, within 48 hours of booking (look-in option), except on direct bookings close to departure: within 7 days for domestic and 15 days for international flights.
Do I get taxes back if I do not fly?
Yes. Statutory taxes and airport fees must be refunded on a no-show, whatever the fare type.
Is the airline allowed to force a credit shell on me?
No. A credit shell is optional; you can ask for a refund to the original payment method.
How much compensation is there for a cancelled flight?
₹5,000 to ₹10,000 depending on block time, if cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice and not due to extraordinary circumstances.
Where do I complain if the airline ignores me?
Write to the airline’s nodal officer, then use AirSewa, and finally file a consumer complaint on e-Jagriti.
Does the rule apply to foreign airlines?
The DGCA refund rules apply to tickets on airlines operating in India, but some protections, such as the 6-hour delay rule, apply only to domestic flights. For international trips, also check the airline’s conditions of carriage.
Do I get a flight refund if I booked a non-refundable fare?
You still get statutory taxes and airport fees back. If the airline cancels the flight, you get a full refund even on a non-refundable fare.
Can a travel portal keep a convenience fee?
Portals may keep their own fees as disclosed, but the airline’s part of the refund, including taxes, must be paid back.
Can I get a flight refund if I booked with a travel credit or voucher?
Usually the refund goes back to the same voucher or credit shell. Ask the airline in writing if any part was paid in cash or by card, as that part must be refunded to the original mode.
How do I check the break-up of my flight refund?
Ask the airline or agent for the refund statement. It should show the base fare, fuel charge, taxes, fees and the cancellation fee deducted.
Can I claim a flight refund through my bank?
If the airline cancelled the flight and did not refund you, you can raise a card dispute (chargeback) with your bank, along with complaining to AirSewa.
What should I do if my baggage is lost?
Report it at the airport, get a Property Irregularity Report and submit a written claim. Lost baggage compensation is limited by the Montreal Convention unless you declared a higher value.
Where can I get a ready-to-use complaint format?
Use the CIVL consumer complaint format or the legal notice format to demand your refund in writing.
CIVL format
Demand your refund in writing
Send a firm demand with the legal notice format, then file using the consumer complaint format. Read our consumer complaint online guide, or Ask CIVL.