Highlights
- India's civil aviation ministry advised all airlines to issue full refunds for tickets booked during the lockdown
- Air India notified customers this advisory applies to tickets booked and paid for only in India
- Customers in Australia allege discrimination, say there shouldn't be two rules for one flight
Australian customers of India’s national airline, Air India, say its country-specific refund policy during the coronavirus lockdown in India is putting them at a “disadvantage.”
On April 16, India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation had advised all airlines to issue full refunds to all passengers who had booked domestic or international flights between March 25 and May 3.
A few weeks later, Air India, which falls under India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation, issued a notification stating that only those tickets are eligible for a full refund which were booked and paid for in India.
An office memorandum of India's Ministry of Civil Aviation advising all airlines to give full refunds for tickets booked between March 25 and May 3. Source: Sources
This has left Air India’s customers outside India disgruntled.
‘Unfair refund policy’
Maheshinder Singh and his family were stranded in India last month because of the lockdown imposed by the government.
When they couldn’t fly out as per their plan, Mr Singh called his travel agent in Australia to book them with Air India so that they could return home in April, as Air India was accepting bookings for Melbourne and Sydney in March.
But Air India also couldn’t fly, therefore, Mr Singh and his family had to take Lion Air’s chartered flight to Australia.
“When we reached Australia, I asked my travel agent to apply for a refund. He told me Air India had now issued its refund policy under which overseas customers are not eligible for a full refund. That is unfair and discrimination of sorts,” says Mr Singh.
He says "there can't be two rules for one journey", referring to the flight for which he paid around $4200 for a one-way ticket for three passengers.
Many people who had bought Air India tickets to return to Australia during the lockdown, say they made that choice because Air India operates the only direct flight between the two countries.
A notification on Air India's website about their Covid-19 refund policy. Source: Airindia.com
‘The wait continues’
Kashyap Mehra and his family of eight had booked their return flight with Air India too, while they were in India.
“I booked our tickets from Air India’s website to return home in April. We ultimately had to come by Lion Air, so I wanted a refund. My brother, who lives in India, has made several attempts to get me a full refund from them. All he has been told is to wait,” says Mr Mehra, who expects over $15,000 in refund.
“I also keep contacting their customer care division but have got nowhere yet. Till when can one wait,” he asks with concern.
Even though Mr Mehra is likely to get a full refund since he booked with Air India from India, he says it is “unfair of them to disadvantage those customers who booked their tickets outside India”.
On May 1, Air India issued yet another advisory in which they have waived no-show, rescheduling and cancellation charges for their passengers who had their travel planned between March 22 and May 17.
It makes no mention of offering a refund either in part or full, as per the ministry’s circular and their own notification about levying cancellation charges to tickets booked and paid for outside India.
Air India's recent passenger advisory doesn't mention processing of refunds. Source: Airindia.in
As part of the lockdown that India had imposed starting March 25, commercial international and domestic flights have been discontinued. However, domestic flights will start from May 25.
Travel agents say customers can expect zero to full refunds, depending upon their ticket.
SBS Punjabi made several attempts to get a response from Air India about their refund policy, but they didn’t reply.
To listen to this podcast in Punjabi, click on the player inside the picture at the top of the page.
Disclaimer: Information on refunds, cancellation and rescheduling by airlines is subject to change. Please go to the website of the airline for updated information or contact your travel agent.
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