Delayed or Cancelled Flight: Know your rights as a passenger?
Published: 2023-09-15 05:18:25

Have you ever been in a scenario where you needed to reach somewhere ASAP but got delayed because of your flight? If you have, you know how inconvenient and hassling the experience could be. Because of bad weather or technical problems, the flights get cancelled or delayed from time to time. When that happens, the passengers are left in a lurch, feeling helpless.

To deal better with the distress of delayed or cancelled flights, you must be aware of your rights as a passenger. Here is what you must know!
What can passengers do when their flight gets delayed?
Delayed flights can be a reason for inconvenience. Here are the alternatives and compensation passengers can demand as per the Passenger Charter by the Aviation Ministry:

If your flight with a block time of 2.5 hours gets delayed by 2 hours, you have the right to request refreshments. In case the block time is between 2.5 and 5 hours, you are entitled to refreshments after a delay of three hours. When the flight doesn’t fall into these two categories, you can ask for refreshments only if the delay is longer than 5 hours.

Tip: Block time is the total time taken by the flight to push back from the departure gate to reach the destination gate.
What can you do when the flight gets delayed for more than 6 hours?
According to the Passenger Charter, in case the [flight schedule](https://www.newdelhiairport.in/flight-timetable) is delayed by more than six hours, the airline must communicate the rescheduled time to passengers more than 24 hours prior to the original time. Also, an alternative flight option within 6 hours or a full refund should be given to passengers by the airline.

The passengers are entitled to receive free hotel accommodation in case of a delay of more than 24 hours or over 6 hours for flights scheduled between 8 p.m. and 3 a.m.

What should the passengers do if the flight is cancelled?
If the passengers are informed about the flight cancellation less than two weeks up to 24 hours before the scheduled time, the airline should provide passengers with an alternative flight option or refund of the ticket. 

On occasions when the [airline](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airline) fails to inform the passenger during this period, the airline must arrange an alternative flight or offer a compensation of Rs. 5000 or one-way basic fare plus fuel charges whichever is less. This is for flights with one hour or less of a block time. If the flight’s block time is more, the compensation will go up. It is applicable when the passenger misses a connecting flight reserved on the same ticket number because of cancellation.
What happens when a passenger is denied boarding due to overbooking?
If you are denied boarding due to overbooking, the airline needs to arrange for an alternative flight within an hour of the scheduled departure. In case the airline fails to do this and arranges a flight within 24 hours, the passenger will be provided with 200% of the booked one-way fare plus airline fuel charges up to a maximum of Rs. 10000. 

If you don’t opt for the alternative flight, you shall get a full refund and compensation of 400% of the one-way fare and airline fuel charges. This is subject to a maximum value of Rs. 20,000.

Flight delays or cancellations can leave passengers in an unfavourable situation. Knowing your rights in such scenarios can prepare you better for dealing with the conditions.