Flight Cancelled or Delayed in India? Refund & Compensation

If your flight in India is cancelled, badly delayed, or you are refused boarding with a confirmed ticket, the airline owes you certain things by law. These rights come from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The main rule is Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) Section 3, Series M, Part IV. Refunds are covered by CAR Section 3, Series M, Part II, revised from 26 March 2026. The rules apply to Indian airlines and to foreign airlines flying to or from India.

Before you start

Keep your PNR, e-ticket and boarding pass.
Save every SMS, email or app message about the delay or cancellation, with the time you got it.
Note the time you reached the airport and checked in.
Keep bills for food, taxi or hotel you paid for yourself.
Make sure your booking had your correct phone number and email. If it did not, the airline does not have to pay cash compensation for a cancellation.

If your flight is cancelled

Told at least two weeks before: the airline must give you an alternate flight or a refund, as you accept.
Told less than two weeks and up to 24 hours before: alternate flight or refund, as you accept.
Told later than that, or you missed a connecting flight booked on the same ticket: the airline must give an alternate flight you accept, or a full refund plus compensation.
Compensation depends on flight time (block time): up to 1 hour, Rs 5,000; over 1 hour and up to 2 hours, Rs 7,500; over 2 hours, Rs 10,000. If your one-way basic fare plus fuel charge is lower, you get that lower amount.
If you were already at the airport, the airline must give meals and refreshments while you wait for the alternate flight.
No compensation is due if the cause was beyond the airline’s control, such as bad weather, air traffic control, security risks, natural disasters or government orders.

If your flight is delayed

A delay alone does not give you cash compensation under the DGCA rules. But you do get free facilities if you checked in on time:

Meals and refreshments if the delay is 2 hours or more (flights up to 2.5 hours), 3 hours or more (flights over 2.5 and up to 5 hours), or 4 hours or more (longer flights).
For a domestic flight expected to be delayed by more than 6 hours: a choice of an alternate flight within 6 hours, or a full refund.
Free hotel stay with transfers if the delay is more than 24 hours, or more than 6 hours for flights scheduled between 8 pm and 3 am.

If you are denied boarding

The airline must first ask for volunteers to give up their seats.
Alternate flight within 1 hour of your original time: no compensation.
Alternate flight within 24 hours: 200% of your one-way basic fare plus fuel charge, up to Rs 10,000.
Alternate flight after more than 24 hours: 400% of the one-way basic fare plus fuel charge, up to Rs 20,000.
If you do not take an alternate flight: full refund plus 400% of the one-way basic fare plus fuel charge, up to Rs 20,000.
Moved to a lower class against your wish on a domestic flight: 75% of the ticket cost including taxes.

Compensation must be paid in cash or by bank transfer. The airline can give travel vouchers only if you agree in writing.

Refund timelines (from 26 March 2026)

Paid by credit card: refund within 7 days of cancellation.
Paid in cash: refund immediately at the airline office where you bought the ticket.
Booked through a travel agent or portal: the airline is responsible and must finish the refund within 14 working days.
Taxes and airport fees (UDF, ADF, PSF) must be refunded even on non-refundable or promo fares and on no-shows.
A credit shell is your choice. The airline cannot make it the default.
Cancellation charges cannot be more than the basic fare plus fuel charge.
Booked on the airline’s website? You can cancel or change free (paying only any fare difference) within 48 hours of booking, if the flight is at least 7 days away (domestic) or 15 days away (international).

How to claim and complain: step by step

At the airport, ask the airline counter in writing for the reason of the cancellation or delay, and for meals or a hotel if you are entitled to them.
Write to the airline’s customer care with your PNR, what happened, and exactly what you want: refund, compensation, or both. Quote “DGCA CAR Section 3, Series M, Part IV”. Save the complaint number.
If there is no proper reply, write to the airline’s Nodal Officer, and then its Appellate Authority. Every airline must show their contact details on its website.
File a grievance on AirSewa, the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s portal and app. Register, choose the airline category, enter your PNR and flight details, describe the problem and upload your ticket, messages and bills.
Track it with your grievance number. You can escalate on AirSewa if you are not happy with the reply or the time limit for that type of complaint has passed.
You can also call the Ministry’s Passenger Assistance Control Room: 011-24604283 or 011-24632987.
If you are still not satisfied, you can approach a consumer commission. You can file online on e-Daakhil or get advice from the National Consumer Helpline (1915).

Common mistakes

Accepting a voucher or credit shell when you wanted cash.
Leaving the airport without asking for meals or a hotel you are owed.
Complaining only by phone, with no written record.
Booking through an agent and giving the agent’s phone number instead of your own.
Expecting cash for a delay alone. The DGCA rules give facilities, not cash, for delays.
Not asking for the reason in writing. It matters for whether compensation applies.

Official links

Last checked: November 2026