Refunds up in the air: Airlines toss government diktat

Hyderabad: Bipin Mehta, hailing from the city, found it heartening when the Union Civil Aviation Ministry ordered full refunds to the passengers whose air travels were cancelled on account of the nation-wide COVID-19 lockdown.

But, very soon he was shocked to receive credit notes from Indigo and GoAir, stating he can use them to book tickets for his future travels.

Speaking to The Hans India, he said, "I am not the lone person. There are tens and thousands of passengers like me who are receiving the credit notes." Mehta along with his friends booked tickets with the airlines to go to Ahmedabad on April 10 and return from Ahmedabad to Hyderabad on April 12.

"I booked the tickets to attend a particular occasion at Ahmedabad. The need for me and my friends to visit that city no longer exists. So, I wanted refund.

But, when I tried to cancel the tickets, the airliners deducted cancellation fees, instead of making a full refund of the fare paid, which comes to around Rs 21,000."

Add to this, they sent a message, informing him of issue of credit note and said I can use the same for a future air trip between Hyderabad and Ahmedabad," he added.

In a similar case, Chandresh Shah had planned to go to Sikkim along with his family. He said "I booked flight tickets with IndiGo Airlines to start from Hyderabad on March 28 to Bagdogra with my family members.

However, due to the lockdown, the trip had to be cancelled. When I raised the issue for cancellation of the tickets for a return of about Rs 35,000 fare paid to the airline, they generated a credit note. It was informed I can use the same to travel anywhere within India within a year."

"Given the current pandemic scenario, I have decided not to travel out of Hyderabad with my family again and till next year," he said, demanding that he be paid back full refund. "Many middle-class people travel on domestic routes.

In these troubled times of lockdown, depleting income and liquidity running out to meet household expenses, I expect the airlines to return the full-fare paid to them by the customers," he said.

It may be mentioned here that the Union Civil Aviation Ministry on April 16 directed the domestic and international airlines to refund the full amount collected without levy of cancellation charge due to cancellation of tickets on account of lockdown. It gave three weeks time for the payment of refunds.

However, it seems the airlines have devised taking the route of generating credit notes contrary to the directions of the minister.

The passengers who want their money back urge intervention by the civil aviation ministry and are also weighing options including moving consumer fora.