DGCA's new refund rules let you modify tickets within 48 hours: Loopholes, conditions

From March 26, flight passengers can cancel or amend flight tickets without penalties or extra charges within 48 hours of purchase. At the moment, the option is only available for up to 24 hours. The look-in option was not available for flights scheduled within 7 days of the booking date. The DGCA has changed this guideline, too.

Who is it available to?
The facility is available only to those who book tickets directly on the airline’s website. Passengers who book tickets through other booking sites won’t be able to benefit from this new rule. This booking guideline was not clearly specified in the existing refund rule.

Eligibility conditions
Free cancellation or modification is available only if the departure is at least seven days away for domestic flights and 15 days away for international flights. Meanwhile, the passenger has to pay the fare difference if the ticket is rescheduled to a higher-priced flight.

14 days for refund
The passenger could get a refund for the cancelled tickets within 30 days if the tickets were booked through travel agents or booking portals. However, from March 26 onwards, it would be reduced to just 14 days. Airline companies are responsible for ensuring refunds to passengers. 
•The airline company should offer a refund or a credit shell if the tickets are cancelled due to a medical emergency or the passenger gets admitted to the hospital. For all other situations, refunds will be issued once the airline’s Aerospace Medicine specialist has received the passenger’s fitness-to-travel certificate. 
•Airlines cannot charge any additional fee for correcting the name of the passenger on the ticket. However, this option is available only if the ticket is purchased directly from the airline’s website.