Travel agents instructed to settle Covid reimbursements by November

The civil aviation ministry has been urged by the consumer affairs department to investigate the practice of some airlines charging for each seat during online check-in and to ensure that passengers are charged the correct fare at the time of booking without any additional fees.

Additionally, the department ordered the online travel aggregators to pay all outstanding balances for tickets that were canceled during the Covid-19 pandemic by this month’s third week. If they don’t, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) will file a contempt petition against the platforms that are in default with the Supreme Court and begin legal proceedings. Consumer refunds of over Rs 30–40 crore are still pending with airlines and online travel aggregators.

According to sources, concerns about hidden fees and quicker complaint response were raised during the meeting between officials from the civil aviation ministry and representatives from online travel aggregators. The proposal put up by Union Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh calls for the appointment of an aviation industry ombudsman to expeditiously address consumer complaints.

The delegates discussed how to integrate NCH with the Air Sewa portal to effectively resolve customer concerns, according to the consumer affairs department.