How to Claim an Airline Refund or Compensation in India (2026)
How to get a refund or compensation from an airline in India in 2026: your rights under the DGCA rules for cancellation, delay and denied boarding, the airline grievance route, the AirSewa portal, and the consumer complaint.
How-To Guide · Air Travel
If your flight is cancelled, badly delayed, or you are bumped off a flight you had a confirmed ticket for, Indian rules give you a refund, and often compensation and care, from the airline. The rules are the DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements, and they apply to flights to and from India. You claim in simple steps: ask the airline first, escalate on the AirSewa grievance portal if it refuses, and go to the consumer commission if it still does not pay. This guide explains what you are owed in each situation, how to claim, and how to follow the matter if it reaches a commission. Last verified October 2026.
- Rules: the DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) Section 3 Series M govern cancellation, delay and denied boarding, with a separate part for refunds.
- Cancellation: full refund or an alternate flight, plus compensation where the notice is short and no suitable alternate is offered.
- Delay and denied boarding: care such as meals and hotel for long delays, and compensation where you are bumped off a confirmed flight.
- If refused: escalate on AirSewa, then file a consumer complaint for the refund plus compensation.
01What the DGCA rules give you
Air passenger rights in India come mainly from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) through its Civil Aviation Requirements, known as the CAR. Section 3 Series M sets out what an airline must do when it cancels a flight, delays it a long time, or denies boarding to a passenger with a confirmed ticket. A separate part of the CAR governs refunds.
Broadly, the rules give you three kinds of relief: a refund of what you paid, compensation for the disruption in defined situations, and care such as meals, refreshments and, for long waits, hotel accommodation. Which of these applies depends on what went wrong and how much notice you were given.
02Cancellation and refunds
If the airline cancels your flight, you are entitled to a full refund of the fare, or an alternate flight, at your choice. Where the cancellation is at short notice and the airline cannot offer a suitable alternate flight, the rules also provide compensation.
- Refund: you get the money back, including taxes and fees, if you do not take an alternate flight.
- Alternate flight: you can instead ask to be put on the next available flight.
- Compensation: payable where the airline cancels without enough notice and cannot re-accommodate you suitably.
Refunds should be processed to the original payment method within the timelines in the CAR. If you booked through a travel website, the refund rules still protect you, and the platform cannot keep your money; for online-booking disputes see the e-commerce consumer rules.
03Long delays and care
For a long delay, the airline must look after you while you wait. Depending on the length of the delay and the time of day, this means meals and refreshments, and for very long delays, hotel accommodation and transfers. If the delay stretches beyond the point set in the rules, you can ask for a refund instead of waiting.
Weather and safety are an exception
The airline does not have to pay compensation when the disruption is outside its control, such as bad weather, an air-traffic or security restriction, or a genuine safety issue. But it must still offer you a refund or an alternate flight. Keep the airline's own message stating the reason, because that reason decides whether compensation is due.
Always keep the SMS or email the airline sends about the delay, and any vouchers or refusals, because that is your proof of both the delay and how the airline treated you.
04Denied boarding
If you have a confirmed ticket, reported on time, but the airline refuses to board you because the flight was overbooked, that is denied boarding. The rules treat this seriously. The airline must first ask for volunteers to give up their seats, and if you are bumped against your will, it owes you compensation in addition to either an alternate flight or a refund.
Denied boarding compensation depends on how quickly the airline can get you on another flight. The longer the delay to your journey, the higher the amount. Ask for the compensation in writing at the airport itself.
05How to claim, step by step
Claim in order, keeping a paper trail at each stage.
- Ask the airline first: raise a written claim with its customer grievance cell, state the rule you rely on and what you want, and keep the reference number.
- Escalate on AirSewa: if the airline refuses or does not reply, lodge a grievance on the Government AirSewa portal, which routes it to the airline and the regulator.
- Keep your proof: the ticket, the cancellation or delay message, boarding pass or denied-boarding note, and all correspondence.
Most genuine refund and care claims are settled at this stage, because the airline knows the rule is against it.
06If the airline refuses: the consumer route
If the airline still will not pay, its refusal is a deficiency in service and you can file a consumer complaint for the refund plus compensation for the harassment. Pick the commission by the amount claimed under the Consumer Protection Rules, 2021: District up to Rs 50 lakh, State up to Rs 2 crore, and National above that.
For how a consumer complaint works, see how to file a consumer complaint, the online route in filing a consumer complaint online, and the specific route for airlines and online platforms in complaining against an airline or e-commerce seller.
07Where Claw fits
Claw is an all-in-one legaltech platform for Indian advocates, law firms, and corporate legal teams, combining AI-based case search, an AI legal assistant (Legal GPT), case management, and compliance automation across all Indian courts and tribunals.
Airline disputes are often decided by earlier consumer rulings on refunds, delay and denied boarding. Claw lets you search 30 crore+ judgments, with Supreme Court decisions from 1950 and High Court decisions from 1990, to find rulings against airlines on facts like yours, with results in under 5 seconds. Once a complaint is filed, Claw tracks cases, orders and hearings across 9,102 courts, benches and forums, so you can follow the matter by party name and get the next hearing date without checking cause lists by hand. Claw does not use your case documents to train its AI models.
Create a FREE Claw account to find airline consumer rulings on point and track your complaint by party name, using case search across Indian courts. For consumer matters in particular, see case search across the NCDRC and consumer commissions.
08Sources and further reading
- DGCA (Civil Aviation Requirements and passenger rights): dgca.gov.in
- AirSewa (grievance portal): airsewa.gov.in
- e-Jagriti (consumer case filing and status): e-jagriti.gov.in
- Claw: clawlaw.in
This guide is general information, not legal advice. The CAR rules and amounts can change, so check the current DGCA requirements before you rely on them.
09Frequently asked questions
Can I get a refund if the airline cancels my flight?
Yes. If the airline cancels, you can choose a full refund of the fare, including taxes and fees, or an alternate flight. Where the cancellation is at short notice and no suitable alternate is offered, compensation is also payable under the DGCA rules.
What am I owed for a long delay?
For a long delay the airline must provide care such as meals and refreshments, and for very long delays, hotel accommodation. If the delay goes beyond the limit in the rules, you can ask for a refund instead of waiting.
What is denied boarding compensation?
If you have a confirmed ticket, reported on time, and are bumped because the flight was overbooked, the airline owes you compensation along with an alternate flight or a refund. The amount depends on how long your journey is delayed.
Does the airline pay compensation for weather delays?
No. Compensation is not due when the disruption is outside the airline's control, such as bad weather, air-traffic restrictions or a safety issue. But the airline must still offer you a refund or an alternate flight.
How do I claim if the airline refuses?
Raise a written claim with the airline first, then escalate on the AirSewa portal. If it still refuses, file a consumer complaint for the refund plus compensation, choosing the commission by the amount claimed.
Do these rules cover tickets booked through a travel website?
Yes. The refund and compensation rules protect you whether you booked directly or through a platform, and the platform cannot keep your refund. Online-booking disputes are also covered by the e-commerce consumer rules.