Often while booking flight tickets, we have to pay extra money to choose the seat of our choice. Many times, while traveling with the family, one has to spend unwanted expenses in order to sit together. But after a new instruction from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), this picture is about to change. From April 20, airlines will have to provide at least 60 percent of their flight seats without any extra charges, i.e. for free.
According to the system as of now, only 20 percent of the seats in the airplane are such that they can be booked for free. For the remaining 80 percent seats, passengers have to spend extra money from their own pockets. This fee can range from Rs 200 to Rs 2,100 depending on seat location, leg room and front rows.
Amendment in Air Transport Circular
On March 18, the Civil Aviation Ministry took strict steps to remove this discrepancy. Following the ministry’s instructions, the DGCA amended its air transport circular on March 20. According to this new revised circular, now clear instructions have been given to all the airlines to provide at least 60 percent free seats in any flight. This rule will come into full effect exactly 30 days after the issue of the circular, i.e. from April 20.
People with same PNR will get adjacent seats
The biggest benefit of this new rule will be to those families or groups who travel together. It has been a common complaint that despite booking tickets on the same PNR, passengers are given seats in different corners of the plane. Taking cognizance of this problem, the aviation regulator has clarified that passengers who have the same PNR should, as far as practical, be allotted seats close to each other i.e. adjacent seats in the same row. Apart from this, airlines will have to bring complete transparency on their booking websites and platforms. It has also been made mandatory to display the charges for services related to sporting goods or musical instruments and the terms of liability in case of damage to them in a transparent manner on the website.
Will air fares increase?
While on one hand there is a wave of happiness among the passengers due to this decision, on the other hand the aviation companies have lodged a strong objection to it. About five lakh passengers travel through Indian airports every day, and seat selection money is an important part of the airlines’ revenue.
The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) had written a letter to the Ministry of Civil Aviation on March 20 in protest against this decision. This federation includes major airlines like IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet. These companies argue that if they have to give 60 percent seats free, they will not be able to recover their losses. Airlines have warned that they may be forced to increase base air fares to recover this lost revenue.