Aspirants often confuse the specific timelines and liability limits. For ticket refunds, domestic airlines must process refunds within 7 working days for domestic flights, while for international flights, the timeline is 30 days. Regarding lost, delayed, or damaged baggage, for domestic flights, the airline's liability is capped at approximately ₹20,000 per passenger. For international flights, the liability is governed by the Montreal Convention, which sets limits based on Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), a unit of account of the IMF, and is significantly higher than domestic limits.

The AirSewa portal, launched by the government, aims to be a single platform for passengers to register and track their grievances against airlines. In theory, it streamlines the process and brings transparency. In practice, while it has improved accessibility for lodging complaints, its effectiveness is often hampered by several factors. Passengers frequently report delays in resolution, lack of satisfactory responses from airlines, and the portal's limited enforcement powers. The portal acts as an intermediary, forwarding complaints to airlines, but the final resolution still largely depends on the airline's willingness to comply. If an airline remains unresponsive or provides an unsatisfactory resolution, passengers often have to escalate to consumer forums, which can be time-consuming and cumbersome.

This issue highlights the broader challenge of 'ancillary charges' and the need for greater transparency and fairness in pricing under the Air Passenger Charter. While the charter mandates transparent pricing for the ticket's full cost, seat selection fees often appear as an optional add-on, which can become mandatory for families wishing to sit together, effectively increasing the base fare. The conflicting perspectives are: from the airlines' view, these fees are a crucial revenue stream (ancillary revenue) that helps keep base ticket prices lower and offers passengers choice. From the passengers' view, especially families, it's an unfair hidden cost that exploits a basic need (sitting together) and goes against the spirit of consumer protection, making air travel less accessible and more unpredictable in cost. Strengthening the charter here would involve clearly defining what constitutes an 'essential' service that cannot be separately charged, or mandating free seat selection for certain categories like families with young children.

India's Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs), issued by the DGCA under the Aircraft Act, 1934, primarily govern domestic air travel and specific aspects of international operations within Indian jurisdiction. They lay down the framework for passenger rights, airline responsibilities, and compensation for issues like denied boarding, delays, cancellations, and domestic baggage loss. The Montreal Convention, on the other hand, is an international treaty that specifically governs airline liability for international carriage of passengers, baggage, and cargo. For international flights originating from or destined for India (a signatory to the Montreal Convention), the Convention's provisions on liability (e.g., for lost international baggage or passenger injury/death) supersede domestic CARs where there is a conflict or where CARs are silent. Essentially, CARs handle the domestic specifics, while the Montreal Convention provides the overarching international legal framework for cross-border liabilities.

Aspirants often confuse the specific timelines and liability limits. For ticket refunds, domestic airlines must process refunds within 7 working days for domestic flights, while for international flights, the timeline is 30 days. Regarding lost, delayed, or damaged baggage, for domestic flights, the airline's liability is capped at approximately ₹20,000 per passenger. For international flights, the liability is governed by the Montreal Convention, which sets limits based on Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), a unit of account of the IMF, and is significantly higher than domestic limits.

The AirSewa portal, launched by the government, aims to be a single platform for passengers to register and track their grievances against airlines. In theory, it streamlines the process and brings transparency. In practice, while it has improved accessibility for lodging complaints, its effectiveness is often hampered by several factors. Passengers frequently report delays in resolution, lack of satisfactory responses from airlines, and the portal's limited enforcement powers. The portal acts as an intermediary, forwarding complaints to airlines, but the final resolution still largely depends on the airline's willingness to comply. If an airline remains unresponsive or provides an unsatisfactory resolution, passengers often have to escalate to consumer forums, which can be time-consuming and cumbersome.

This issue highlights the broader challenge of 'ancillary charges' and the need for greater transparency and fairness in pricing under the Air Passenger Charter. While the charter mandates transparent pricing for the ticket's full cost, seat selection fees often appear as an optional add-on, which can become mandatory for families wishing to sit together, effectively increasing the base fare. The conflicting perspectives are: from the airlines' view, these fees are a crucial revenue stream (ancillary revenue) that helps keep base ticket prices lower and offers passengers choice. From the passengers' view, especially families, it's an unfair hidden cost that exploits a basic need (sitting together) and goes against the spirit of consumer protection, making air travel less accessible and more unpredictable in cost. Strengthening the charter here would involve clearly defining what constitutes an 'essential' service that cannot be separately charged, or mandating free seat selection for certain categories like families with young children.

India's Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs), issued by the DGCA under the Aircraft Act, 1934, primarily govern domestic air travel and specific aspects of international operations within Indian jurisdiction. They lay down the framework for passenger rights, airline responsibilities, and compensation for issues like denied boarding, delays, cancellations, and domestic baggage loss. The Montreal Convention, on the other hand, is an international treaty that specifically governs airline liability for international carriage of passengers, baggage, and cargo. For international flights originating from or destined for India (a signatory to the Montreal Convention), the Convention's provisions on liability (e.g., for lost international baggage or passenger injury/death) supersede domestic CARs where there is a conflict or where CARs are silent. Essentially, CARs handle the domestic specifics, while the Montreal Convention provides the overarching international legal framework for cross-border liabilities.