Domestic Flights: Passengers Without Check-In Baggage To Get Concessions In Ticket Price

The aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday in a circular said that domestic airlines are allowed to give concessions in ticket prices to passengers who carry no check-in baggage.

As per the current rules, domestic flight passengers are allowed to carry up to 7 kilograms of cabin baggage and 15 kilograms of check-in baggage and any additional weight is chargeable.

This new rule will allow domestic airlines to provide tickets at lesser prices to those who opt to travel with no baggage or only with cabin baggage within the permissible weight limit.

It must be noted that to avail of the no baggage discounts passengers will have to declare at the time of the booking of the ticket the weight of baggage they will be carrying.

The DGCA has not revealed the date when these new rules will come into effect but soon airlines will be able to provide tickets at lower rates to those who opt to carry just cabin baggage within a permissible limit.

However, in its notification, DGCA also pointed out that if a passenger with a discount ticket turns up with baggage, he/she will be charged as applicable. It further added that these applicable charges should be reasonable and prominently displayed to the passenger when booking the ticket

“As part of airline baggage policy, scheduled airlines will be allowed to offer free baggage allowance as well as “zero baggage/no check-in baggage fares”. This will be subject to the condition that the passenger booking ticket under such fare scheme is made aware of the charges that shall be applicable if the passenger turns up with the baggage for check-in at the airline counter,” DGCA said in a statement.

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