My flight was cancelled and the airline is refusing a refund. What are my consumer rights?

Question

My domestic flight was cancelled at the last minute and the airline is offering only a credit shell instead of a cash refund. Is this legal? Before I spend money on it, I want to know whether Consumer Protection Act 2019, Section 2(11) gives me a remedy here and what proof I would need. Any Section numbers I can quote when I write to them would be useful.

MyVakeel Legal Desk · Accepted Answer

Consumer Protection Act 2019, Section 2(11) and Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR), Section 3 Series M Part II is what decides this question in India. Read it alongside the provisions named, because the relief available to you turns on the facts you can prove on paper.

DGCA's Civil Aviation Requirements mandate airlines to offer a full refund, alternate flight, or compensation, depending on notice period, for flights cancelled by the airline.

If cancellation is notified less than two weeks before departure without an alternate flight within reasonable time, the passenger is entitled to compensation in addition to a refund.

Forcing a passenger to accept a credit shell instead of a cash refund, against their wishes, has been held by Consumer Commissions and courts to be an unfair trade practice.

Refund must be processed within a reasonable time, generally the original mode of payment; unreasonable delay itself constitutes deficiency in service.

You may claim consequential losses such as hotel or connecting travel costs incurred due to the cancellation, with supporting bills.

What this means for you: 1) Request refund in writing citing DGCA CAR provisions and insist on cash refund, not credit shell; 2) File a complaint with the airline's grievance cell and then with the Airline Sector or DGCA's AirSewa portal; 3) If refused, file a consumer complaint before the District Commission for refund plus compensation; 4) Attach the booking confirmation, cancellation notice and any consequential expense bills.

Where the facts are disputed, what usually decides a flight cancellation refund matter is the paper trail — dated complaints, acknowledgments and written replies under Consumer Protection Act 2019, Section 2(11). You can post the details on the MyVakeel forum for a practising advocate to review, or book a paid consultation with a Bar Council verified lawyer in consumer law.