Aviation regulator DGCA has announced good news for air passengers today. The body has now allowed domestic carriers to give concessions in ticket prices to passengers who carry no baggage or only cabin baggage. This means flying within the country without any check-in baggage could soon get much cheaper.
According to the current rules by DGCA, a passenger can carry up to 7 kilograms of cabin baggage and 15 kilograms of check-in baggage. Any additional weight is chargeable. The new rule by DGCA will allow the flight operators 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.
Passengers who want to opt for the concession fare will have ave to declare at the time of the booking of the ticket the weight of baggage they will be carrying.
“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. These applicable charges shall be reasonable; prominently displayed to the passenger at the time of booking of the ticket and also to be printed on the ticket,” the aviation watchdog said in a statement.
The DGCA has also permitted the unbundling of other services like preferential seating, meal-snack-drink charges, airline lounges, sports equipment charges, and musical instrument charge etc.
“On the basis of various feedback received, it is felt that many times these services provided by the airlines may not be required by the passengers while traveling. Considering the fact that unbundling of services and charges thereto has the potential to make basic fare more affordable and provide the consumer an option of paying for the services which he/she wishes to avail, it has been decided by the government to allow these services to be unbundled and charged separately on an opt-in basis,” it added.
The rates for these services will be decided by the airlines.Â
It is pertinent to note that, All domestic and international flights were shut after the Centre announced a nationwide coronavirus-induced lockdown on March 24 last year. Flight services have resumed in a staggered manner from May 25 last year.
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