Big relief for flyers: 60 pc seats on flights to invite no extra charge

The government has mandated that airlines allocate at least 60 per cent of seats on every flight without additional seat selection charges to promote fair access for travellers, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in an official release.

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In addition, the government has rolled out further directives for airlines to improve passenger convenience, transparency and consistency in practices, the release said.

Seat booking directives

This brings significant relief to the flyers, as currently only a few seats are available for free of cost to passengers at the time of booking their tickets or at the time of checking in. This has been done to ensure fair access, the release said.

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The Ministry also directed airlines to ensure that passengers travelling together or families under the same PNR are seated together, preferably in adjacent seats.

Information to passengers

The Ministry said airlines must handle the carriage of sports equipment and musical instruments in a transparent and passenger-friendly manner. It also asked the carriers to formulate clear and accessible policies for transporting pets.

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The government has further directed strict compliance with passenger rights norms, especially in cases of delays, cancellations and denied boarding. Airlines have been asked to prominently display passenger rights across their websites, mobile apps, booking platforms and airport counters.

Additionally, they must communicate passenger entitlements clearly in regional languages to improve accessibility and awareness.