International airline (Montreal Convention + national rules) · AI
Air India refund & compensation policy
What Air India owes you when it cancels, delays or overbooks your flight — and how to actually collect it.
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Air India refund policy in plain English
Refundable per fare basis with cancellation charges set by DGCA rules; Air India cancels → full refund, and DGCA requires it within 7 working days for card payments.
Delays and cancellations
India's DGCA CAR Section 3 rules: meals from 2 hours, hotel for overnight, and a refund or alternate flight for cancellations with under 2 weeks' notice. Compensation of ₹5,000–₹10,000 for cancellations not notified 24 hours ahead. EU261 on legs departing Europe.
Your rights on Air India
- Legs departing the EU or UK: EU261 / UK261 compensation applies in full (€250–€600 / £220–£520) regardless of the airline's nationality.
- Legs departing elsewhere: no fixed compensation under EU/UK law. The Montreal Convention lets you claim proven costs caused by delay (up to about $7,000) and baggage losses (about $2,000).
- Legs to or from the US: DOT automatic-refund and denied-boarding rules apply.
- Always ask for a refund or rerouting first; keep every receipt.
How to claim from Air India
- Gather the booking reference, boarding passes and any messages from Air India about the disruption.
- For a refund, use Air India's own form: www.airindia.com/in/en/customer-support/refund-status.html, or call +1 888 634-1407. Cite your right to a cash refund and decline vouchers.
- For compensation (EU/UK rules), either file with the airline and escalate to the regulator if refused, or hand it to a no-win-no-fee partner via the checker above — they pull the flight data, counter "extraordinary circumstances" claims, and sue when needed.
- If a refund you are owed hasn't arrived in 7 business days, a credit-card chargeback for "services not rendered" is a fast parallel route.
Policies summarised from Air India's published conditions and applicable regulations; airlines change fare rules often — confirm on the link above before relying on a detail.
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