Cancellation conundrum irking travellers

As many as 90 per cent of people in a survey carried out to assess issues faced in getting refund for cancelled travel bookings, including of flight tickets, in the wake of Covid-19, want the government to formulate a pandemic-specific cancellation refund policy.

According to the survey by online platform LocalCircles, based over 37,000 responses received from citizens across 359 districts, some travel agents (online and offline), airlines as well as hotels did not initiate any refund with people losing the complete booking amount.

As per the platform, only 12-13 per cent of those who cancelled travel bookings due to the second Covid wave could get timely refunds.

"As many as 95 per cent of citizens believe that the current policies of the airlines, railways or hotels are not in consumer interest and 90 per cent want the government to come up with a travel booking refund policy till the time the Covid pandemic is on," LocalCircles said.

The same could be brought by the respective ministries like Civil Aviation, Tourism and Railways or by the Ministry of Home Affairs under the Disaster Management Act 2005, it said, adding that people have also suggested a 3-option traveller-friendly travel booking cancellation and refund policy.

Based on the survey results, the best-case scenario could be giving people the option of either giving a refund within a week and 20 per cent amount to be deducted as processing charges, or a refund within a month and only 10 per cent amount to be deducted as processing charges or no refund but a voucher for full amount issued which can be used towards future travel within two years, it said.

This way, travellers have the confidence that their losses will be limited in case they were faced with a cancellation situation due to the pandemic, LocalCircles said.

The platform said it will be submitting the findings of this survey with the key stakeholders in the Central Government so the same can be used as an input in decision-making in regard to formulating a uniform policy for travel booking cancellation refunds during the Covid pandemic. According to the platform, while some were able to retrieve a partial amount, others were asked to rebook the flights and hotel stays for a later date and only 12-13 per cent of those who cancelled travel bookings due to the second Covid wave could get a refund on time.