Air travellers can now easily with new refund.me India app file flight compensation claims for disrupted flights covered by India DGCA and European Union 261 legislation.
INDIA – refund.me, the air passenger rights service provider, has launched a dedicated India mobile phone app and online widget to help air travellers secure compensation for delayed, cancelled, and overbooked flights regulated by both India and European Union (EU) passenger rights legislation.
The refund.me India app is the first to be specifically developed for air passengers travelling to, from, and within India – helping enforce the consumer rights of the more than 83 million passengers who take to the skies every year on domestic and international flights operated by India-based airlines.
Featuring proprietary Advanced Business Logic (ABL) technology, the online widget and app for iOS and Android enables passengers to quickly determine eligibility and automatically file a compensation claim for disrupted flights, without having to fill in extensive forms or interact directly with an airline.
The India Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Civil Aviation Requirements Section 3, Series M Part IV, spells out the rights and compensation passengers are entitled to if their flight is cancelled or they are denied boarding. These range from refreshments and hotel accommodation to full refund of ticket price along with added compensation of up to R4,000 per flight depending on airfare, block time, and advance notice given to the passenger.
“While passengers have rights to compensation under DGCA legislation, consumers are under-served by the claims system,” said Eve Buechner, Founder and CEO of refund.me. “As in other countries, the majority of Indian passengers are unaware of their rights or find the compensation claims process difficult. Our new app gives consumers the ability to hold airlines to account and exercise their legislated consumer rights to compensation with ease and efficiency.”
Founded in 2012, refund.me has helped passengers in 160+ countries successfully claim compensation from 370+ airlines for travel disruptions covered by EU 261/2004.
To use the refund.me web or mobile app, air travellers need only input their flight details and answer a few simple questions to be automatically notified whether a delayed, cancelled or overbooked flight is eligible for compensation under DGCA or EU 261/2004 regulations.
If eligible, passengers can instantly submit their claim via the app, authorising refund.me to pursue compensation on their behalf through its worldwide network of consumer and aviation law experts. There is no risk to the passenger as refund.me charges a commission only when a claim is successfully concluded.
In addition to DGCA compensation rights, EU 261/2004 legislation provides for compensation of up to 600 Euros (about R45,500) for delays, cancellations and being ‘bumped’ from a flight. It applies to all worldwide airlines departing from an airport located in the territory of an EU Member State (Norway, Iceland and Switzerland included) regardless of whether the airline is or is not an EU Community carrier airline. So this legislation applies to passengers flying on Air India and other India-based airlines flying from the EU.
For flights from outside the EU to a destination within the EU, passengers are protected if flying with an EU-based airline.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
