Air india covid refund

You can issue a legal notice to the Air India to their given address through your advocate and demand the amount with interest till this date and then escalate the matter through Ministry of civil aviation for further necessary action if the Air india is not responding

Thank you sir. Would you be able to recommend some lawyer, if you don't do it yourself? What kind of fee I can expect to pay for this? Thanks a lot for your response.

This website is all India based wherein the lawyers of this forum are from all the parts of the country.

You can choose a lawyer of your choice who hails from your place and approach him/her to get your task completed on the terms of the chosen lawyer

In this context,  the Supreme Court had issued extensive instructions by its Judgment dated 1st October 2020 in Pravasi Legal Cell & Others vs. Union of India -

1. If a passenger has booked a ticket during the lockdown period (from 25th March, 2020 to 24th May, 2020)   for   travel   during   lockdown   period   and   the airline has received payment for booking of air ticket for travel during the same period, for both domestic and international air travel and the refund is sought by   the   passenger   against   that   booking   being cancelled, the airline shall refund the full amount collected   without   any   cancellation   charges.     The refund shall be made within a period of three weeks from the date of cancellation.

2. If the tickets have been booked during the lockdown period through a travel agent for a travel within the lockdown period, in all such cases full refund shall be given by the airlines immediately. On   such   refund,   the   amount   shall   be   passed   on immediately by the agent to the passengers.

3. Passengers who booked tickets at any period of time but for travel after 24th May, 2020 – refund of fares to the passengers covered under this category shall be governed by the provisions of Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR).

4. Even for international travel, when the tickets have   been   booked   on   an   Indian   carrier   and   the booking is ex­India, if the tickets have been booked during   the   lockdown   period   for   travel   within   the lockdown period, immediate refund shall be made.

5. If   the   tickets   are   booked   for   international travel on a foreign carrier and the booking is ex­India during   the   lockdown   period   for   travel   within   the lockdown period, full refund shall be given by the airlines   and   said   amount   shall   be   passed   on immediately   by   the   agent   to   the   passengers, wherever such tickets are booked through agents.  In all   other   cases   airline   shall   refund   the   collected amount to the passenger within a period of three weeks.

6. In all other cases, the airlines shall make all endeavours to refund the collected amount to the passenger within 15 days from today.  If on account of financial distress, any airline / airlines are not able to do so, they shall provide credit shell, equal to the   amount   of   fare   collected,   in   the   name   of passenger when the booking is done either directly by the passenger or through travel agent so as to consume the same on or before 31st March, 2021.  Itis open to the passenger either to utilize such credit shell   upto   31st  March,   2021   on   any   route   of   his choice or the passenger can transfer the credit shell to   any   person   including   the   travel   agent   through whom   he   /   she   has   booked   the   ticket   and   the airlines shall honour such a transfer. 

6.1. The credit shell issued in the name of the passenger shall be transferable which can be utilized upto   31st  March,   2021   and   the   concerned   airline shall   honour   such   a   transfer   by   devising   a mechanism to facilitate such a transfer.   It is also made clear that such credit shell can be utilized by the   concerned   agent   through   whom   the   ticket   is booked, for third party use.   It is also made clear that even in cases where credit shell is transferred to third party, same is to be utilized only through the agent who has booked the ticket at the first instance.

7. In   cases   where   passengers   have   purchased the   ticket   through   an   agent,   and   credit   shell   is issued in the name of passenger, such credit shell is to be utilized only through the agent who has booked the   ticket.     In   cases   where   tickets   are   booked through agent, credit shell as issued in the name of the passenger which is not utilized by 31st  March, 2021, refund of the fare collected shall be made to the same account from which account amount was received by the airline.

8. In all cases where credit shell is issued there shall be an incentive to compensate the passenger from the date of cancellation upto 30th June, 2020 inwhich event the credit shell shall be enhanced by 0.5% of the face value (the amount of fare collected) for every month or part thereof between the date of cancellation and 30th  June, 2020.   Thereafter the value of the credit shell shall be enhanced by 0.75% of the face value per month upto 31st March, 2021.

It is not known whether  you had sought the refund in terms of the Judgment. The Judgment could be accessed at https://webapi.sci.gov.in/supremecourt/2020/10966/10966_2020_35_1501_24201_Judgement_01-Oct-2020.pdf