Airlines give out vouchers instead of ticket refunds

Mumbai: Getting a refund for a cancelled ticket or a cancelled flight has been a problem for passengers for some time now. Many airlines are offering passengers a voucher or a ticket of the same amount, which has to be availed of within a stipulated period; otherwise, the amount is forfeited. This practice has not gone down well with fliers.
"In case I try to use the voucher, I will end up paying more as the fare may increase,'' said another passenger, who was offered a coupon by an airline. This passenger, who had to board a Bhubaneshwar-Kolkata flight, was told at the last minute that the aircraft would take a detour to at least three other places. "This flight would have taken longer. I thought it best to cancel and book another flight. Instead of a refund, the airline gave me a coupon to be used within three months,'' she said.
Experts said the financial condition of airlines made it difficult for them to pay back the passengers. "Once a ticket is bought, the money is `absorbed' by the airline. It is difficult for them to shell it out again. They offer these coupons, which might help them retain the passenger and get them more money as the price of the ticket will only increase,'' Air Passengers' Association of India chairman Sudhakar Reddy said.
25/12/08 Chinmayi Shalya/Times of india

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Dec 2008