New Delhi: Air travel will become expensive with Aviation Minister Ajit Singh allowing backdoor charges to be levied on service like preferred seats, check-in baggage and meals. The airlines can now charge for preferential seating, meals, snacks, drinks (barring drinking water), check-in baggage, use of airline lounges, carriage of sports equipment and musical instruments and valuable baggage which have higher carrier liability. The ministry said the list of services will be reviewed every six months. The charges for unbundled services will be fixed and announced in advance by the airlines. They won't vary in line with the base fare for a particular flight.
The attempts by domestic airlines to introduce charges on preferential seats and drinking water were put on hold in 2011 following orders from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
29/04/13 One India
