Mukesh Ranjan
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, July 16

The national carrier Air India on Thursday issued a circular to allow domestic passengers having valid tickets for travel between March 15 and August 24, but flights were cancelled due to COVID-19 induced lockdown, to transfer them in other names.

The airline in its circular, a copy of which is with The Tribune, said this is in addition to its previous waiver policy dated June 17, which allowed passengers for “one free change in travel date without any additional charges”.

It said, “The value of the existing ticket will be locked, and passengers will be allowed to get the ticket reissued for a new passenger nominated by him/her, allowing him freedom from the limitation of self-travel only for a future date.”

On the previous occasion the airlines had said that the passengers would be “allowed to adjust the value of the existing ticket against the new fare”.

This means, if the passenger wants to change travel to a different city from the points of origin, they will be allowed to do so, but they will have to bear the differential in the fare charge.

Listing out the rules for the “name change” facility, the airlines said, “It will only be allowed for domestic travel tickets issued in India. The facility will only be available through Air India city booking offices.”

Currently, the name change policy is restricted only to six metro cities – Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Chennai, it said, adding that the scheme would cover tickets that are bought with cash or credit card only.