In a significant victory for the frequent flyer, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has moved to dismantle the 'hidden' economy of airline seating. Following a direct order issued through the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), airline operators must now ensure that at least 60 per cent of seats on any given flight are available for selection entirely free of charge.
The move is designed to curb the increasingly common practice of airlines 'monetising, almost every row on an aircraft, often leaving passengers with no choice but to pay extra during web check-in or have a seat randomly assigned. Perhaps, more importantly, for those travelling with children or partners, the Ministry has instructed airlines to ensure that passengers on the same booking (PNR) are seated together by default, preferably in adjacent seats, rather than being split up to encourage paid upgrades.
Beyond the seating chart, the new directives aim to bring much-needed transparency to the more 'niche' aspects of air travel. Carriers have been told to standardise and publish clear, passenger-friendly policies for the carriage of musical instruments, sports equipment and pets— areas that have historically been a source of confusion and inconsistent pricing at the check-in desk.
The government’s intervention comes at a time when India’s domestic aviation sector is the third-largest in the world, regularly handling over five lakh passengers a day. Keeping this scale in mind, the DGCA has been given the responsibility to ensure more stringent compliance when it comes to passenger rights during delays and cancellations. The most significant aspect is that this information has to be prominently displayed in regional languages on all booking counters so that passengers from all backgrounds are aware of their rights.
While there has been a move to add more facilities like 'UDAN Yatri Cafes' that offer food at reasonable prices, this latest move is more in tune with the basic grievances that passengers face today. The focus on ensuring that there is a majority of free seats as well as family seats is a move by the Ministry to get airlines to focus on 'passenger facilitation' rather than just 'passenger exploitation'.
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