The Ultimate Secret of Air Ticket Fare

Exotic destinations, lip-smacking delicacies of each destination, adrenaline rush and yes of course money is enough to excite people towards the common dream of “solo travelling”. Being lost in our dream, we only think about what places we have to cover in next coming days, what all possible cuisines we have to gulp down our mouth and what unsaid stories we have to hear from the places that we have never been to.

Daydreaming keeps us so tangled that we don’t sit straight and observe what all components our airline has tapped on our air tickets. What we check is our name, destination to be covered, date and timings and the total amount that we are paying from our pockets. But little did we know, how minutiae spelling errors or missing price breakup or maybe missing digits on our air tickets can be taxing to us in cases of flights cancellation and the denied boarding.

Scrolling through the October 2018 data, we found that 1146.37 lakh passengers travelled within the domestic flights. Means the number of passengers has increased by 20.11% compared to the previous year. This shows how people are choosing air transport as a mode to convenient travel.

But for some passengers, their convenience ended there itself since they fall prey to lack of disclosure of fare break up in their air ticket. Out of total complaints, airlines received 0.1% complaints only on the non-disclosure of exact prices.

Complainers didn’t find any transparency from airline’s part in a display of ticket fare breakup. Their tickets were lacking the exact fare and taxes amount, separately. Years back DGCA posed an alleged Rule 135 of aircraft, 1937 reg. stating that every airline is bound to have sheer transparency when it comes to displaying air ticket fare components.

The airlines are meant to stay true in whatever they dig from flyers pocket. Every component from base fare to even user development fee, each need to be dispersed separately in a ticket. You know why? To save travellers in uninvited circumstances of called off or overbooked flights. Continue reading if you want to know how smallest to the smallest component can help you earn a good flight cancellation compensation.

Let’s go through the segments of any airline ticket and put validation to a point “how each component carved on my air ticket is imperative and can serve me to beat out the effects of so-called cancelled or overbooked flight”.

What all components am I going to see on my favoured destination air ticket?

You must be wondering why do I have to invest some time to look at my air ticket when all information that matters to me, finishes off in the one or two lines. If you will handhold your ticket, you will notice that a ticket is pretty massive and apart from name, date, time and place of travel, have other segments of itinerary details, fare prices and terms and conditions too.

Let’s take you on a tour of an airplane ticket to highlight the aspects that you didn’t notice earlier:

1. My booking details

You must have seen this section, of course you must have because this is the only section you see and march towards your boarding flight. If you will recall, in this segment, you have all your details like – name, date of travelling, departure time, airline name, flight number, terminal number, airports name and the very important PNR (Passenger Name Record) number.

But why I need to look at my booking details with a deep stare and find out whether there is any PNR number or not?

Because if you will check your booking details inclusive of PNR number, you will know that yes, my flight is confirmed and the details are right on track to fly. The most important PNR number shouldn’t be ignored. Because this very number carries the big data of passengers, means it provides the passenger’s name, travel itinerary, address, booking preferences, flight status in the airline’s automated CRS (computer reservations system) databases.

The number allows passengers to modify their ticket (in case there is any change in travel plans) or to know whether their tickets are finally confirmed or still lying in the waiting list. Apart from all these reasons, a PNR number acts a very major role in situations of cancelled or overbooked flights as it helps to claim for cancelled flight easily and timely.

2. My planned Itinerary Details

Moving ahead in the ticket tour, you will see your next halt of itinerary details – here you will have your detailed travel route, departure and arrival airport details, class, status of ticket, time duration and the airline’s tolerance towards maximum baggage.

Why I have to look for my itinerary details?

You need to make sure there is no error of spelling or omission. This section is important since it spurs the airport details, maximum baggage and confirmed ticket status. By diving into this, you will reach one step closer to your confirmed air journey.

3. My Fair Fare Details

This section is very important and shouldn’t be ignored as the act of money is involved in this. Some airlines mix up the GST on flight tickets, costs and charges to the base fares without even explaining each amount differently. A perfect ticket is the one where all – base fare, airline fuel charges (YQ), service charges (YR) are mentioned separately.

But what is the need to have my base fare and fuel charges separately?

• A breakup of the base fare and fuel charges helps you pay reasonable flight cancellation charges only. As cancellation charges according to DGCA cannot go beyond the sum of the base fare and fuel surcharge.

• In the case where airline cancels your journey voluntarily due to unforeseen reasons, you will reap good compensation for cancelled flight in India only if you know your base fare and fuel charges differently.

You must be aware that a flight ticket is bound to cap 5% GST on economy class and 12% on business class. The passengers Service Fee (WO) and User Development Fee (IN) shouldn’t mix up with the tax amount and must have a separate amount in the ticket.

But why my taxes and fee amount cannot merge?

As per Civil Aviation requirements, section-3, airlines have a responsibility to return all the User Development Fee and Passengers Service Fee in full whenever cases of – flight cancellation, non-utilisation of ticket and no show at airport are observed. But wait! That’s only possible when you know these fee amounts separately.

4. Hello! Terms and Conditions

Since this segment entails last, many people forget to read this segment. But this segment is equally important since it communicates airline’s terms and conditions for their flyers. This portion has all the statements which reconcile to the allowed baggage quantity, check-in timings, security considerations at the airport and other information related to meals and lounge facilities.

Earlier technical issues were only observed in the aircraft and the airline’s airport network but now it has started to emerge in air tickets too. Even we listened close to one passenger who stated how his one side ticket had all the fare price break up and other side ticket didn’t. It was shocking for him to observe since he knew airline’s liability to portray every piece of price breakup on air tickets.

Faced anything similar or worried what if you might one day? Don’t worry, contact refundme.in and know the exact components you need to have carved on your air ticket. We will cover you if you fall prey to any undesirable situation like cancelled flight or denied boarding.