What should you do if your flight leaves without you, is delayed, or cancelled?

Occasionally, adverse weather conditions or unexpected occurrences have the potential to disrupt your travel plans, leading to instances of flight delays, cancellations or worse, the plane leaving without you. And if you have found yourself in one of these situations or are planning to travel by air and is wondering what to do next or what are your rights in such situations, here's a quick guide for you.

Why now

• Due to an unexpected early departure, 6 travellers, including a government official, were unable to board an Indigo flight (6E 6162) heading to Mangaluru from Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• The flight was supposed to leave at 2.55 pm on Friday (August 4) but took off at 2.43 pm.

• The government official, according to the Times Of India, expressed dissatisfaction with the airline's failure to notify passengers about the flight's advanced departure time.

'Meeting missed'

• He additionally mentioned that their inability to catch the afternoon flight resulted in them being unable to attend scheduled meetings later in the day.
• After raising objections, the passengers were eventually rebooked on the subsequent Indigo flight at 8.20 pm, which ironically experienced a 30-minute delay. 

Now, this is not the first time an incident like this has occurred. For instance, on January 2023, a Go First plane took off from Bengaluru to Delhi allegedly without taking 50 passengers.

These 50 passengers were still inside the bus on the tarmac while their flight took off.

Now, if you are in such a situation, what to do?

1. Notify airline staff: Immediately inform airline staff at the airport about the situation. They can help assess the circumstances and provide you with guidance on the available options. In most cases, you can get another flight to hop on within the next hour or so.

2. Document the situation: Keep any evidence you have, such as your boarding pass, showing that you were present at the airport within the required time. This documentation can be useful for resolving the issue.

3. Request rebooking: Ask the airline staff to rebook you on the next available flight to your destination. They should provide you with a new ticket and boarding pass at no additional cost.

4. Seek compensation: Now, here comes the tricky part. In accordance with DGCA guidelines, if you were at the boarding gate on time but the flight left early, you may be eligible for compensation from the airline. But the details for a flight leaving early and the compensation have not been mentioned clearly.  

However, the compensation could include the cost of the ticket, additional expenses incurred due to the missed flight, and compensation for the inconvenience caused.

5. Contact DGCA: If you think the airline is not acting responsibly, you can escalate the matter to the DGCA. Visit the DGCA's official website or contact their helpline to file a complaint and seek resolution.

[READ MORE: The flight food and drinks that you should absolutely avoid, as advised by flight attendants]

However, DGCA does have details about your flight getting delayed or cancelled. Let us look at it.

If you have completed your check-in within the stipulated time, but your flight experienced a delay according to DGCA guidelines: 

•  If your flight is delayed for more than two hours for domestic flights or more than three hours for international flights, the airline should provide you with free meals and refreshments, access to a telephone or email
• This same provision applies if your flight's planned duration falls between 2.5 to 5 hours, and the delay stretches to 3 hours or beyond.
• Furthermore, if your flight encounters a delay of 4 hours or more, regardless of its original duration, you are entitled to receive these refreshments.

For domestic flights that anticipate a delay exceeding 6 hours, the revised departure time must be communicated to you at least 24 hours before the original scheduled departure. Additionally, the airline is obligated to offer you either an alternative flight within a 6-hour window or a full refund for your ticket. 

[READ MORE: Onions force Air India Express flight from Kochi to Sharjah to return soon after takeoff]

What about cancellations?

Let us break it down for you. 

1. If your flight is cancelled:

• If you're told about the cancellation between 2 weeks and 24 hours before your flight, you can choose another flight or get a refund.
• If you're not informed at this time or if you miss a connecting flight on the same ticket, the airline should give you a new flight or compensation, along with a refund.

  

2. Compensation for different flight durations:

• For flights up to 1 hour, you get Rs 5,000 or the ticket cost, whichever is lower.
• For flights between 1 and 2 hours, you get Rs 7,500.
•  For flights over 2 hours, you get Rs 10,000.

3. Change in departure or arrival airport:

• If the airline changes your airport, they will arrange your transfer to the original one.
• If you're informed at least 6 hours ahead, you need to handle your own transfer.

4. Waiting for a new flight:

• If you're waiting for a new flight after reporting for the original one, the airline provides free food and drinks based on your waiting time.

Make sure the airline has your correct contact details when you book, or you might not receive compensation.

READ MORE: 56 hours since takeoff from Delhi, 216 Air India passengers land in San Francisco on replacement flight