Airlines now free to charge extra from passengers for every services

30 Apr 2013 Evaluate

Airlines were allowed to unbundle services through charging extra for blocking seats in advance, check-in baggage, and carrying sports and musical equipment or high value baggage. The list of items allowed for extra charge by aviation minister Ajit Singh will be reviewed in six months. Airlines will have to file details of services to be unbundled and their charges to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Airlines will have to have fixed charge for services and not change them like airfares for different flights. At present, domestic flyers were allowed to check-in 20 kg and airlines have been planning to reduce this to 15 kg. Economy class passengers will be allowed to use their lounges for a fee apart from the common practice of onboard sale of food and beverages, except drinking water in cups (not the bottled variety) which has to be given free.

Airlines have been planning to hike excess baggage charges and almost all low cost carriers (LCC) and some full service ones were in favour of reducing free baggage limit. They were waiting since years for DGCA to first allow pre-booking of seat charges.

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