Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has raised the problem of common people traveling by air in the Parliament. He said that when airlines charge money for every kilo of extra luggage, then why do passengers not get the money for the time lost when their flight gets delayed. This issue has been raised loudly during the discussion on Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak Bill in Parliament.
Compensation received on hourly basis
Raghav Chadha has suggested to the government that “Hourly Compensation” model should be implemented for airlines. He says that in today’s time every passenger’s time has value. Just as airlines automatically charge for weight gain, in the same way, compensation should come to passengers’ bank accounts without asking for flight delays. In the current system, passengers have to do a lot of paperwork to get compensation and often get nothing.
How much money do you get now if your flight is delayed?
DGCA had made new rules in June 2025, under which passengers have been given some rights in case of delay. However, conditions like bad weather save the airlines.
In case of delay of 2 to 3 hours the airline has to provide free food and snacks. For delays of 3 to 5 hours, compensation of Rs 2,000 or the option of another flight is available. If there is a delay of more than 5 hours, you get Rs 4,000 or a full refund can be claimed. If the flight is delayed by more than 8 hours or you have to stay overnight, you get another Rs 5,000 for hotel accommodation.
How much do airlines charge now?
Now apart from the ticket, one has to pay separately for many things in air travel. Companies like Indigo and Air India charge Rs 600 to Rs 650 per kg for luggage above 15 kg. Apart from this, passengers have to pay Rs 150 to Rs 2,500 separately to get the seat of their choice. Raghav Chadha also mentioned the expensive parking at the airport, which costs up to Rs 250 an hour in cities like Delhi.