Booking a flight may soon become less stressful.
The Indian government is planning to include a special travel insurance with every air ticket.
This new feature could launch in the next two to three months.
With this change, passengers may receive up to 80% refund even if they cancel their flight at the last minute.
Right now, if you cancel your ticket within three hours of departure, it is marked as a no-show, and you get no refund.
In rare cases like medical emergencies, airlines may refund the full amount, but it depends entirely on the airline.
What Will Change With the New Rule?
According to reports, the Civil Aviation Ministry is in talks with airlines to add this insurance automatically to tickets.
The best part is that passengers won’t have to pay anything extra.
Airlines will handle the insurance premium by partnering with insurance companies.
Today, travel insurance is optional and is sold as an add-on.
But under this new plan, it will be included for everyone—even for the lowest-priced tickets.
A major airline has already started discussions with insurers.
Officials say they are exploring how to offer the benefit even on the cheapest fares.
Why Is This Needed?
Many passengers avoid booking flights because they fear losing money if plans change unexpectedly.
There are frequent complaints from people who couldn’t travel due to emergencies but still didn’t receive a refund.
Experts estimate that if around ₹50 worth of insurance premium is included in each ticket, passengers could get up to 80% refund for cancellations made up to four hours before departure.
Online travel agencies already offer similar insurance.
According to airline officials, the model works well because only a very small number of passengers cancel for genuine reasons.
This makes it financially viable for insurers.
