'Get Free Seat On Your Flight': DGCA Asks Airlines To Allocate 60% Seats Free Of Cost; Co-Travellers To Be Seated Together

Mumbai: Air passengers will face lesser hurdles in booking their favourite seat on a flight or sitting near their friends or family as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued new directives aimed at curbing the rising costs of air travel associated with seat selection. In a significant move to protect passenger interests, the regulator has specifically targeted the practice of "unbundling" services, ensuring that a majority of passengers can secure seats without incurring additional expenses.

According to the new directives, airlines are now mandated to allocate at least 60% of the seats free of cost. Passengers will be saved from paying extra money to book a seat of their choice, which will fundamentally change how airlines manage their cabin inventory. This will ensure that the bulk of the aircraft will remain available for free selection, effectively preventing carriers from monetising every available inch of the cabin and forcing passengers into hidden costs during the booking process.

The DGCA has also addressed a long-standing grievance regarding the separation of travel companions. The directives state that passengers booked under the same passenger name record (PNR) should be seated together, “preferrably” in adjacent seats. Airlines are now expected to refine their seat allocation logic to prioritise contiguous seating for these groups, ensuring that families and friends are not scattered across the aircraft, which often caused logistical hurdles and emotional stress during the boarding process.

Moreover, the carriage of sports equipment and musical instruments will become easier as the regulator has directed the airlines to facilitate the transportation in a transparent and passenger-friendly manner based on the safety and operational regulations. It has also asked the airlines to bring out clear, transparent policies for the carriage of pets. Notably, Akasa Air and Air India already have an efficient pet travel framework in place.

The DGCA has also directed strict adherence to the passenger rights framework, particularly in cases of delays, cancellations and denied boarding while ensuring prominent display of passenger rights across airline websites, mobile applications, booking platforms, and airport counters. Details of passenger entitlements should also be communicated clearly in regional languages to ensure wider accessibility and awareness.

Union civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said, “I've got feedback from many different airports and passengers where they've talked about how the fare system in the purchase of seats was slightly pinching them at different levels. When you're booking a ticket, no matter where you want to select a seat, you have to pay additional amount. That is not going to happen. This is the instruction that we have given to the airlines and to the DGCA."