Whether you get your money back on a cancelled flight in India depends on three layers: the airline’s fare rules, the regulator’s minimum protections, and any cancellation cover you added at booking. Most low fares refund only taxes and airport charges if you cancel. Since 26 March 2026, DGCA rules give you a 48-hour penalty-free window on eligible direct airline bookings and require refunds within 14 working days. For anything beyond that, a protection add-on – ixigo Assured for a full refund, or Assured Flex for a free reschedule – is what turns a restrictive fare into a flexible one.
Key takeaways
- On most domestic saver fares, cancelling forfeits the base fare; you recover only taxes and airport fees.
- DGCA’s 2026 rules add a 48-hour free cancellation or change window (conditions apply) and cap refund processing at 14 working days.
- Cancellation protection is a paid add-on, chosen at booking, that refunds the airline’s cancellation charge or waives rescheduling fees within a stated window.
- Protection cannot be added after you pay. Decide at booking.
Why does the refund policy matter more than a ₹200 fare difference?
A flight refund policy is the set of rules that decide how much of your ticket price you recover if you cancel, and how fast. It matters because the risk is lopsided: choosing the cheaper of two fares saves a few hundred rupees, while cancelling a non-refundable fare can cost the entire base fare – often several thousand rupees per passenger on a domestic sector.
The travellers most exposed are those with the least certain plans: business trips that get moved, family travel built around events, weekends that depend on leave approval. For them the question at booking is not “which fare is cheapest?” but “what does this fare cost me if I can’t fly?”
Airline rules vs booking-channel rules: who decides your refund?
Three parties set the rules on every ticket.
The airline
The airline sets the cancellation charge – a fixed fee per passenger per sector that rises closer to departure – and the change fee. Fare families differ: a saver fare carries the full charge; a flexi fare reduces or waives it. On many low fares the cancellation charge equals or exceeds the base fare, so the practical refund is just the taxes.
The regulator (DGCA)
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation sets a floor no airline or seller can go below. Its 2026 revision to the Civil Aviation Requirements added three protections:
- A 48-hour look-in window. Cancel or amend within 48 hours of booking without additional charges – provided the ticket was booked directly on the airline’s website and departure is at least seven days away for domestic flights or 15 days for international. Any fare difference still applies.
- Refund timelines. Airlines must complete refunds within 14 working days, and when a ticket is bought through an agent or portal, responsibility for the refund still rests with the airline.
- Taxes are always refunded. Statutory taxes, UDF/ADF and PSF must be refunded whatever the fare type, including promotional and non-refundable fares. Name corrections are free within 24 hours of a direct booking.
The booking channel
An online travel agency applies its own convenience fee and offers, processes the cancellation with the airline, and – the part that matters here – can sell you cancellation protection the airline does not offer on that fare.
What free-cancellation windows exist in 2026?
| Window | Who provides it | Conditions |
| 48 hours from booking | DGCA rule, via airline | Direct airline booking; departure ≥7 days (domestic) / ≥15 days (international); fare difference applies |
| Airline flexi fare | Airline | Higher fare; reduced or nil change and cancellation fees per fare rules |
| Protection add-on window | Booking platform | Paid at booking; cancel within the stated window before departure for a full refund or free reschedule |
What is a cancellation protection add-on, and how does it work?
A cancellation protection add-on is an optional product bought at the time of booking that refunds the airline’s cancellation charge, or waives rescheduling fees, if you cancel or change within a defined window. It is not travel insurance: no claim form, no reason required, no documents.
How it works:
- Select the protection while booking and pay a fee above the fare.
- If plans change, cancel or reschedule through the platform within the stated window.
- The airline refunds what its fare rules allow; the protection refunds the remainder, so you recover the full airfare and taxes.
What to check before buying one:
- The window: how long before departure you must cancel. This is the most important term.
- Full or capped: does it refund the full fare or up to a per-passenger limit?
- Cancel, reschedule or both.
- Exclusions: airline insolvency and government-imposed disruptions are commonly excluded; airline-initiated cancellations are handled separately.
- Refund speed: instant, or after airline confirmation?
ixigo Assured and Assured Flex: two ways to protect a booking
ixigo offers two protection products on domestic flights. They answer different questions.
Assured – for when you might not travel at all
ixigo Assured is a free-cancellation product: opt in while booking, and if you cancel within the refund window you receive a full refund, no questions asked and no documents required. The refund is initiated automatically within minutes of cancelling, though depending on your bank and payment mode it can take up to seven days to reflect. It covers departures up to 121 days from the booking date, the Assured fee is refundable if the airline itself cancels the flight, and standard exclusions apply for war, government bans, law-and-order disruptions and airline insolvency.
The refund window depends on how far ahead you booked. For domestic flights, a booking made 26 hours to 90 days before departure must be cancelled at least 24 hours before departure; a booking made 10 to 26 hours before departure can be cancelled up to 8 hours before.
One operational rule: you must cancel through the ixigo app within the window, even if you also cancelled on the airline’s site.
Assured Flex – for when you’ll travel, just not as planned
Assured Flex covers the other scenario: either a one-time no-questions-asked full refund on cancellation, or a one-time free rescheduling that can change the date, the airline and the sector – origin and destination – for a fee above the fare. It applies to both legs of a round trip, together or separately. The flexibility is one-time: after a free reschedule, any further change or cancellation is charged at the airline’s regular rates.
Which one fits your trip? Three use cases
The tentative weekend. You’ve found a good Goa fare for a long weekend but leave isn’t approved. The risk is not going at all. → Assured. If leave is refused, cancel within the window and get everything back.
The moving meeting. You’re booked Delhi–Mumbai for a client meeting that could shift by a week, or relocate to Bengaluru. The risk is change, not cancellation. → Assured Flex. One free reschedule covers a new date, a new city, even a different airline.
The fixed family trip. Diwali travel to your hometown, dates certain, booked three months out. The main risk is an airline schedule change, which DGCA rules already cover with refund or rebooking. → No add-on needed – unless one member of the group has uncertain plans, in which case protect that passenger’s ticket only.
Pre-booking refund checklist
Before you search
- I know how certain my dates are: fixed, might move, or might not travel
- I know whether I’d want to cancel or to reschedule
On the fare
- I’ve read the airline’s cancellation charge for this fare family
- I know what I’d get back if I cancelled tomorrow – is it just taxes?
- I’ve compared the flexi fare against the saver fare plus protection
On the protection
- The cancellation window fits my likely decision date
- I know whether it refunds fully or up to a cap
- I know whether it covers cancel, reschedule, or both
- I’ll cancel through the platform, not just the airline
On my rights
- Booking direct with the airline ≥7 days out gives me a 48-hour penalty-free window
- Taxes and airport fees come back whatever fare I book
- Refunds are due within 14 working days
FAQs
Can I get a full refund on a domestic flight in India?
Only if the fare is refundable, you cancel within a free window (the DGCA 48-hour window on eligible direct bookings, or an airline flexi fare), or you buy cancellation protection at booking. On a standard saver fare you recover taxes and airport charges but lose the base fare.
What is the 48-hour free cancellation rule?
A DGCA rule effective 26 March 2026 allowing cancellation or amendment within 48 hours of booking without additional charges, for tickets booked directly on the airline’s website with departure at least seven days (domestic) or 15 days (international) away. Fare differences still apply.
How long do flight refunds take in India?
DGCA requires airlines to complete refunds within 14 working days. With ixigo Assured, the refund is initiated within minutes of cancellation; banks can take up to seven days to credit it.
What is the difference between ixigo Assured and Assured Flex?
Assured refunds the full fare if you cancel within the window. Assured Flex gives you either that refund or a one-time free reschedule covering date, route and airline. Choose Assured if you might not travel; Assured Flex if you’ll travel but plans may change.
Do I need travel insurance if I have cancellation protection?
They cover different risks. Cancellation protection refunds your fare if you cancel. Travel insurance covers medical emergencies, baggage loss and trip interruption. Many travellers carry both internationally.
What happens if the airline cancels my flight?
DGCA rules require a full refund or rebooking. If you bought ixigo Assured, the Assured fee is refunded too, though the instant-refund route does not apply — ixigo validates with the airline first.
Can I add cancellation protection after booking?
No. Assured and Assured Flex must be selected at the time of booking.
Is the convenience fee refunded when I cancel?
Generally not on customer-initiated cancellations. Check the platform’s terms for airline-initiated cancellations.
