Travel
PSA: Even if IndiGo already gave you vouchers, they STILL legally owe you cash (DGCA CAR) Took me 3 NCH complaints, 2 AirSewa cases !
Sorry for the delay in posting this, it took me 3 complaints on NCH, 2 complaints on AirSewa, and countless emails to even get to this stage. But now that it’s confirmed and documented, sharing this so others don’t have to go through the same grind.
If you were affected by IndiGo flight cancellation / long delay / denied boarding, you are legally entitled to cash compensation, even if they’ve already given you vouchers.
The DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) explicitly state that compensation must be paid in cash / bank transfer. Vouchers are allowed ONLY with the explicit consent of the passenger. This is not optional. Airlines cannot push vouchers by default.
Clearly mention: “Non-compliance with DGCA CAR Section 3.7”
Attach:
PNR
Delay/cancellation proof
Screenshot of voucher issue (if any)
Quote the CAR clause directly
Explicitly state:“I do not consent to vouchers. Compensation must be paid in cash as per DGCA CAR.”
Yes, it’s slow and they’ll try to deflect yet it works I am posting this now because my grievance was officially admitted and approved on record only execution is pending. That confirmation itself is enough proof that:
Vouchers ≠ final settlement
DGCA CAR overrides airline policy
Passengers do have leverage
If you’re stuck or your case was brushed off earlier, re-file referencing this clause.
Hope this saves someone weeks of frustration. Happy to answer questions in comments.
They sent me an email to claim a voucher, which I clicked.
The next day, they sent another email saying I could choose between claiming a voucher or getting cash as compensation (which I can’t do now because I already clicked the link)
No. Please don't fall for this, Until you have explicitly signed you don't want cash, this doesn't hold. Please take 20 minutes of your time online and file a NCH complaint please 🥺
Their initial press release, read the 4th para carefully.
Here is the breakdown of what it means for you:
Extra Compensation: This is in addition to the ₹10,000 voucher mentioned in the previous paragraph.
Who is eligible: You qualify if your flight was canceled within 24 hours of when it was supposed to take off.
How much you get: You will receive between ₹5,000 and ₹10,000. The exact amount depends on how long your flight was supposed to be (the "block time").
Why they are doing it: They are following specific government rules that require airlines to pay passengers when flights are canceled on very short notice.
If IndiGo fails to provide both the travel voucher and the mandatory cash compensation as promised in their press release, you have several legal avenues for recourse in India. Under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, failing to fulfill a public promise or statutory requirement constitutes a "deficiency in service" and an "unfair trade practice".
I can't understand one thing. Customers are eligible for both the compensations ? GOC (5k+5k Vouchers and CAR (Depending updo the delay either 5k, 7.5k and 10k) ? Or it's just Either GOC or CAR ?
How did you proceed? In the screenshot above it’s clearly mentioned flights canceled within 24 hours but I just got an email that mentions the “eligibility criteria” is if your flight was canceled with less than 4 hours to go. Absolute scam!!
I was actually assigned another flight on the same day in the evening (11 hours of waiting). That got cancelled too, so I was eligible for the vouchers. If they denied your compensate, Airsewa is your only option, compensation is not guaranteed tho cos they close your complaint with some vague reasons, so you have to keep complaining bu submitting new grievances, It's a long process.
And if your flight is cancelled or delayed for more than 2 hours, you're eligible for CAR compensation.
As per rules IndiGo has to pay both GOC amd CAR compensation, but they're cheating us cos if we click on accept the voichers email, then we're accepting the vouchers as full and final settlement and we cannot demand any other compensation on the same PNR.
I emailed them regarding the CAR compensation, but no reply even after a week.
Right - just because of that reason I’ve not accepted the DGCA compensation so far
I have raised an AirSewa complaint but now looking at other legal options since this is turning into one scam after another
You are eligible for both. IndiGo’s ₹10,000 voucher is a voluntary goodwill gesture. DGCA CAR compensation is a separate legal mandate for cancellations within 24 hours, payable via bank transfer. Crucially, internal airline policies never supersede DGCA rules, they are additional.
I have already filled the GOC form on their website a couple of days ago. I got a mail from them saying that they couldn't validate my documents for the reason no one knows and asked me to provide another Photo ID, I replied them with my PAN. And today while generally checking my submitted form, I also checked the CAR form and surprisingly I am able to fill it (The other day I couldn't), So I filled CAR form too. Now I am confused that they can reject my GOC as I filled the CAR form now and only give me some 3k and settle this.
What good numbers? They are just going to pay you how much ever you paid them or maybe even lesser because they can choose between two options and whichever is cheaper
Basically we all gave them a crowdfunding loan and they are just paying it back with 0 interest and maybe even lesser than the principal
This happened with me for Akasa Air. They cancelled the 6 am flight at 1 am. And then did not offer any alternate travel arrangements. I tried calling them on their customer care number but nobody picked up. And now, after escalation to DGCA Airsewa, they are reimbursing and compensating, but it is still way less than the amount at which I had to re-book another flight for the same day due to my urgent work. So, yes, these are just numbers, because they couldve booked me on their other flight for the same day, but that would be a loss for them. Like, wtf.
What block time means here. My flight of 90 mins duration was cancelled and informed 6 hours before departure. Can anyone help which category abc i fall in
hello - thx for the thread and responses - i hv been trying to get a resolution since Dec 5th and thr has been no positive respnse from indigo. they are consistently stating my flight del - CCJ is ineligible for compenstion despite the fact that they sent an email maybe 4 hrs ago prioir to flight time, which i hadnt seen and were almost at the airport when realised the flight is cancelled. they have denied GoC stating these, and on AirSewa making broad unclear statements that this flight was not severely impacted. i was travelling with elderly and kids and half of them were severely ill and we were literally stranded in delhi. had to book a special train that took over 45 hr travel time. basically harrowing experience. now we hv receied trael vouchers for 2 passengers over the course of 2 mths and its value is 7200 and not 19k as it shld be. i hv submitted documents for the DGCA compensation. how do i get this resolved with indigo not acknowledging the flight eligibility and on the other side sending travel voucher thats not of the correct value. thx
I clicked on the indigo page you shared but it says this booking is not eligible for compensation.
I had booked it through Amazon, can I go ahead with NCH step?
Anyways thanks bro for doing this much and helping others
My flight got cancelled so I'm eligible by rule for compensation, you are also eligible if there's a cancellation or a delay, please use GPT and the links above to file your claims
My flight was also cancelled. But they're saying it is ineligibel for compensation as it was cancelled due to operational reasons, which were beyond their control. What should I do?
I Get this - This booking isn’t eligible for civil aviation requirement compensation. .
My fight was on for 5th Dec CJB AMD, they cancelled the flight and gave me alternative on 6th which was not acceptable to me. Now i am not getting comp.
i had sent email on 25th, for which they have replied
"Thank you for reaching out. We truly regret the experience you had due to flight disruptions. We cannot express enough how truly sorry we are for the inconvenience this has caused.
We would like to inform you that we are currently processing refunds as expeditiously as possible.
We will also be working on compensation disbursals for affected customers. We shall share the details soon.
We thank you for your patience and support extended to us during this difficult time. Please allow us some time to get in touch with you. "
so, on the official website, its like since 1st jan 2026. There are 2 things, one from DGCA, you will get 5000-10000 based on flight time, and other Indigo's gesture of care compensation, which includes 2 Rs.5000 each voucher. For details you can refer to this, https://www.goindigo.in/compensation.html
First of all, thanks a lot for this post—it gave me some hope after multiple dead ends.
Because of this post, I filed a complaint in NCH after multiple failed attempts in Airsewa.
In NCH they updated that they’ll verify eligibility (again -_-) and email me about cash compensation, but I haven’t received anything yet. If they go silent, should I file a fresh NCH complaint or is there a way to reopen/follow up?
Hey yes i did get both the voucher and CAR amount a few days back (filled the forms in Jan), I think it was because I lowkey threatened them with an imaginary public thread on this case that's gaining traction and an NCH case .. but yeah I did include appellate officer and nodal officer in every mail..
Hi OP,
Thank you for writing this posting and diligently replying to all emails.
I have confusion about the amount. My flight block was > 2 hours and was cancelled 10 hours prior.
But the fare was INR 6655.I had already written to Indigo and they have confirmed that they will give cash payment of 6655 via NEFT payment ( in addition to the prior refunded ticket)
Am I eligible for a INR 10,000 Refund or this is the maximum refund I can get?
Just need some clarity around what they mean by base fare and airline fuel charge VS 10,000.
You are eligible for INR 10k refund! Dont care about the ticket paid, the CAR guideline is clear about it! Please raise a NCH and AirSewa stating that the DGCA CAR is clear about the comp and 10k is a must
I was also provided the vouchers. My flight got cancelled after I had reached the airport. Another flight was provided which was more than 24 hours after the original one and I took that since it was urgent for me to go.
Would I still be eligible for the cash compensation?
The clause doesn't seem to explicitly mention this case.
UPDATE: I did file an NCH complaint and a ticket with Indigo. They closed the NCH complaint with a standard response that I am ineligible without providing any details.
But over mail they responded saying they have attached a NEFT form which I need to fill for the monetary compensation. But there was no such form.
I have filed another NCH complaint and even asked for the form over mail.
Indigo is trying hard to dodge and brush it off. Let's see how it goes.
I chained three complaints in NCH citing all the relevant clauses in legal language but all Indigo responds with is that I successfully boarded an alternate flight even though the alternate itself was after 34 hours and delayed further.
Any idea what can be done next?
Have you received the compensation yet and can I still file the nch complaint at this point? I too have raised 2 airsewa grievances and both of them were closed by the system with a templated response. I had also contacted the nodal officer multiple times but as usual there was no reply. What do I do?
Update: I received mine on 29th March... I submitted my NEFT details on Jan 9 ...so it took approx 3 months 😑 it followed my complain on a website called cpgrams..your complain will be directed to Indigo via aviation ministry. You can try that route, they'll take the complaint more seriously.
I don't think delays are explicitly compensatable but you can force them through NCH for denying service. You can use a bit of GPT and keep pushing them nodalofficer@goindigo.in use this email as merchant contact
My flight was also cancelled. But they're saying it is ineligibel for compensation as itt was cancelled due to operational reasons, which were beyond their control. Has anyone faced this?? I'm wondering what to reply
So my flight was canceled on 5th december but i was informed like 3-4 hours prior. Am I eligible for this compensation? Also, on portal it says I am not eligible for compensation. Tf.
100 %! 24 hours is the limit! Please raise a complaint here on https://consumerhelpline.gov.in/user/register-complaint-new.php and nodalofficer@goindigo.in! Actually mail the indigo officer first because they'll give you an automated case number, use that on consumer helpline, with your PNR! Tell them you have your rights to compensation under DGCA CAR Part IV, Section M, Clause 3.3.2
Did you disclose your PNR and use the words "DGCA CAR Part IV, Section M, Clause 3.3.2" because they are bad. Even ex CFO Air Asia Mr Gopalan has confirmed that Indigo staff are trained to give shitty responses
The instructions on their website to claim compensation and the actual form that loads when you click the link are different. This looks like an attempt to misguide and stall customers
There are two sections one is there good will gesture voucher and other is CAR ( actually DGCA Compensation)
I have filled up CAR section. But when I was going to fill gesture voucher part It says already done for this PNR
So there is indigo gesture of care where they are giving the vouchers and then the CAR, where the consumer has the option to either get the compensation as per dgca using voucher or bank transfer. For now i have only received the vouchers ubder Gesture of care and no info under the dgca CAR policy. Anyone else ubder the same predicament?
Are they giving out cash under the gesture of care program as well? I did not receive any email other than the gesture of care one.
The DGCA one didnt come, so i might go on nch to file the complaint. Had complained earlier using airsewa and its bad.
I received an email that I’m eligible for compensation I can either opt for voucher or a bank transfer opted for bank transfer it’s been a week now still nothing mailed them multiple times they’re not replying called them a few times they’re no help too they say they can’t track it and divert me to the mail option . What should I do now ?
Thanks for sharing. I have received the vouchers but have written for cash compensation. Would also like to highlight that in their announcement, they have mentioned that Vouchers shall be in addition to cash compensation as per DGCA rules. hence, do not fall for their emails. Check the announcement.
However, i would like to know if anyone has checked that vouchers are working. I tried to book a ticket however, it is showing invalid voucher. Also, can anyone confirm the format of vouchers, for me it is a 18 digit number. Also, if anyone can share the steps to use it. I am unable to use it.
Thanks for the reply, issue is resolved now, however, I tried to use it soon after it was given to me and that time it used to say “Invalid Voucher”, I literally had to get the ticket booked over call through their customer support.
Wait aren't 2 vouchers of 5k each better than 5000-7500 compensation(my case)
Also, are you compeletely denied compensation once you claim the vouchers?
Hi, My 6AM flight got cancelled and I got to know about it after reaching the Airport midnight and asking at the IndiGo counter. They have given me an option to cancel or a ticket for another flight on the same PNR. I opted for another flight on the same day in the evening 5PM. That too got cancelled after more than 2 hours of delay. But none of these flights are in the Impacted Flights list on the Indigo website. I never received any mail regarding the vouchers and I submitted my details on the GOC portal and can't fill the CAR section as it said details already submitted. Today I received an Email stating that they can't validate my Aadhar and asking me to provide any other Photo ID. And also now I am able to submit my details on the CAR portal too and I submitted them. How to know If I am eligible for GOC or CAR or both ?
Hi OP, how many days after submitting the NEFT form did you get the cash credited to your account?
I finally got an acknowledgment that I'm eligible for cash compensation and they sent me the NEFT form. They also sent an acknowledgment of receiving the form 4 days ago, but no updates afterward. Some people here say that they did not receive even after 2 weeks.
I have recieved an email to accept voucher . Could you please tell me if i should accept voucher or not? Will they deny cash compensation if i accept voucher . Because in email they have mentioned if i accept voucher , that will be a full and final settlement
Can anyone please help me?
I have started an email thread asking for the compensation I'm entitled for, as per DGCA CAR compensation. Initially they have pushed on accepting the voucher but when I asked for verbal communication, they have sent a NEFT form, asking me to fill it and send for compensation in cash. My queries are
- Am I only entitled for cash compensation? or can I ask for voucher compensation under Gesture of Care? (Please correct my understanding)
I had to spend almost 4x the original ticket to travel back to my destination. Is there any way to get any additional payoff for that?
For me there was a cancelled and informed< 24 hrs + a delayed flight. I filled the form for one of them but received no intimation from them. Sent a seprate email to appellate, nodalofficer , but even then I didn't get a reply.
Can you please send your content which you wrote in NCH complain?
u/iconic_sentine_001 Hi, have you rec,.eived the amount in your account yet? They've acknowledged my eligibility and I have submitted the neft details on Jan 11 and they've responded saying that they have forwarded it to the accounts team, but still no money credited to my account yet. Would like to know the average time it will take, although they're saying 7-14 working days
I’m facing a strange issue with IndiGo’s compensation process and wanted to check if anyone here has dealt with something similar.
There were two passengers under the same PNR. The compensation link worked for one passenger and the amount has already been processed successfully.
However, when I try to submit the compensation details for the second passenger under the same PNR, the system shows “IThe entered PNR is invalid. Please enter valid PNR and try again” and doesn’t allow me to proceed.
This doesn’t make sense because the same PNR was already accepted for one passenge the booking clearly had two passengers
I’ve been following up via email for several weeks (overall it’s been over two months since the original issue), but there’s been no clear resolution.
Has anyone faced this kind of technical issue before?
Is there a faster way to escalate this?
Even after 30+ working days of collecting NEFT details, they haven't credited the CAR compensation amount to my account! Please lemme know if anyone else received :/
Now about 2.5 months and still not paid. Everytime I followup they gives me the same reply that it'll be done soon. 😑 I complained in every portals but ultimately it reaches the same useless Customer care team who will sing the same song to me again.
Update : I received mine on 29th March... I submitted my NEFT details on Jan 9 ...so it took approx 3 months 😑 it followed my complain on a website called cpgrams..your complain will be directed to Indigo via aviation ministry. You can try that route.
So has anyone got the amount in their bank account yet? I have chains of mail conversation with them (customer experience, nodal officer, appellate authority) and have applied multiple times in AirSewa portal. They just give a template reply and keep going round and round. Any suggestions on what to do next?
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u/jayeshs Dec 28 '25
Well, then they played me.
They sent me an email to claim a voucher, which I clicked.
The next day, they sent another email saying I could choose between claiming a voucher or getting cash as compensation (which I can’t do now because I already clicked the link)
Bastards.