Airlines will not charge for check-in baggage up to 15 kg,says DGCA

In a counter to airlines' plans to start charging fliers for checked-in baggage, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is set to issue an order not allowing them to do so for baggage weighing up to 15 kg.

The regulator had earlier put check-in luggage under unbundled items category, allowing airlines to charge extra for it. Airlines like AirAsia India had planned to charge for any check-in luggage ahead of its operations last year.

However, seeing how the move could backfire as being non consumer-friendly, DGCA is likely to issue the '15 kg-free' order soon.  

"If some airline wants to incentive flyers with no check-in bag by offering them a rebate, we have no problem with that. But they will not be allowed to charge extra for first 15 kg of check-in bags. A consumer-friendly move is welcome but nothing that goes against flyers' interest will be allowed," a DGCA official told The Economic Times.

According to the report, the regulator is also looking into the recent increase in ticket cancellation charges by IndiGo, Jet Airways and SpiceJet. Airlines charge anywhere up to Rs 4,000 for cancelling a domestic ticket. All carriers have raised cancellation prices by 50-100 per cent in the last 20 months from earlier Rs 750.