Will Go First flyers get refund after cancellation of flights?

According to notice on Go First website it said,” We regret to inform that due to operational reasons, Go First flights scheduled for 3rd, 4th and 5th May 2023 have been cancelled. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the flight cancellations. A full refund will be issued to the original mode of payment shortly.

We acknowledge the flight cancellations might have disrupted your travel plans and we are committed to providing all the assistance we can.

We thank you for your patience. Kindly contact our Customer Care Centre on 1800 2100 999 or write to us at [email protected] to let us know how we can help you.”

What will happen to flyers who booked their tickets on  Go First on 3,4,5 May?

The announcement further states that a full refund will be issued to the original mode of payment. This means if a passenger has booked the ticket through a travel agent then the amount will be credited back to the travel agent and the passenger has to claim it back from the travel agent. 

In case of direct booking with the Go-First the amount will be credited directly to the passenger’s account. 

According to  Prantik Hazarika, Aviation Law Expert and Partner at Khaitan & Khaitan,” As per Paragraph 1.4 of the Civil Aviation Requirements Section 3 – Air Transport, Series M, Part IV, Issue 1 dated 6th August 2010 effective from 27th February 2019 issued by DGCA (“DGCA CAR Guidelines”) an operating airline would not have the obligation to pay compensation in cases where the cancellations have been caused by an event(s) could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken by the airline. 

Further Paragraph 3.3.1 of the said DGCA CAR Guidelines provides that in case the passengers are informed of the cancellation less than two weeks before and up to 24 hours of the scheduled time of departure, the airline shall offer an alternate flight or refund the ticket, as acceptable to the passenger. In this case the Go First Airlines has already announced refund of ticket amount to the original mode of payment. In case the passengers are informed in less than 24 hours then the DGCA Car Guidelines provides for payment of compensation however the same will be inapplicable as Paragraph 3.3.4 provides that no such compensation shall be payable to any of the affected passengers in case the cancellations occur due to extraordinary circumstances beyond the control of the airline (as described in Para 1.4 and Para 1.5) even if all reasonable measures had been taken by the airline.

“Go First’s 2 day suspension is likely to cause disruption to the travel schedules of several passengers. Generally in such scenarios the airlines compensate in the form of a full refund or credit, however, if Go First fails to do so, the passengers may approach the district consumer forum for deficiency of services, seeking appropriate compensation,” said Sohil Shah, Principal Associate, Pioneer Legal.

Here is some others FAQs on ticket cancellation given in Go First’s website:

I had a booking on Go First, which is cancelled now. How do I get the refund?

In the event of flight cancellation, on account of unavoidable operational issues. The refunds will be processed to the respective modes of payment. We shall keep you updated on the proceedings. Thank you for your understanding.

I had booked my tickets through an online travel aggregator. My travel agent or online travel aggregator is telling me to contact Go First, who do I contact for refund?

In the event of flight cancellation, on account of unavoidable operational issues. The refunds will be processed to the original modes of payment. We shall keep you updated on the proceedings. Thank you for your understanding.