Why should a customer pay a ₹2,325 penalty when an airline cancels the flight?
Recently, I booked a Star Air flight through Cleartrip (Booking ID: ******) for ₹13,800.
Out of nowhere, I received an email stating that the flight was cancelled by the airline, with no alternative flight options provided. When I reached out to Star Air, they confirmed they had no alternate flights available and had already processed a 100% full refund back to Cleartrip.
Here is where the real frustration began:
Total Amount Paid: ₹13,800
Airline Refund to Cleartrip: 100%
Refund Offered by Cleartrip: ₹11,475
Unfair Deduction: ₹2,325 (cited as "convenience fee and insurance")
When I spoke to three different Cleartrip customer care executives, I was bluntly told, "This is our policy, you can talk to anyone, we cannot do anything."
Let’s pause and look at the logic here:
1. I did not cancel the ticket—the airline did.
2. What "convenience" is Cleartrip charging me for when the trip never happened due to an operational cancellation?
3. Why am I paying for travel insurance on a flight that never took off?
Penalizing a customer ₹2,325 for an airline's cancellation isn't just poor customer service—it is an unfair trade practice. If an aggregator retains fees for a service that was never delivered through no fault of the passenger, trust in the platform is completely broken.
I am sharing this here not just for the money, but to highlight how flawed and anti-consumer these automated "policies" have become. Hoping the leadership team at Cleartrip takes notice and fixes a policy that punishes customers for things entirely outside their control.
Cleartrip Star Air DGCA India Airport Authority of India #cleartrip #CustomerExperience #ConsumerRight #AviationIndia #StarAir #DGCA #UnfairTradePractice #TravelTech
Personal details such as phone numbers, emails and ID or account numbers have been hidden (shown as ******) for privacy. Only the author, the company's approved representatives and Panchaayat staff can see them.
A confirmed hotel booking. No room on arrival. And 15 days of chasing a refund. Is this the customer experience Cleartrip promises?
On 3 October 2026, I travelled to Chafa Ecostay, Nashik, with four adults and a child, having booked accomm