IndiGo, AirAsia giving ticket refunds in travel agents' accounts instead of credit shells

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IndiGo and AirAsia India have started crediting air ticket refunds into the accounts of travel agents instead of retaining money in credit shells, according to travel portal EaseMyTrip.com.

The move is likely to come as a relief for travel agents as they would now have the flexibility to return the refunds to customers.

"All passengers who want refund instead of credit shell would be refunded. Currently, AirAsia has done specifically with EaseMyTrip.com and we have refunded money to customers in their bank account, even though we were getting money from AirAsia in our ticketing wallet.

"... other companies are refunding money in their own wallet to customers. Now, IndiGo has also started refunding in our agency wallet balance, which we can use for buying fresh tickets with IndiGo, so we are refunding money to customers in their bank account," EaseMyTrip.com CEO Nishant Pitti told PTI.

Domestic flight services remained suspended for two months starting from March 25 in the wake of the nationwide lockdown to curb spreading of coronavirus infections. The flights resumed on May 25.

Pitti said the two carriers have now given the option to travel agents to either give refund to customers or keep the money in a credit shell.

Credit shell is like a wallet where the refund amount is used for future bookings.

Prior to the lockdown, the two airlines allowed refunds to be held only in a credit shell for customers, he added.