OTA Refund Policies Compared 2026

Side-by-side comparison of refund policies, cancellation fees and dispute resolution at MakeMyTrip, Yatra, Cleartrip.

Indian OTA Refund Policies Compared 2026 — MakeMyTrip vs Yatra vs Cleartrip vs ixigo vs EaseMyTrip

By Ishaani Reddy (Ishaani Reddy writes about the consumer-protection side of travel — DGCA passenger rights, OTA refund policies, hidden fees, dynamic-currency-conversion traps and the seven kinds of booking mistakes that quietly drain Indian travel budgets.) · Published · Last updated · 10 min read

MakeMyTrip, Yatra, Cleartrip, ixigo and EaseMyTrip all charge convenience fees, processing fees and cancellation charges on top of what the airline itself charges. Here is a clear 2026 comparison of what each OTA's refund policy actually says and how it plays out.

Why OTA refunds are messier than airline refunds

When you book a flight directly on an airline website, the refund flow is relatively clean. The airline cancels your ticket, the airline processes the refund, and the money returns to your original mode of payment within 7 working days for credit card or 30 days for cash, as required by DGCA's CAR Section 3 Series M Part IV. When you book through an Online Travel Agent (OTA) like MakeMyTrip, Yatra, Cleartrip, ixigo or EaseMyTrip, the same refund flow becomes a three-party transaction and a meaningfully more complicated experience for the passenger.

The OTA collects your payment, takes its convenience fee, passes the ticket cost to the airline (often through a consolidator), and when a refund is due, the airline refunds the OTA, who then refunds you minus the OTA's own cancellation or processing charges. Each leg of this chain has its own timeline, dispute path and policy. The differences between OTA policies are not always obvious from the booking screen, but they can amount to several thousand rupees of additional cost when cancellations happen.

This guide compares the published refund policies of the five major Indian OTAs as of 2026, the typical fee structures, the resolution channels and the practical pitfalls. For a detailed look at your underlying rights under aviation rules, see our DGCA passenger rights guide.

MakeMyTrip — the convenience fee, the MMT cancellation fee and the assured refund products

MakeMyTrip, India's largest OTA by booking volume, structures its flight refund policy in three layers. Layer one is the airline's own cancellation fee, which varies by airline and fare class — typically 3,000 to 4,000 rupees on domestic economy and 4,500 to 6,500 rupees on international economy for IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express, SpiceJet and Akasa. Layer two is MakeMyTrip's own cancellation fee, which is approximately 300 to 500 rupees per passenger per sector on domestic and 500 to 800 rupees on international.

Layer three is the convenience fee charged at the time of booking, which is typically non-refundable even when you cancel — usually 150 to 300 rupees per passenger per ticket. MakeMyTrip also sells an add-on called "Assured Refund" or "Zero Cancellation Fee" at booking time for a premium of approximately 200 to 400 rupees per passenger. If you bought this add-on, the MMT cancellation fee is waived but the airline cancellation fee still applies — the marketing is somewhat misleading because the bigger fee remains.

Refund processing on MakeMyTrip typically takes 7 to 14 working days for credit card and slightly longer for net banking and UPI. For grievances, the first escalation is through the MMT MyTrips section, then the customer support number, then the grievance email at grievance@makemytrip.com. AirSewa and the National Consumer Helpline at 1915 are the next escalation levels if MMT does not resolve within 30 days.

Yatra — the corporate booking experience and the consumer refund timeline

Yatra Online is the second-largest Indian OTA and has a structural preference for corporate booking customers, which shows in its refund handling. Corporate bookings on Yatra Travel Hub generally have faster refund processing because Yatra holds settlements with the airlines on a centralised account, but consumer bookings through yatra.com follow the standard three-party flow.

Yatra's own service fee for flight cancellations is typically 250 to 500 rupees per passenger per sector on domestic, in addition to the airline's own cancellation fee. The convenience fee at booking is typically 150 to 250 rupees per passenger and is non-refundable. Yatra's refund processing timeline runs 5 to 10 working days for credit and debit cards and 7 to 14 days for net banking. For domestic flight cancellations originated by the airline (not the passenger), Yatra typically waives its own service fee and passes through the airline's full refund.

The Yatra grievance escalation runs through the Yatra Care section in your account, then the customer support line, then the formal grievance email. Yatra's customer support has been generally responsive to documented complaints, especially around refund delays. If the case escalates, the same AirSewa and 1915 routes apply. For comparison with direct booking, see hidden fees in Indian flight bookings.

Cleartrip — the Flipkart integration and the refund timeline

Cleartrip, owned by Flipkart since 2021, has integrated meaningfully with the Flipkart ecosystem in the last few years. Bookings made through Cleartrip can be tracked in the Flipkart app and refunds can be initiated through both platforms. The Cleartrip refund policy follows the standard three-party model — airline cancellation fee plus Cleartrip cancellation fee plus non-refundable convenience fee.

The Cleartrip cancellation fee is typically 200 to 400 rupees per passenger per sector on domestic and 400 to 700 rupees on international. The convenience fee at booking is typically 150 to 300 rupees per passenger and is non-refundable. Cleartrip has periodically run promotional offers waiving the Cleartrip cancellation fee on certain routes or for Flipkart Plus members.

Cleartrip's refund processing timeline is published as 5 to 7 working days for credit card and debit card, and 7 to 14 days for net banking. In practice the timeline can stretch when the airline's own refund processing is delayed, since Cleartrip cannot refund money it has not yet received from the airline. The Cleartrip Care grievance escalation runs through the in-app messaging, then the customer support line, then the formal grievance email at cleartripcare@cleartrip.com.

ixigo — the lowest convenience fees and the AssuredFlex add-on

ixigo positions itself as a transparent and budget-conscious OTA, and its fee structure is generally the lowest among the major Indian OTAs. The ixigo convenience fee at booking is typically 99 to 199 rupees per passenger and is non-refundable. The ixigo cancellation fee is typically 250 to 400 rupees per passenger per sector on domestic and 400 to 600 rupees on international, again in addition to the airline's own cancellation fee.

ixigo sells an add-on called "AssuredFlex" or "Cancellation Protection" at approximately 199 to 399 rupees per passenger that promises refund of the ixigo cancellation fee and faster processing. The add-on does not waive the airline's cancellation fee, which is typically the larger of the two. ixigo also offers "ixigo Money" wallet credit as an alternative to a bank refund, sometimes at a slight premium to the bank refund amount — this is optional and the bank refund must be available if you prefer.

ixigo's refund processing timeline is typically 5 to 10 working days for credit and debit cards, and 7 to 14 days for net banking. The ixigo grievance channel runs through the ixigo Care section, then customer support, then escalation email at customer.care@ixigo.com. The company has generally been responsive to documented complaints, especially refund-related ones.

EaseMyTrip — the no-convenience-fee positioning and what's behind it

EaseMyTrip markets itself as the "no convenience fee" OTA, and on most domestic flight bookings the convenience fee at booking is indeed zero or very low (10 to 50 rupees). This is a genuine differentiator versus the other major OTAs that all charge 150 to 300 rupees per passenger as convenience fee.

However, the EaseMyTrip cancellation fee, when you cancel a ticket, is in the same range as competitors — typically 250 to 500 rupees per passenger per sector on domestic and 400 to 700 rupees on international, plus the airline's own cancellation fee. EaseMyTrip also charges processing fees on some payment modes (typically wallet credits used for refund) that can offset the convenience fee saving. The headline saving is real on the booking side but smaller in the round trip.

EaseMyTrip's refund processing timeline is typically 5 to 7 working days for credit card and 7 to 14 days for other modes. The grievance channel runs through the My Trips section, customer support number and the grievance email. EaseMyTrip is generally responsive to refund disputes but the company has had episodes of delayed refunds during high-cancellation periods, so always demand the airline's refund reference number (ARN) and pass it through the OTA.

Comparison table — what to expect when you cancel a domestic economy ticket

Here is a typical comparison for a domestic economy ticket booked at 5,500 rupees on IndiGo for travel 30 days out, cancelled by the passenger 7 days before departure (within the airline's flexible cancellation window).

Direct booking on the airline website, by comparison, would have a refund of approximately 2,000 rupees (5,500 minus 3,500 airline fee). The OTA convenience cost is typically 350 to 650 rupees per ticket on cancellation. For frequent travellers who cancel often, this adds up meaningfully across a year.

Dispute resolution — what to do when the OTA does not refund

When an OTA refund is delayed beyond the published timeline or denied without clear reason, the escalation path runs through five stages. Stage one is the OTA's in-app or web-based customer support — file a ticket and capture the ticket reference number. Stage two is the OTA's customer support phone line — call, escalate to a supervisor and capture the call reference number. Stage three is the OTA's formal grievance email address — write a detailed escalation citing the booking reference, payment reference, expected refund and the breach of the published timeline.

Stage four is escalation to the National Consumer Helpline at 1915 or ncphelpline.gov.in — submit the complaint with documentation, and the NCH routes it to the OTA who is required to respond within a stipulated timeline. NCH does not adjudicate but the routing pressure often produces faster resolution. Stage five is escalation through AirSewa (airsewa.gov.in) if the underlying issue is with the airline, or through a District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission for monetary disputes above 20,000 rupees.

The key documentary evidence in any escalation is: original booking confirmation showing total paid, payment reference number, cancellation confirmation from the OTA, the airline's refund reference number (ARN or transaction ID) if you can get it from the airline, and the OTA's published refund timeline that has been breached. For procedural detail on the consumer forum route, see our guide to the consumer court for travel disputes.

The cancellation protection add-ons — do they pay back?

Every major OTA now sells a cancellation protection add-on at booking time — MMT's Zero Cancellation Fee, Yatra's Cancellation Protect, Cleartrip's Cancellation Shield, ixigo's AssuredFlex, EaseMyTrip's Cancellation Protect. The pricing is typically 199 to 399 rupees per passenger per sector. The marketing implies that if you cancel, you get a full refund.

The reality is narrower. The OTA add-on waives the OTA's own cancellation fee (typically 250 to 500 rupees). It does not waive the airline's own cancellation fee, which is typically the larger of the two (3,000 to 4,000 rupees on domestic economy). So the cancellation protection add-on, at 199 to 399 rupees, is in fact a fairly priced insurance against the OTA fee. It is not a full-cancellation refund product.

For most travellers, the math does not work out unless you have specific reason to expect a cancellation. If you book 10 tickets a year and cancel one of them, the cumulative cost of the add-on (1,990 to 3,990 rupees) typically exceeds the OTA fee you would have paid on the one cancelled ticket (250 to 500 rupees). It works out only if you cancel a high proportion of bookings. The honest framing is that the add-on is OTA-side insurance, not full-cancellation insurance.

Practical guidance for picking an OTA in 2026

The five major Indian OTAs in 2026 are broadly similar in coverage, technology and pricing. The meaningful differentiators are convenience fee transparency, refund processing speed, customer support responsiveness and any specific bank or co-branded card discount you can capture. For most travellers, the booking decision should follow the lowest total cost — published price plus convenience fee minus any wallet, coupon or card discount, with the cancellation behaviour assumed average.

For frequent travellers, the practical guidance is to set up accounts on at least two OTAs to compare quickly, use the lowest convenience fee option when prices are equal, and use the airline website directly when the price difference is small (under 200 rupees per ticket). Direct airline bookings give you the cleanest refund flow and the simplest dispute path. For corporate bookings, use the corporate booking platform that your employer or travel desk subscribes to — Yatra, MMT for Business and Cleartrip Corporate all offer better support tiers for corporate accounts.

Always demand the airline's refund reference number (ARN) when an OTA tells you the refund was initiated. Without the ARN, you have no leverage if the OTA delays or denies the refund. With the ARN, the OTA cannot legitimately claim the airline has not refunded. This single discipline saves Indian travellers thousands of rupees a year in disputed refunds.

Frequently asked questions

Which OTA has the lowest convenience fee for domestic flight bookings in 2026?

EaseMyTrip markets itself as the no-convenience-fee OTA and typically charges 0 to 50 rupees per passenger as convenience fee on domestic bookings — meaningfully lower than the 150 to 300 rupees charged by MakeMyTrip, Yatra, Cleartrip and ixigo. The trade-off is that EaseMyTrip's cancellation fees and processing fees on certain payment modes are comparable to competitors. For one-way bookings with no expected cancellation, EaseMyTrip is typically the cheapest.

If I cancel my ticket on MakeMyTrip, how long does the refund take?

MakeMyTrip's published refund timeline is 7 to 14 working days for credit card refunds and 7 to 21 days for net banking and UPI. The clock starts from the date MMT initiates the refund to the airline, and includes the airline's own refund processing time plus MMT's processing time. If the refund is delayed beyond this window, demand the airline's refund reference number (ARN) from MMT and escalate to MMT grievance at grievance@makemytrip.com, then AirSewa at airsewa.gov.in.

Are convenience fees refundable when I cancel an OTA flight booking?

Generally no. The convenience fee charged by the OTA at the time of booking — typically 150 to 300 rupees per passenger — is treated as a service charge for facilitating the booking and is not refundable when you cancel the ticket. The same applies to processing fees on certain payment modes. The airline's base fare and taxes are refundable subject to the airline's own cancellation fee, but the OTA fee layer is generally lost.

What is the AssuredFlex or Cancellation Protect add-on and is it worth buying?

All major OTAs sell a cancellation protection add-on at 199 to 399 rupees per passenger per sector. It typically waives the OTA's own cancellation fee (250 to 500 rupees) but does not waive the airline's own cancellation fee (3,000 to 4,000 rupees on domestic economy). For most travellers it is not worth buying as a routine add-on, unless you have specific reason to expect a cancellation. It is best framed as OTA-side insurance, not full-cancellation insurance.

If the OTA says my refund was processed but I have not received it, what do I do?

Demand the bank reference number or ARN (Acquirer Reference Number) of the refund transaction. Every OTA can produce this — it is the unique identifier of the credit to your bank account or card. Pass the ARN to your bank or card issuer to trace the credit. If the ARN is genuine but the credit is missing, the bank can investigate. If the OTA cannot produce an ARN, the refund was not actually processed and you should escalate.

Can I dispute an OTA charge with my credit card if the refund is delayed?

Yes, you can file a chargeback dispute with your credit card issuer for delayed or denied refunds. The chargeback window is typically 120 days from the original transaction date or 60 days from the expected refund date. You will need to document the booking, the cancellation, the published refund timeline, the breach and the OTA's failure to resolve. Card issuers generally side with the consumer when documentation is clear, though the OTA may then pursue the disputed amount through other channels.

Does the National Consumer Helpline at 1915 help with OTA refund disputes?

Yes, the NCH at 1915 or ncphelpline.gov.in is one of the most effective escalation channels for OTA disputes in India. NCH does not adjudicate the claim but it routes the complaint to the OTA and requires a response within a stipulated timeline. Companies are publicly tracked on their response rates, which creates meaningful resolution pressure. NCH is particularly useful for refund delays and convenience fee disputes that are below the threshold for a consumer forum filing.

Is it better to book directly with the airline rather than through an OTA?

For straightforward bookings with no expected cancellation, OTAs are typically competitive because of wallet credits, coupons and bank discounts. For complex bookings, multi-city, international with stopovers, or bookings where cancellation is likely, direct airline booking is generally better because the refund flow is two-party (you and the airline) rather than three-party, the dispute resolution is cleaner, and the airline's own cancellation policy is the only one that applies — no additional OTA cancellation fee.