Booking a flight can sometimes feel like a small gamble. You find a fare that works, book the ticket and then, almost inevitably, check the same flight again. And there it is, a lower price. MakeMyTrip is now trying to take some of that post-booking worry away with its newly launched Price Drop Protection feature. The feature refunds travellers the difference if the fare for their booked flight drops after they book. For travellers who spend days checking fares before finally deciding, this could add a little more confidence to book early.
According to MakeMyTrip, Indian travellers often search for the same flights several times before booking. Plans can change because of work, family commitments and other factors, which can lead to people waiting until closer to their travel date before confirming tickets.
Price Drop Protection is designed around this very concern. Instead of waiting and hoping for a cheaper fare, travellers can book when the timing works for them and receive a refund if the fare falls later.
The feature is available on both domestic and international flights, covering one-way and round-trip bookings. Travellers can opt for the protection while booking their flight. It starts at ₹229 per person for domestic flights and ₹349 per person for international flights.
There is also a cap on the refund. For domestic flights, the maximum fare difference refund is ₹2,500 per person, while international bookings have a maximum refund of ₹3,000 per person.
The protection applies from the time of booking until six hours before departure. If the fare drops during this period, MakeMyTrip says it will notify the traveller directly. The refund is then credited to the original mode of payment.
The company says the feature has already been tested with travellers, with a portion of those who opted for it seeing fare drops on both domestic and international bookings.
Raj Rishi Singh, COO, Flights, Corporate, GCC and Marketing, MakeMyTrip, said,
“Travellers should not have to choose between booking early and worrying that fares may fall later.”
He added that the feature allows travellers to book when it suits them, while offering protection if the fare drops later. Price Drop Protection now joins MakeMyTrip’s existing flight assurance options, including Zero Cancellation and Free Date Change. While those features address cancellations and changes to travel plans, the new option deals with something many flyers check obsessively after booking: the ticket price.
For travellers who have ever booked a flight and immediately started checking the fare again, the new feature could make that familiar post-booking ritual a little less stressful.
