dpdpr.in
Am I covered?

Travel: airlines, trains, hotels and booking sites: your rights and how to complain

Plain-language help for ordinary people. General information, not legal advice. Helplines, portals and screen names were checked against official Government and regulator pages on 1 November 2026. Portals change: if a screen looks different, follow the words on the screen and the official guide linked in each step.

What data they hold

  • Name, phone, email, ID details and travel dates.
  • Passport details for international travel.
  • At hotels: ID copies and guest registers.
  • Digi Yatra: face and ID data (stored on your phone).

Your rights under current law

  • Digi Yatra is voluntary. The Ministry of Civil Aviation says there is no central storage of your personal data: it is kept encrypted on your phone, shared only with the departure airport, and deleted within 24 hours of departure.
  • Airline and airport complaints go to the airline first, then AirSewa.
  • Train complaints go to RailMadad. Helpline 139.
  • At a hotel you can show a masked Aadhaar that hides the first 8 digits.
  • Booking sites are e-commerce entities: grievance officer, 48 hours to acknowledge, one month to resolve.

Your DPDP rights once in force

Sections 11 to 14 of the DPDP Act (your rights) and the duties of companies in sections 4 to 10 start on 13 May 2027 (G.S.R. 843(E)). Until then, use the sector rules on this page. After that date you can use both.

From 13 May 2027 you can ask what personal data they hold about you and who they shared it with (section 11), and ask for correction or erasure (section 12). They must stop using data once you withdraw consent, unless a law requires them to keep it.

  • Access: a summary of your data and who it was shared with (section 11).
  • Correction, completion, updating and erasure (section 12).
  • Grievance redressal by the company, before going to the Board (section 13).
  • Nominate someone to act after your death or incapacity (section 14).
  • Withdraw consent, as easily as you gave it (section 6(4)).

Common problems

  • Fake airline or booking 'customer care' numbers.
  • Hotels keeping or photographing full ID copies.
  • Calls quoting your PNR or booking.
  • Refunds not received.

Evidence to keep

  • PNR or booking ID, tickets and receipts.
  • Call log of fake helplines.
  • Photo of what the hotel asked for.
  • Your complaint numbers.

See the full evidence checklist.

How to approach, step by step

Go in this order. Start with the company. Move to the next step only when the time limit has passed or the reply is not good enough. If money was lost or you were threatened, go to 1930 or the police first.

Complain about an airline or airport on AirSewa

AirSewa is the Ministry of Civil Aviation's grievance platform for air travellers. You can submit a grievance against an airline or an airport and track it.

Keep this ready before you start:

  • Your PNR, flight number and date.
  • Booking confirmation, boarding pass and any receipts.
  • The airline's complaint or ticket number, if you already complained.
  1. First complain to the airline through its official website or app. Save the ticket number.
  2. If it is not fixed, open airsewa.gov.in or the AirSewa app.
  3. Log in or register.
  4. Choose to submit a grievance. Pick the category, such as airline or airport.
  5. Give the flight details and describe the problem in short sentences. Attach proof.
  6. Submit. Save the grievance number. Track it on AirSewa.
  7. For refunds and service problems that are still not fixed, you can also use the National Consumer Helpline (1915).

Checked on 1 November 2026 against: AirSewa (Ministry of Civil Aviation): air travel grievances, National Government Services Portal: AirSewa grievance login.

Write to the company's grievance officer

Most apps and websites must name a grievance officer. E-commerce sites, ride apps and platforms such as job portals, dating and matrimony apps all have one under the rules that apply to them.

Keep this ready before you start:

  • Your account ID, registered mobile or email, and order or booking number.
  • Screenshots and dates.
  • What you want: delete my data, stop calls, refund, remove a profile.
  1. Open the app or website. Look for Grievance Officer, Contact us or Privacy policy. The officer's name and contact must be shown there.
  2. Write a short complaint. Use the template on this page.
  3. Attach screenshots.
  4. Send it. Save the acknowledgement or ticket number and the date.
  5. Wait for the time limit for that kind of company (shown in the time limits on this page).
  6. If there is no reply, send one reminder with your ticket number.
  7. Then go to the next step on this page.

Checked on 1 November 2026 against: National Consumer Helpline FAQ: Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, as amended up to 10 February 2026.

National Consumer Helpline, then the Consumer Commission

The National Consumer Helpline (NCH) is run by the Department of Consumer Affairs. It forwards your complaint to the company and tracks the reply. If that fails, you can file a case before a Consumer Commission on e-Jagriti.

Keep this ready before you start:

  • Bill, invoice, order ID or account number.
  • Your complaint to the company and its reply, if any.
  • Screenshots and dates.
  1. Call 1915 or 1800114000 (8 AM to 8 PM), or WhatsApp +91 8800001915.
  2. Or open consumerhelpline.gov.in and click Register Grievance. You can also use the NCH app or the UMANG app.
  3. Describe the problem, the company and what you want.
  4. Save the grievance number you are given.
  5. Use Track Your Grievance to see the company's reply. Use Upload Documents to add proof.
  6. If the company still does not fix it, you can file a consumer case on e-Jagriti, the official portal for Consumer Commissions. It uses OTP registration, online fees and virtual hearings.
  7. File the case within 2 years of the problem. This is the limit in section 69 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

Checked on 1 November 2026 against: National Consumer Helpline (Department of Consumer Affairs), e-Jagriti: file a case before a Consumer Commission.

Find a real customer care number (Sanchar Saathi Trusted Contact Details)

Fake helpline numbers are often placed in search results and on social media. Sanchar Saathi keeps verified contact numbers, emails and websites given by banks and financial institutions.

  1. Open sancharsaathi.gov.in.
  2. Under Citizen Centric Services, click Trusted Contact Details.
  3. Search by the bank or company name, by the phone number you were given, or by the website.
  4. If the number is not listed, use only the number printed on your card, passbook, bill or the company's official app.

Checked on 1 November 2026 against: Sanchar Saathi portal and FAQ (Department of Telecommunications).

Ready-to-use complaint

Copy, fill the brackets, and send it through the company's official channel. Keep a copy.

To: Grievance Officer, [airline / hotel / booking site]
Subject: Booking [PNR / booking ID]: [refund / use of my ID data]

On [date] [describe]. Please [refund / tell me why you kept a copy of my ID, how long you keep it, and delete it]. Please reply within the time your grievance policy sets.

[Name], [mobile], [date]

Time limits

  • Booking site grievance: 48 hours to acknowledge, one month to resolve.
  • Consumer case: within 2 years.
  • DPDP rights: from 13 May 2027.

If this happened to you

Official sources

On this page
  1. What they hold
  2. Current rights
  3. DPDP rights
  4. Common problems
  5. Evidence
  6. Step by step
  7. Template
  8. Time limits
  9. Scenarios
  10. Sources