Cleartrip Customer Care: An Expert, Practical Guide

How to reach Cleartrip customer support

Cleartrip’s frontline support is designed to be digital-first. For consumer bookings, the fastest way to get help is via in-app chat or the Help Center on the website. On the Cleartrip app, go to Profile → Help & Support → Select your Trip → Choose the issue to start chat or request a callback. On the web, sign in at cleartrip.com, open “Trips,” pick the relevant booking, and click “Need help?” to see options tailored to your itinerary (change, cancel, refund status, voucher issues, etc.).

For time-sensitive flight issues (for example, departure within 24 hours, schedule change notifications, or involuntary cancellations by the airline), the workflow typically offers a priority queue or a callback option after you confirm the urgency. Be ready with your booking reference (6-character airline PNR for flights, 10-digit PNR for trains, or the Cleartrip Trip ID) and the last four digits of the payment method you used.

• In-app/web Help Center: Best for most issues; sign in to see booking-specific options that can trigger automated fixes (reissue, refund follow-ups) in minutes.
• Email from the app: For attachments (medical certificate, schedule-change proof), use the “Email us” path within the Help flow so your files attach to the correct Trip ID.
• Social media: @cleartrip on X (Twitter) and instagram.com/cleartrip for general escalations or to nudge stalled cases; do not share card data in DMs. They typically respond within business hours, IST.

Changes and cancellations: what to expect

Airline, hotel, rail, and bus providers each have their own fare rules. Cleartrip must follow the supplier’s policy first, then apply any platform-specific service fees disclosed during checkout. For flights, changes involve two costs: the airline’s change penalty plus any fare difference. Cancellations typically return the refundable portion of the fare minus the airline’s cancellation fee. Convenience fees and certain promo discounts are generally non-refundable across most OTAs, including Cleartrip.

Illustrative example (for context only): If an airline charges ₹2,500 as a change fee and the new fare is ₹1,200 higher, the total due would be ₹3,700 plus any applicable service fee and taxes shown at the time of modification. Hotels often enforce 24–72 hour cutoff windows prior to check-in; cancel after the cutoff and you could forfeit 1 night (+ taxes) or up to 100% depending on the rate. Trains follow IRCTC rules: cancel more than 48 hours before departure and the per-passenger deduction scales with class; within 48–12 hours or 12 hours–4 hours, the retained amount increases as per IRCTC’s slab. Cleartrip’s interface will display the exact payable/refundable amount before you confirm any change.

Refund timelines and how money flows back

Refunds are triggered in stages: supplier approval, Cleartrip processing, and your bank’s settlement. For many domestic flight cancellations processed online, supplier approval happens within minutes to 72 hours. Cleartrip typically posts the refund to your original payment method soon after supplier confirmation. As a practical benchmark, UPI and wallets may reflect in 2–4 business days, net-banking in 2–5 business days, and credit/debit cards in 5–15 banking days depending on the issuing bank’s cycle.

Two additional nuances often surprise travelers. First, if you used a mixed-payment (e.g., ₹4,000 card + ₹500 wallet + coupon), refunds return proportionally to each source. Coupons generally aren’t reissued unless explicitly stated; platform credits, if applicable, usually reappear within 24–48 hours. Second, if an airline issues an involuntary refund (e.g., flight canceled by the carrier), the funds are released only after the airline moves the money back to the agency system—this can extend the total timeline to 7–21 days during peak disruption periods.

Flight, hotel, train, and bus support specifics

Flights

Keep both references handy: the Cleartrip Trip ID and the 6-character airline PNR (letters/numbers, e.g., “Q7H9KP”). You can often use the PNR on the airline’s site to add contact details, select seats, or check schedule changes. Check-in windows matter for support: most Indian domestic flights close check-in 60–75 minutes before departure; international counters often close 60–90 minutes before, with reporting advised 3 hours prior. If you’re inside those windows, use the urgent-help path to request same-day assistance.

For airline-initiated changes (time changes or cancellations), you typically have options: accept the new schedule, rebook to another flight on the same carrier at no extra cost (subject to policy), or cancel for a full/partial refund. Respond quickly—airlines sometimes set a response deadline (e.g., 24–72 hours) after which the system auto-confirms the change.

Hotels

Rate type determines flexibility. “Pay now” prepaid rates can be non-refundable or partially refundable; “Pay at hotel” usually lets you cancel up to a stated cutoff (often 24–72 hours before local check-in). Local taxes and service charges vary by city; for example, some Indian cities levy a per-night municipal tax that is always non-refundable after check-in has started. For no-show cases, properties typically charge at least the first night plus taxes.

Need an invoice or GST details? Update your GSTIN under profile settings before booking, or contact support with your Trip ID and a request for a revised invoice within 7 days of checkout. Properties may take up to 72 hours to confirm incidental-refund reversals (e.g., security deposits and hold releases).

Trains

Train bookings are fulfilled via IRCTC rules. Your 10-digit PNR determines waitlist/confirmation status (CNF/RAC/WL). Cancellations and refunds follow IRCTC’s slab-based deductions and cutoff times. Tatkal tickets carry stricter rules—cancellations may return little or nothing depending on the status at the time you cancel.

Missed the train due to operational delays? For certain cases (e.g., train running late by 3+ hours), IRCTC permits a TDR (Ticket Deposit Receipt) filing with time-bound windows. If your booking was made on Cleartrip, initiate the request through the Help Center so the TDR is lodged correctly against your PNR. Final adjudication is by IRCTC and can take several weeks.

Escalations, grievances, and chargebacks—what to do when things stall

Start by keeping all communication inside the official Help flow tied to your Trip ID—this creates a verifiable audit trail. If the stated service-level agreement (for example, “We’ll update you within 48 hours”) passes with no action, reply to the same thread and request escalation to a supervisor, providing concise evidence: timeline, screenshots, airline notifications, and any written confirmations from the supplier.

If you need to escalate beyond frontline support, use the “Escalate” or “Still need help?” options that appear after an SLA breach within the Help Center. For statutory grievances (privacy, content, or due diligence under Indian IT Rules), Cleartrip publishes a Grievance Officer’s name, email, and postal address on its legal pages—navigate from the footer links on cleartrip.com to Terms/Privacy to find the current details. For payment disputes where the merchant has not processed an eligible refund within a reasonable time, you may raise a chargeback with your card issuer under the reason code applicable in your network (e.g., services not rendered). Always attach the Cleartrip correspondence and any airline confirmation to improve your case.

Data you should have ready for faster resolution

• Identifiers: Cleartrip Trip ID, airline PNR (6 characters), hotel confirmation number (if available), train PNR (10 digits).
• Passenger details: exact name as on ID, date of birth (for child/infant fares), and contact mobile/email used at booking.
• Proof: screenshots of errors, cancellation/delay notices, medical or visa letters (PDF/JPG under 5 MB each), and time-stamped chat/email history.
• Payment evidence: last four digits of card, transaction ID/UTR, authorization timestamp (IST) and billed amount (₹) to match against gateway logs.
• Deadlines: flight departure time, hotel local check-in date/time, and cancellation cutoff (e.g., 48 hours before check-in) so support can act within windows.

Seasonality, service levels, and realistic timelines

Expect slower responses during peak travel seasons in India: late May–June (summer holidays) and mid-October to early January (festive/New Year). Large-scale airline disruptions (weather systems, ATC constraints) can multiply case volumes 5–10x. In such windows, self-serve tools in the app (instant cancel/change where allowed) are often faster than waiting for an agent.

For context, well-run OTAs target first responses within minutes for chat and within a few hours for email on normal days. Complex cases that require supplier coordination—like involuntary schedule changes, fare waivers, or hotel no-show disputes—commonly take 24–72 hours for the first substantive update. Use the booking-linked Help flow, keep your documentation precise, and escalate only after the stated SLA lapses to keep your case prioritized and cleanly trackable.