ixigo's Alternate Travel Plan: what the 3X refund really pays
ixigo sells Alternate Travel Plan, formerly Travel Guarantee, as an add-on to waitlisted train tickets: if the ticket doesn't confirm, you get up to 3X the fare back. We read the full terms on ixigo's own page, so you know exactly what that means before you pay for it — and what it leaves out.
The short version
- It doesn't change whether your ticket confirms. It's compensation for when it doesn't.
- RAC and partly confirmed bookings get nothing.
- The cash part is the fare, which the railway refunds on a fully waitlisted e-ticket anyway. The extra is a coupon: capped at ₹6,000, for one booking, used within 7 days.
How the plan works
- 01
You add it, for a fee, when you book a waitlisted train ticket on ixigo.
- 02
If the booking is still fully waitlisted when the chart is prepared, you pick a travel mode for the claim: flight, bus or train.
- 03
The ticket fare goes back to your original payment method, and the rest arrives as a coupon for that mode: 2X for a flight or bus, 1X for a train.
The terms, and what they mean for your trip
Paraphrased from ixigo's terms page. Read the full terms there before relying on them.
| What ixigo's terms say | What it means for your trip |
|---|---|
| A booking in RAC after chart preparation isn't eligible. | If you get RAC — a shared berth — you're paid nothing, even on an overnight journey. |
| A partly confirmed booking isn't eligible. | If one family member confirms and the others don't, nobody is paid, and the group can't travel together as planned. |
| Cancel the waitlisted ticket before the chart and you get the normal IRCTC refund. | To claim, you have to wait for the chart. By then Tatkal has already opened and, on busy routes, usually sold out. |
| The coupon is capped at ₹6,000. | The more your tickets cost, the smaller the real multiple. ixigo's own example: a ₹4,000 fare gets a ₹6,000 coupon, not ₹8,000. |
| Claim the coupon within 7 days of the chart, and travel within those 7 days too. | It only helps if you can travel within a week. A postponed trip loses it. |
| The coupon covers one booking. Unused value lapses, and a dearer booking means paying the difference. | A cheaper replacement wastes part of it. A dearer one costs you the rest. |
| The travel mode is fixed once you claim, and flight coupons are for one-way domestic flights. | No changing your mind later, and no return flights. |
| Passenger names must match the original booking, with no more passengers. | It can't pay for anyone else to travel. |
| If the trip booked with the coupon is cancelled, the coupon lapses. | If the replacement falls through, the coupon's value is gone. |
| Up to three coupons a month; not combinable with other offers; not transferable. | Frequent travellers hit a limit. |
| Convenience, service and payment gateway charges aren't refunded, and "ticket fare" excludes them, discounts and the plan's own fee. | What you paid on top of the fare doesn't come back, and the plan fee is refunded only if the railway cancels the train. |
| It's offered on selected trains and classes booked through ixigo. | Check it covers your train before you count on it. |
Terms checked on 15 September 2026. Read them on ixigo.com
Where the 1X really comes from
A fully waitlisted e-ticket that is still waitlisted when the chart is prepared is cancelled automatically, and the railway refunds the fare. So the 1X that goes back to your card or UPI is, in effect, money you would have got back without the plan. What the plan adds is the coupon.
The bigger the booking, the smaller the multiple
For a flight or bus claim, the plan promises 1X in cash and 2X as a coupon. Once 2X passes ₹6,000, the coupon stops growing.
| Ticket fare | What 3X would be | What you actually get | Real multiple |
|---|---|---|---|
| ₹2,000One passenger, 3AC | ₹6,000 | ₹2,000 + ₹4,000 coupon | 3X |
| ₹4,000ixigo's own example | ₹12,000 | ₹4,000 + ₹6,000 coupon | 2.5X |
| ₹10,000Family of four, 3AC | ₹30,000 | ₹10,000 + ₹6,000 coupon | 1.6X |
| ₹20,000Family of four, 2AC | ₹60,000 | ₹20,000 + ₹6,000 coupon | 1.3X |
Fares are illustrations, apart from ixigo's own ₹4,000 example. A train claim gets a 1X coupon under the same ₹6,000 cap, so it tops out at 2X.
A family of four in 3AC, travelling to a wedding
| At the chart | With ixigo's plan | With CNF Quota |
|---|---|---|
| Three confirmed, one still waitlisted | No payout. The plan fee is spent, and the family must split up or cancel. | Only confirmed berths count: the fourth passenger gets a 100% refund, or the alternative the family prefers. |
| All four in RAC | No payout. Four people on two shared berths, all night. | Not delivered: a 100% refund, no questions asked, or the alternative the family prefers. |
| All four still waitlisted | The fare back, plus one coupon worth at most ₹6,000, for one booking in the same four names within 7 days. | A 100% refund, usually the same day and within 48 hours of asking, or the alternative the family prefers. |
When the plan can make sense
To be fair to it, the plan can be worth its fee when:
- Your fare is low enough that the ₹6,000 cap doesn't bite.
- Your dates are flexible and you'd happily fly or take a bus within the week.
- You mainly want something back if it fails, and you're comfortable booking the replacement yourself.
ixigo's plan vs our CNF Quota service
One compensates you when a ticket fails; the other works to stop it failing. Here are the two promises as written.
| ixigo Alternate Travel Plan | CNF Quota service | |
|---|---|---|
| Changes your chance of a confirmed berth | No — the booking and its place in the queue stay the same | Yes — the train, quota, boarding point, class and date are chosen to confirm, before you pay |
| What counts as success | Confirmed or RAC | A confirmed berth only |
| A partly confirmed group | Nothing paid | Each passenger not confirmed is refunded in full |
| What you get back | The fare, plus a coupon capped at ₹6,000 | A 100% refund, usually the same day, or the alternative you choose |
| Conditions on it | 7 days · one booking · same names · mode locked · three a month | None — it's your money |
| Who handles it | You, in the app | A licensed agent, on WhatsApp and call |
Only a confirmed berth counts. RAC doesn't.
App guarantees treat RAC as a success: you share a berth overnight and they pay nothing. We don't. If we can't deliver a confirmed (CNF) berth, you get a 100% refund, no questions asked — usually the same day, and always within 48 hours of asking — or the alternative that suits you better.
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What our customers say
“Waitlisted ticket got confirmed two days before travel. They actually followed up — rare these days.”
“Helpful agents, explained my PNR honestly instead of overpromising. Will use again.”
ixigo's Alternate Travel Plan: common questions
What is ixigo's Alternate Travel Plan?+
An optional, paid add-on for waitlisted train bookings on ixigo, previously called Travel Guarantee. If the booking is still fully waitlisted when the chart is prepared, ixigo refunds the ticket fare and adds a coupon for a flight, bus or train, to be used within 7 days.
Does the Alternate Travel Plan confirm my ticket?+
No. It doesn't change your booking or its place on the waiting list. It pays compensation if the ticket doesn't confirm.
Will I get 3X if my ticket is RAC?+
No. ixigo's terms exclude bookings that are in RAC after chart preparation, and bookings where only some passengers are confirmed.
Is the 3X refund paid in cash?+
Only the ticket fare goes back to your original payment method. The rest is a coupon for one booking in the travel mode you choose, capped at ₹6,000 and valid for 7 days from the chart.
What happens if I cancel before the chart is prepared?+
You get the normal IRCTC cancellation refund, not the plan's benefit.
Is ConfirmTkt's plan the same?+
ConfirmTkt is part of ixigo and offers a plan under the same name. Its terms are published on confirmtkt.com; read them before you rely on it.
How is CNF Quota different?+
We work on the booking before you pay, choosing the train, quota, boarding point, class and date most likely to confirm. Only a confirmed berth counts: RAC or a waitlist gets a 100% refund for each passenger affected, usually the same day, or the alternative you prefer.
Terms checked on ixigo.com on 15 September 2026. Plans change, so read ixigo's current terms before you book. Spotted something out of date? Tell us on WhatsApp and we'll correct this page.