Bangladesh Bank Simplifies Airline Ticket Purchase for International Travel

From now on, travellers can purchase airline tickets for international destinations from the comfort of their own homes. Citizens can use any card valid for international transactions to buy tickets without visiting an agency or bank. Bangladesh Bank has introduced this system to make it easier for travellers to obtain tickets at competitive prices.

Yesterday, Wednesday, Bangladesh Bank issued new guidelines regarding this matter. Under the new instructions, travellers can purchase tickets of any value within the foreign currency limit of their credit cards. Previously, a $300 limit applied to foreign currency transactions, preventing cardholders from buying products or services exceeding that amount in a single transaction. This limit has now been removed for airline tickets.

Bangladesh Bank stated that after purchasing tickets using an international card, the equivalent amount can be refilled onto the card. Before refilling, it must be ensured that the ticket payment was fully processed through a domestic bank. Banks are required to maintain separate records of ticket purchase information for each refill.

The notification also specifies that revenue from foreign airline ticket sales must be deposited with their approved dealer banks in Bangladesh in foreign currency. For locally owned airlines, the proceeds must be converted to Bangladeshi Taka before deposit.

Industry insiders believe that this system will allow travellers to purchase tickets more easily, ensure competitive pricing, reduce the price disparity between domestic and international tickets, and limit the influence of intermediaries on international ticket sales.

Khaborwala/TSN