IndiGo Crisis Day 5: Passengers Arrive at Destinations Without Their Luggage

A group of travelers who arrived in Mumbai discovered their luggage had been left behind in Bengaluru. (Representational)

Mumbai:

As the IndiGo crisis continued into its fifth day, passengers in Mumbai expressed frustration over poor communication from the airline and misplaced baggage. While many travelers successfully reached their destinations, their luggage containing essential items such as clothing, documents, and medications failed to arrive, exacerbating an already challenging situation.

Sachin, traveling to Bengaluru with his one-year-old baby and wife, had his delayed flight rescheduled on Tuesday, unaware of the complications ahead. His checked-in luggage was promised to be delivered to his local address by Wednesday, but this never occurred.

"When I contacted them, they instructed me to wait an additional 48 hours," he explained. After visiting Terminal 2 and waiting three hours in a queue, he left without resolution. Even on his rescheduled flight day, airline staff informed him they couldn't locate his baggage.

"We've been purchasing clothes for four days now. My baby's medications and important papers are in that bag," Sachin said. "IndiGo staff only manage ticket cancellations and refunds. They provide no further information."

24-Hour Delay, Then Baggage Left Behind

Gaurav Patil, a software engineer working in Bahrain, found himself in a difficult position with his holiday ending Saturday when his luggage went missing. After his Thiruvananthapuram to Mumbai flight was cancelled, he was rerouted through Bengaluru. At Bengaluru airport, passengers were informed of delays that eventually extended to 24 hours.

"People had weddings to attend, elderly passengers were struggling and had questions. No solutions were offered," he recounted.

The group finally arrived in Mumbai a day late, only to discover their baggage remained in Bengaluru. Gaurav must return to Bahrain on Saturday, again on an IndiGo flight.

"My leave ends today. If I miss work tomorrow, I'll face penalties. Who will compensate for that?" he questioned.

Confusing Messaging And A Sudden Airfare Shock

For Akshat, traveling with his wife and four-month-old baby, problems began with an ambiguous cancellation message after landing in Mumbai from Frankfurt on December 4. The airline reportedly failed to specify which flight was cancelled, despite his having two upcoming journeys.

When he arrived at the airport on December 5 for his Mumbai-Mangaluru flight, the check-in counters were operating, adding to his confusion. He later discovered the flight had been cancelled.

"I'm grateful I hadn't checked in my luggage," he said, noting how other passengers struggled to locate their bags.

The greater challenge came when rebooking became necessary. His original IndiGo ticket cost Rs 25,000, while the only available alternative was priced at Rs 70,000. He mentioned that this sudden fare increase made an already difficult situation considerably worse.