Day 5 Of IndiGo Crisis: Passengers Reach Destination, Their Bags Don't

As the IndiGo crisis entered day five, passengers in Mumbai complained about poor communication from the airline and their baggage being lost. While many managed to reach their destinations, their luggage - which had clothes, documents and medicines - did not, making the entire episode even more frustrating.

Sachin, who was travelling to Bengaluru with his one-year-old baby and his wife, got his delayed flight rescheduled on Tuesday, without knowing what lay ahead. His luggage had already been checked in, and staff told him it would reach his local address by Wednesday. It never did.

"When I called, they asked me to wait another 48 hours," he said. He then went to Terminal 2, waited three hours in a queue, and had to return empty handed. Even on the day of his rescheduled flight, he was told by the airline that the baggage could not be located.

"For four days, we have been buying clothes. My baby's medicines and papers are in that bag," he said. "IndiGo staff only cancel tickets and refund money. Beyond that, they have no information."

24-Hour Delay, Then Baggage Left Behind

For Gaurav Patil, who works in Bahrain as a software engineer, his lost baggage has left him in limbo, with his holiday ending on Saturday. His Thiruvananthapuram to Mumbai flight was cancelled, after which he was rerouted through Bengaluru. At the Bengaluru airport, passengers were informed about delays that eventually stretched to 24 hours.

"People had weddings to attend, the elderly were suffering and had questions. There were no solutions," he said.

The group finally reached Mumbai a day late, only to find out that their baggage had been left behind in Bengaluru. Gaurav has to fly back to Bahrain on Saturday, again on an IndiGo flight.

"My leave ends today. If I miss work tomorrow, I will be penalised. Who will pay for that?" he asked.

Confusing Messaging And A Sudden Airfare Shock

For Akshat, travelling with his wife and four-month-old baby, the trouble began with a vague cancellation message after he landed in Mumbai from Frankfurt on December 4. The airline allegedly did not specify which flight was cancelled, even though he had two upcoming trips.

When he reached the airport on December 5 for his Mumbai-Mangaluru flight, the check-in counters were open, adding to the confusion. He later learnt the flight was cancelled.

"I thank my stars I didn't check in my baggage," he said, recalling how other passengers struggled to locate their bags.

But the bigger blow came when he had to rebook. His original IndiGo ticket cost Rs 25,000. The only available alternative cost him Rs 70,000. The sudden spike in fares, he said, made a difficult situation even harder.