- Air India passenger's Rs 55,000 tripod was damaged during Goa to Mumbai flight baggage handling
- Photographer Sameer Punjabi reported rude service and only Rs 5,000 compensation offered by Air India
- A video showed baggage being thrown, which staff dismissed as normal luggage handling practice
Air India responded after a passenger complained that his professional tripod valued at Rs 55,000 was damaged while traveling from Goa to Mumbai on July 20. In a post on Instagram, Sameer Punjabi, a photographer, shared pictures of his broken equipment and revealed he had specifically told the ground staff to handle it with care as it was fragile and had already been damaged once before.
"When I landed in Mumbai and collected my baggage, my tripod was completely destroyed and my monopod too," he added. The incident has put Air India's baggage compensation policy back in the spotlight.
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He immediately approached Air India's service desk to file a report. He expected help and a fair resolution, but he was "made to wait for almost 3 hours, only to be met with rude, dismissive, and arrogant behaviour".
And the only compensation he was offered was Rs 5,000.
"What shocked me even more was that I have a video showing baggage being thrown during handling. When I showed it to one of the customer service executives, I was told, 'That's how luggage is loaded,'" he added.
"This wasn't just my equipment-it was someone else's property that I was responsible for. Because of this negligence, I am now left dealing with a massive financial loss and an incredibly stressful situation."
See the post here:
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Social media reactions
The post went viral, with online users tagging Air India's social media handle and urging the company to take strict action. "@airindiax @airindia you are my favorite airlines, I will stop flying and start taking the train if you don't solve this. I only take and rely on you guys when I am in India, but this is not done!" one user wrote in the comment section.
"As per damage he is offering u plastics compensation, what if u break their plane and compensate as per damage in rate if item Rs 30/kg," another user added.
"U send the model no and brand and ask them to give same pc. It's good that u checked on arrival and u have every right for compensation. I checked suitcase after coming home," said a third user.
Company's official response
While responding to the post, Air India stated, "Hi Sameer, we are sorry to learn about your experience and sincerely apologise for the damage caused to your tripod. Could you please share your PNR so we can assist you further?"
