Airlines In India Have To Provide Better Customer Service
By A Special Correspondent
First publised on 2024-01-14 08:45:09
About the Author
Three incidents in quick succession in the last few days have shown how India's airlines and the AAI are slipping.
Bag Tampered With, Cash Stolen
In the first incident, the checked-in baggage of a traveller (travelling from Mangalore to Mumbai) was tampered with and valuables, including cash, were missing when the person got his bag back. Binod Kumar Mandal, a director with a Manipal group firm, found that the numbered lock and the zip on his bag were tampered with and Rs 1L in cash and a 78-year old pen (a family heirloom) were missing. Till the time of writing this article, his valuables have not been recovered. The police have registered a case against unknown persons.
Flight Delayed, Passengers Locked-Up In Aerobridge
In the second incident, an Indigo flight from Mumbai to Bhubaneshwar was delayed and the passengers, including actor Radhika Apte, were locked inside the aerobridge for more than an hour. It is being alleged that there was a change of crew in the flight and the crew that was to take charge did not arrive in time. Why then were the passengers readied for boarding, herded into the aerobridge and locked inside? Why was there a lack of communication in this regard between the airline authorities, the persons manning the boarding gate and airport security? And when it was clear that the passengers were hurriedly cleared for boarding despite the aircraft not being ready for departure, why were they kept waiting in a place where there was no water or washroom facility for more than an hour?
Priority Baggage Misplaced, Ground Staff Misbehaves
In the third incident, the priority baggage of TV actor Surbhi Chandna (Naagin 5) was misplaced by Vistara and when she complained about it on reaching her destination, the airline staff allegedly misbehaved with her. Although no bag should be misplaced, a priority bag, for which service the traveler pays extra, must never be misplaced. If it was accidentally misplaced, the airline staff had no business misbehaving with her. Instead of trying to help a person in mental agony due to losing her belongings (and not knowing when she will get them back), the airline staff reportedly misbehaved with her. Although Vistara has assured her of looking into her complaint on priority basis, it was not known whether she got her bag back till the time of writing this article.
