SpiceJet asked to pay Rs 60 K for losing luggage

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SpiceJet asked to pay Rs 60 K for losing luggage
SpiceJet asked to pay Rs 60 K for losing luggage

The apex consumer court has asked SpiceJet airline to pay compensation and penalty of Rs 60,000 to a Tripura resident for losing his luggage in one of its flights.

Justice J M Malik asked the air carrier to pay the compensation amount to Agartala resident Dr Atanu Ghosh whose one out of five registered ‘check-in’ baggages was lost during his flight and could not be found.

Both the lower fora had granted compensation of Rs 50,000 in favour of Ghosh. Thereafter, the airline approached the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) against the orders of the fora and claimed that the amount awarded to Ghosh was on the higher side.

However, NCDRC said that “the compensation already granted by the fora below is on the lower side” and dismissed the airline’ petition with additional costs of Rs 10,000, to be given to Ghosh.

“The consumer court is bound to take the ‘down to earth’ view. It must be borne in mind that a hand-baggage/attache, without any contents, itself costs about Rs 9,000 to Rs 10,000. The statement made by the complainant (Ghosh) clearly mentions that the luggage contained goods worth Rs 90,000.

“In the instant case, the deficiency on the part of the petitioners (airlines) stands established. The compensation already granted by the fora below is on the lower side. We, therefore, dismiss the revision petition with costs of Rs 10,000,” it said, while directing the airline to pay the money to the complainant.

According to Ghosh, out of five registered ‘check-in’ baggages, one was missing and could not be traced and a complaint was lodged with SpiceJet officials in Kolkata and an FIR was lodged with the police.

He claimed that the baggage contained goods, such as video camera, digital camera, cosmetics and clothes, all worth Rs 90,000.

( Source – PTI )

1 COMMENT

  1. This happens infrequently when one is traveling. There are numerous reports of passenger bags lost while traveling, and even though the percentages of these bag losses against the total number of trips and baggage that make it to their destination is very low, it is very painful for the people who lose their baggage. Nobody double packs while traveling, and if one or more pieces of baggage are lost, it can be painful. People have been known to reach their destination with almost no packed clothes, or have lost important pieces of documentation, or lost medicines, or other important stuff. And this when they may be in a different location, away from their home and away from their comfort zone and no support. There are standard protocols to handle the situation of loss of baggage, with international agreements about the compensation that airlines have to offer, but in a number of cases, the airlines are reluctant to settle with the affected passengers. There are a number of complaints where people have to fight with the airline, such as in this case where the case went to a consumer court (and to a higher consumer court)

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