Baggage, customer care issues irk travellers

In the first quarter of 2016, the domestic air travellers addressed customer services and baggage handling facilities as the biggest problems they face while travelling on a flight. According to the data from January to April 2016 issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), 2,993 complaints were received by the domestic airlines from their fliers.

As per the data, 50 per cent of the complaints were about customer services and baggage handling, while about 20 per cent was regarding other flight-related problems.

According to the data, other matters that irk fliers the most include, flight problems and refund. However, problems related to fare, catering and staff behaviour troubled less than 0.5 per cent passengers, stated the data.

Among domestic airlines, Air India topped the list with the maximum number of passenger complaints. While Jet airways stood second and was followed by Go Air and Indigo in the list. The data further revealed that in January 2016, 823 passenger-related complaints had been received by the scheduled domestic airlines, In February 759 complaints were filed followed by 737 in March and 674 in April.

Almost 22 to 26 per cent complaints were related with baggage handling, delay in handling or misplacing the baggage. Similarly, 22 to 30 per cent complaints were about flight delays or diversions, while 25 to 30 per cent of the complaints were related to customer care facilities and assistance. Interestingly, only five percent of the complaints were regarding refund or cancellation of tickets.

Recently, Mrinalini Gore, an employee of Reserve Bank of India had complained about her missing baggage after landing at the city airport from Singapore via a Jet airways flight. Similarly, in January a Jet airways passenger and employee of JW Marriott received her bag ten days after the bag went missing from her flight from Goa. Again, Bandra resident Afia Modak’s bag with valuables went missing from a city-bound SpiceJet flight from Goa, in February.