Bags arrived ‘ripped’ open with items ‘missing’, airline told to pay Rs 3.61 lakh

A Delhi consumer commission has ordered an airline to pay Rs 3.61 lakh in compensation after two checked-in bags allegedly arrived in Toronto damaged and missing items during a foreign trip. President Divya Jyoti Jaipuriar and members Harpreet Kaur Charya and Ashwani Kumar Mehta found the airline had not produced a meaningful internal investigation or baggage search report to explain the damage.

The complainants, who traveled from Delhi to the US and Canada in May–June 2017, claimed the bags were damaged and several costly items were missing. They initially reported US$1,800 in losses but later increased their claim to US$17,461 after submitting a detailed inventory. The airline rejected the claim, citing discrepancies.

However, the commission concluded that the damage and loss occurred under the airline's custody, and held it liable to pay US$1,800 (Rs 1.11 lakh) for the damage and loss. Additionally, the airline was ordered to pay Rs 2 lakh for mental anguish and Rs 50,000 towards litigation costs.