Fog effect: 20% rise in misplaced baggage at airport

Mumbai: The massive snowstorm across Europe and the US as well as the Delhi fog have not just left passengers stranded at airports but also left them endlessly calling airline call centers looking for missing baggage.
Sources at the airport said the amount of misplaced baggage has increased by 15% to 20% this month. "Worst affected are international passengers arriving from the UK or the US," said a ground staff with a foreign carrier.
The problem was compounded for travelers who made multiple break journeys. Misplaced baggage has also been the second highest grouse of domestic passengers. According to data from the civil aviation ministry, 26 % of the complaints against domestic carriers in November were about misplaced baggage.
In August, missing baggage complaints comprised 11 % of the total complaints. The complaints have doubled given the increase in passenger traffic, airlines such as Air India and Jet Airways shifting base from Mumbai to Delhi and beginning of the fog season.
The civil aviation ministry's policy to compensate passengers for delays, flight cancellations and denied boardings does not cover misplaced baggage.
30/12/10 Soubhik Mitra/Hindustan Times

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Categories: Airports Dec 2010