A Bengaluru-based air traveller has won compensation after pursuing a consumer complaint for nearly 18 months over a damaged trolley bag received after a flight from Delhi.
The consumer commission ruled that Air India was negligent and directed the airline to pay compensation and litigation costs to the passenger, rejecting its argument that the damage had not been reported before leaving the baggage area.
Bag found damaged at airport
The complainant, 28-year-old Saurabh Raperia, who lives on Old Airport Road in Bengaluru and is a member of Air India’s frequent flyer programme, travelled from Delhi to Bengaluru on September 8, 2024.
According to the complaint, his trolley bag had been checked in with a fragile tag. However, when he collected it at Kempegowda International Airport, he noticed a large dent on the luggage.
Raperia approached the airline’s baggage service counter to report the damage. He alleged that staff refused to accept the complaint or issue a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) and instead asked him to send an email regarding the issue.
Airline offered minimal compensation
Later that day, Raperia posted about the incident on social media platform X. The airline responded asking for ticket details, baggage tag number and a damage complaint number.
Since the complaint had not been registered at the airport, he informed the airline accordingly and subsequently emailed seeking compensation.
The airline initially offered ₹500, which was later increased to ₹1,000. However, Raperia stated that the amount was inadequate and requested either a replacement trolley bag of similar quality or compensation of ₹13,425.
Consumer commission ruling
After repeated follow-ups failed to resolve the issue, Raperia issued a legal notice on September 23, 2024 and later filed a complaint before the consumer commission on December 10, 2024.
The airline denied the allegations and argued that passengers who leave the baggage area without reporting damage are considered to have received their luggage in proper condition.
However, the commission observed that the airline’s offer of compensation indicated that the damage occurred while the baggage was in its custody.
More about consumer rights and dispute resolution can be found here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_protection
Compensation awarded
In its order dated February 17, 2026, the commission directed Air India to pay ₹7,000 as compensation for the damaged baggage and ₹10,000 towards litigation costs.
The ruling emphasised that service providers cannot rely on internal policies if passengers are prevented from reporting complaints by the organisation’s own staff.