Jewellery, digital camera taken from bag, carrier refuses compensation

Wing Commander A K Lohany, who had gone to Tel Aviv on an official visit, was in for a shock when he landed at Delhi airport. The senior Air Force officer found that the lock of his baggage was broken and his jewellery and other valuables were missing.



"I was travelling from Israel to New Delhi via Amman and Doha by Qatar Airways on January 24, 2011. When I landed in the Capital on January 25 and collected my baggage, I found a lock of one of my bags was broken. I immediately checked the bag and discovered that the jewellery and camera I had purchased in Israel was missing," said Lohany. He then found out that the lock of his colleague's bag was also broken but nothing was missing from that as he was not carrying any valuables.

"I immediately lodged a complaint with Qatar airways at the airport itself. In the evening, when the airline representative came to my home to repair the broken bag, I entered the details of missing items in the form provided by him. Now I don't know where to go for help. If a lock of the bag is broken at a place like airport, then there is no secure place left for travellers. Also, as other bags too were targetted,u00a0 it appears that there is some organised gang at work at the airport. The matter needs to be investigated," he added.

While the airlines is investigating the matter, it has refused to compensate Lohanyu00a0 saying that guidelines provided to the passengers warn them that valuables should not be kept in the checked in baggage and should be carried in the hand baggage only. The airline is not liable for missing valuables and electronics from checked in baggage.

Luggage complaints top the list
The missing baggage complaints top the listu00a0 with the airlines across the country. According to Ministry of Civil Aviation, the number of baggage related complaints in December last was 28.9 percent of total complaints received, in November it was 26 percent, in October 18.7 percent, in September 17.4 percent and in August the number was 22 percent of the total complaints lodged with the airlines. "The problem is with almost all the airlines. The matter needs to be looked into," said a ministry official.

What airline Said
The passenger (Wing Commander A K Lohany) arrived in Delhi by connecting flight on January 25, 2011. He had checked-in with twou00a0 bags weighing total of 30kg. Upon arrival, he reported that a zip of one of his bags was broken and one silver chain with locket was missing from the same bag. The passenger then filled up the Passenger Property Questionnaire (PPQ) form upon arrival but the same was incomplete. A baggage repairing vendor was sent to his house to repair the broken zip of the bag along with a fresh PPQ form. On January 26, the passenger informed that he found that one digital camera was also missing from the pilfered bag after he had reached home. A complete PPQ form along with other documents were then forwarded to Doha Qatar Airways baggage claims department for claim purpose. The claim was however declined by Doha.