Indian hockey star and Padma Shri awardee Rani Rampal took to social media to voice her disappointment after receiving her luggage in a damaged condition following her flight with Air India. The incident occurred during her return journey to India from Canada, and her post on X (formerly known as Twitter) has garnered significant attention and concern.
Upon arriving in Delhi, Rampal was dismayed to find her luggage broken. She shared her frustration online, tagging Air India and stating, “Thank you, Air India, for this wonderful surprise. This is how your staff treat our bags. After landing in Delhi this afternoon from Canada, I discovered my bag was broken.” Along with her message, she included a photo of the damaged luggage for emphasis.
Thank you Air India for this wonderful surprise. This is how your staff treat our bags. On my way back from Canada to India this afternoon after landing in Delhi I found my bag broken.@airindia pic.twitter.com/xoBHBs0xBG
— Rani Rampal (@imranirampal) October 5, 2024
In response to Rampal’s concerns, Air India swiftly addressed the issue in the comments section of her post. The airline’s official account apologized, stating, “Dear Ms. Rani Rampal, we apologize for the inconvenience caused. Please DM us your ticket details, bag tag number, and damage complaint number/DBR copy. We’ll take this up.” While some appreciated the airline’s promptness, others felt it was a case of too little, too late.
Rampal’s followers quickly rallied around her, sharing their own frustrations and similar experiences with airline services. One user inquired whether she had sought compensation, while another emphasized that “Air India needs to be held accountable for such incidents. They can’t keep apologizing without improving their services.”
Many users recounted their own tales of damaged luggage. A disgruntled traveler shared a similar experience from the previous year, commenting, “I had a similar situation last year, and all I received was a standard apology.”
In a flurry of comments, supporters insisted that airlines must take better care of passengers’ belongings. One person remarked, “This is unacceptable. Airlines need to value the belongings of all passengers,” while another suggested, “Air India must seriously improve its services; this is becoming a pattern.”
As Rampal’s post continues to gain traction, it raises significant questions about customer service and accountability within the airline industry, particularly for national carriers like Air India.
