Damaged luggage abroad, no help from airline, airline fined for service failure
The commission held Finnair liable for deficiency of service and directed the airline to compensate the traveller with Rs 10,000 for mental distress and refund Rs 18,000, the cost of the suitcase, along with 9% interest per annum.
Gautam Dutt, a resident of Sector 21 C, Chandigarh, lodged a formal complaint stating that he and his wife flew with Finnair on Jan 16, from New Delhi to Tromsø, Norway, via Helsinki. At the Delhi airport, they checked in a Carlton London suitcase, which was tagged for delivery at their final destination, Tromsø.
Upon arrival, Dutt discovered that the suitcase had been badly damaged, with the top portion completely broken. As it was late in the evening, the couple went directly to their hotel. The following day, Dutt attempted to file a damage report on Finnair's website, as per the baggage claim instructions. However, the site showed an error at the final stage of the process. When he tried again, the system indicated that the report had already been submitted.
His wife later reached out to Finnair via their Instagram page, and the airline responded with a compensation link — the same faulty one he had already used. Despite multiple efforts, including follow-up messages and emails with attached photos of the damaged luggage and screenshots of the website issues, they received no resolution or acknowledgment from the airline.
In his complaint, Dutt noted that the suitcase was worth Rs 18,800 and provided proof of purchase and branding.
The commission, after reviewing the evidence, concluded that Finnair failed in its duty of care and customer service. Since the airline neither responded to the complaint nor contested the allegations, the commission ruled in favor of the complainant. The commission directed Finnair to refund Rs 18,000 (cost of the suitcase) with 9% simple annual interest from the date of complaint filing and pay Rs 10,000 as a one-time compensation for mental agony and inconvenience.
BOX: Know Your Rights
This case is a wake-up call for air passengers: If your luggage is damaged during transit, you are entitled to compensation
Always document the damage immediately
Collect proof – tickets, baggage tags, photos, and receipts
File a complaint with the airline
If ignored, escalate it to the Consumer Forum
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