Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha criticised airline companies for what he called unfair practices towards passengers. He expressed concern about airlines charging high fees for extra baggage while failing to provide compensation for delayed or cancelled flights.
Chadha recently posted a clip of his Parliament speech on social media, bringing attention to the issue. In a post on X, he said, "Airlines are quick to charge us for a few grams of extra baggage, but when they delay or cancel flights without notice, passengers are left stranded with zero compensation. Rules for customers, excuses for airlines. Completely unfair. I raised this issue in parliament."
Raghav Chadha questions airlines over delays
While speaking in the Parliament, he highlighted how airlines impose high fees for even slight baggage weight differences. He stated, "If your baggage is overweight by just one kg, airlines charge passengers thousands of rupees in excess baggage fees."
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He also noted that sometimes passengers have to discard their belongings at airports because the baggage fee exceeds the value of the items they are carrying. "If one kg of extra baggage costs thousands of rupees, do airlines pay passengers for hours of flight delays?" he asked.
Demands compensation for delays
During his speech, the Rajya Sabha MP urged Civil Aviation minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu to introduce rules that hold airlines accountable for delays. "I would like to suggest that a system should be created where airlines compensate common passengers for every hour of flight delay and pay them directly," he stated.
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Social media reacts
While many people backed the issue raised by the MP and shared their own travel experiences, others questioned the practicality of the proposal and warned about potential consequences for passengers.
Pushpendra Singh, co-founder of Pushpendra Tech, supported the speech and pointed out what he saw as double standards among airlines.
Replying to Raghav Chadha in a post on X, he said, "200 grams extra baggage? Pay immediately. Flight delayed or cancelled? Passengers get nothing. This double standard needs to end. Respect to you for raising the voice of ordinary travellers in Parliament. Millions face this injustice every day thank you for speaking up."
Another user said, "He is too good at raising the issues in the parliament, all the concerns are very basic and troubling for the common but don't get much attention from the government and also ignored by the people themselves."
Calling it a "valid concern", one user wrote, "That’s a completely valid concern, and it reflects what many passengers experience every day. The contrast is hard to ignore strict enforcement when it comes to extra baggage, but very little accountability when flights are delayed or cancelled at the airline’s convenience."
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"Raising this issue in Parliament is important. Stronger, clearly enforced passenger-rights rules are needed so that accountability applies both ways. Travel shouldn't mean passengers bear all the cost while airlines face none."
One person highlighted how this was not a valid point and wrote, "If the airlines won't charge you for excess baggage then everyone gonna flock with heavy baggages. This would risk plane maneuvering as it gets more loaded with heavy weight. This is not the best example to raise a point on flight delays."
"There are very few leaders like this in our country who actually talk about real issues. Leaders like this need more hype and support so that they can reach bigger positions and have the authority to make important decisions," said another.
Several users thanked him for standing up for the cause and said, "Thank you. Finally someone is standing up... When they have so many rules why not think about delays which is always as compulsory waiting hours in the airport."
