For Aditya Potdar, a 39-year-old resident of Bavdhan in Pune, what should have been a routine business journey transformed into a grueling two-day odyssey across multiple cities, culminating in the frustrating loss of his luggage. His experience highlights the cascading disruptions faced by passengers amid recent flight cancellations and airport congestion.
A Routine Trip Derailed at the Outset
Potdar had flown from Pune to Kolkata on December 2 to attend a company conference. His return was scheduled for December 4 on a 9:25 PM IndiGo flight back to Pune. He reached the Kolkata airport on time and completed the check-in process. However, his travel plans hit the first snag immediately. His flight was abruptly rescheduled to 9:25 AM the following morning, December 5. With no other option, Potdar left the airport after confirming the change with staff and arranged for a hotel stay overnight.
The Unfolding Saga of Diversions and Cancellations
The next day, he was back at the airport by 7 AM. The rescheduled flight took off on time, offering a momentary sigh of relief. The trouble, however, resumed as the aircraft approached its destination. The plane circled over Pune but did not land. The pilot announced that due to a lack of space at Pune airport, the flight was being diverted to Hyderabad. It landed in Hyderabad around 2:30 PM on December 5.
Upon disembarking in Hyderabad, IndiGo staff instructed passengers to collect their luggage. This is where Potdar's bags went missing. His luggage never arrived on the carousel. Simultaneously, officials informed the stranded passengers that another flight was being arranged to ferry them to Pune and asked them to assemble at a boarding gate by 7 PM. When Potdar reached the assigned gate, he was met with another disappointment—that flight was also cancelled.
A Desperate Route Home and the Elusive Baggage
Scouring airport screens for any way to get home, Potdar noticed an IndiGo ATR aircraft scheduled to fly from Hyderabad to Shirdi around the same time. He managed to get his ticket transferred onto that flight with the help of a staffer. He boarded the flight to Shirdi at 8:30 PM without his luggage, landing there at 10:30 PM.
His ordeal continued at Shirdi airport, where he was asked to fill out a missing luggage form. He was neither given a copy nor allowed to photograph the document, leaving him with no proof of the complaint. Left with no recourse, he booked a cab for the long road journey to Pune, finally reaching home at 4:30 AM on December 6—exhausted and without his belongings.
Since that moment, Potdar's life has revolved around a futile quest to locate his luggage. His days are consumed by refreshing tracking links, calling helplines, and sending emails. He reported being kept on hold by customer care for over an hour and a half, with no resolution in sight. The airline's tracking system displays only a generic message: 'Tracing continues, please try later.'
"I really don't know when my luggage will arrive. I am just hoping for the best," Potdar stated, summarizing the helplessness felt by many passengers caught in similar travel chaos. His story underscores the significant personal toll and logistical failures that can turn a simple business trip into a marathon of anxiety and inconvenience.
