Goa, Sept. 18 -- A District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Karnataka directed Air India Express to refund a Rs.2,000 fee and pay Rs.25,000 in damages after placing a high-value bicycle on a regular luggage belt. The passenger, Sushanth N.G., booked a Chennai-Mangalore flight on July 27, 2025, paying an extra Rs.2,000 for special equipment handling to protect his Rs.3-lakh racing bicycle used for athletic training. Although airline staff assured him of careful transit, the passenger discovered the bicycle riding the automated baggage carousel alongside standard luggage upon landing in Mangalore.

After initial complaints yielded no resolution, the passenger filed a formal case. Air India Express admitted to collecting the fee bu...