Indian Passengers Fear the Burden of Paying Extra Baggage Fees

By siliconindia | Wednesday, 23 March 2016, 04:58 Hrs

BENGALURU: Unlike other modes of travel, when it comes to flight journeys, passengers ought to bare a few norms before the onset of a journey by flight. A passenger has to keep in mind the dos and don’ts when it comes to the safety norms to be followed. Passengers also need to know about the baggage allowance policies offered by various airlines. In a recent report, it has been observed that 74percent fliers in India try to avoid baggage fees at all cost making them the highest in the world.

Baggage allowances can be complicated and may vary according to routes and class of seat when the number, weight and dimensions of bags, free allowances are taken into account. In general, excess baggage and special items can be carried for an additional fee. When it comes to packing less to ensure things fit in a carry-on, Indians rank third in the world after Taiwan and China. From another recent survey it is also noted that 53 percent of Indians avoid checking bags because of the fee imposed, 59 percent avoid waiting at the baggage conveyer and 46 percent fear about their baggage being misplaced. However, it is also to be noted that the rest of the 53 percent of Indians don't mind paying extra to check a bag.

According to a global survey, it is observed that for short haul flights, 74 percent i.e. three quarters of passengers pay for added comforts and for extra-long haul flights, this jumps to 89 percent. Passengers from Mexico, India, Thailand and China are the most likely to pay for added comforts on long haul flights at a whopping percentage rate of 98 percent, 97 percent and 96 percent respectively. Indians have also turned out to be the most active on flights. The survey shows that only 32 percent of Indians sleep while on a flight followed by China and Mexico at 35 percent.

A recent survey release from a travel portal throws light on the activities of passengers while on a flight. It is reported that 51 percent of passengers engage themselves in listening to music, 39 percent enagage in reading, 32 percent engage in surfing the internet on the availability of WiFi on board the flight. Again 32 percent of passengers watch TV shows/movies available on board, 20 percent engage in playing games on mobile phones or other multimedia devices. The remaining 15 percent watch content on their personal devices, 7 percent kill time doing puzzles and games and finally the remaining 6 percent work on board.

"A massive 74 percent of travellers will pay for added comfort on a short haul flight, and the number further jumps to 89 percent on long or extra-long haul flights. Indians lead globally in paying extra for a window seat (34 percent) or an aisle seat (10percent), for a snack (36 percent) and a non-alcoholic beverage (16percent) on board a short-haul flight. For 84 percent Indians, comfort is more important than style while travelling by air," comments Manmeet Ahluwalia, marketing head, Expedia India.