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19 March 2024

Indigo clubs Duty Free buys with hand-baggage

Published
By Sneha May Francis

Many passengers travelling from Dubai to India on a budget airline are complaining about their duty-free purchases being included in hand baggage purchases at the departure point in the airport.
 
A passenger of Indian budget carrier Indigo Airlines, added, “I have been travelling to India for so many years now, and I’ve never faced something like this. Nobody weighs hand luggage at the gate of boarding and adds the weight of duty free purcha.”
 
Not many passengers are aware of this rule, and many objected to paying extra.
 
“I ended up paying Dh80 extra,” said a passenger.
 
The weight-checks, she observed, were random.
 
Ribu, who is a Mirdif resident, claimed that she has been informing friends and family about Indigo’s “duty-free rule”.
 
“Every time I hear someone’s travelling Indigo, I tell them about the hand baggage deal. Once, they even weighed my handbag,” she added.
 
Another passenger who travelled in Indigo posted his reaction on an online forum.
 
“Indigo airlines is charging extra from the passengers for the duty free goods even for 1/2 kg [excess] after the check-in procedures. Normally airlines do not charge passengers for the weight of duty-free items because (we buy) after the baggage check-in formalities,” he wrote.
 
“Passengers cannot purchase any items from Dubai Duty Free [if hand baggage is already up to the limit].”
 
When Emirates 24|7 contacted the Indigo, they were unable to give any clarification.
 
However, the official website of Indigo airline clearly outlined their hand baggage allowance.
 
“As per Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) guidelines, travelling passengers may carry maximum 7 kgs of hand baggage (which would include laptop and duty free shopping bags),” the website said detailing the baggage dimensions.
 
“A flat rate of INR 250 per kg per sector would be charged towards excess hand baggage.”
 
Emirates 24|7 also checked if any other budget airline, flying Dubai-India, practiced anything similar, but none of them mentioned clubbing hand-baggage limits with duty-free purchases.
 
Air Arabia website highlighted how it offer a “generous free hand baggage allowance of 10 kg”.
 
It added, “Hand baggage allowance per passenger must not exceed the mentioned weight and dimensions should not exceed 55cm x 40cm x 20cm (22in x 16in x 8in), including the handle, pockets and wheels.”
 
Fly Dubai, which also ferries passengers to India, offered 7kg hand baggage allowance.
 
“You can carry one item of hand baggage on board with you for free, as well as one small laptop bag or handbag. Your hand baggage can weigh up to 7 kg,” their website said.
 
“If your hand baggage is too big or too heavy to carry on board, you can check it in at the flydubai check-in desk.”
 
Air India Express also offers the same baggage allowance.
 
“Each passenger (excluding infants) is allowed to carry one small piece of hand luggage (unchecked baggage), which must not exceed 7 kilos.
 
“If your hand luggage exceeds the stated limits it will have to be checked in. In the event that your total checked-in baggage exceeds the free allowance, an excess baggage charge will be incurred.”
 
A travel agent confirmed that travellers using budget airlines must always read baggage allowance limits.
 
“Passengers travelling low-cost enjoy great ticket rates, but they fail to understand that these are no-frill airlines. They need to know what they are entitled to or not,” he explained.
 
So, the next time, you snap up a great deal on a budget carrier, ensure you check what you are entitled to and what you will be charged for.