A man travelling via a SpiceJet flight from Pune to Jaipur took to X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday afternoon, accusing the airline staff of abusing and harassing him. According to his X profile, his name is Gaurav Kheterpal, founder of a company called Vanshiv Technologies.
Kheterpal stated he arrived at Pune Airport at 5pm for a flight scheduled at 7:35pm. He mentioned the flight was initially delayed to 11:25pm and later to 2:10am. He asked check-in counter officials if he could carry his 4kg laptop bag and 5kg roller bag, and according to him, they initially agreed. However, he encountered trouble when he returned to double-check.
"Ms Surbhi told me I needed to PAY for extra baggage! I explained I was told at the check-in desk that I could carry my bags since the flight was HALF EMPTY. They ignored my explanation, weighed my baggage at 13kg, and demanded I pay 7K in EXCESS BAGGAGE fees. I insisted they call the check-in desk, but they REFUSED. I took pictures and filmed their unruly behaviour. Ms Surbhi then mentioned it was a Defence Airport and she would NOT allow me to board my flight. I protested, but she signalled BOARDING COMPLETE while everyone else boarded the flight," Kheterpal wrote.
"Eventually, I gave up, asked for my baggage to be re-weighed, and this time it was 11kg. I noticed how the staff manipulated the weight scale each time. Then, it was weighed again at 9.8kg, and I was asked to pay 3K in excess baggage or MISS MY FLIGHT. With no other choice, I paid 3K. I was escorted on an EMPTY bus to my flight, where the bus driver inquired why I was late. I informed him of the situation. He mentioned THIS IS A COMMON TACTIC on late-night flights by @flyspicejet to extort money. A senior ground staff admitted Ms Surbhi was wrong but claimed she was powerless," he added.
Kheterpal demanded an apology from the airline and requested a refund of ₹3,000. He also urged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation to take appropriate action. He emphasised his readiness to pursue legal action, stating, "It's not about the money; it's about WHAT's RIGHT!"
