I am from Bangalore, and I was in Jakarta on business from Monday to Friday (16th to 20th July). I was supposed to attend a family wedding on Saturday in Hyderabad, and then fly back to Bangalore on Sunday via Air India. I was flying Malaysia Airlines from Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur to Hyderabad on Friday night. The flight from Jakarta to KL was supposed to take off at 6:15 pm and land in KL at 9:15 pm. My connection to Hyderabad was at 10:45 pm. I had figured that since it was the same airline, a 1.5 hour gap between flights was okay enough.
When I checked in at Jakarta, the Malaysia Airlines staff there told me that there was a departure tax in Jakarta, for which I needed to pay US $20. Then he refused to accept my US $100 bill, initially saying that he had no change in USD, and could give me only Indonesian Rupiah, and then saying that my note was of an ’old series’, so they could not accept it. I had to withdraw Indonesian currency from an ATM using my Indian VISA Card to get my ticket.
Then, my flight from Jakarta to KL was delayed. There was no announcement about the same, we got to know this only when we reached the boarding gate. There was no explanation given. Eventually, it took off only at 9:00 pm. On informing them that I had a connection, they told me that the personnel at KL would take care of it.
Obviously, I missed my connection to Hyderabad, as we landed in KL only at midnight. I was given a room in the Transit Hotel in the terminal, but I couldn’t retrieve my luggage, as it was through checked in, and was given a seat on the next flight to Hyderabad - 24 hours later! There was no other connection to Hyderabad, according to Malaysia Airlines. However, other passengers to Chennai were put on a flight to Singapore and from there to Chennai. I’m sure they could have gotten me a flight from Chennai to Hyderabad as well, but no.
Now, obviously, if I reached Hyderabad 24 hours later (Sunday morning), I would miss the wedding, and there was no purpose in my going to Hyderabad in any case. So I asked them to put me on a flight to Bangalore and ensure that my luggage was rerouted. This could not be done on Friday night, as the booking office was closed. So I spent a restless night in the Hotel (obviously, a very very basic hotel), wearing the same clothes that I had been wearing since Friday morning.
Saturday morning, I went to the booking counter, and asked to get my ticket rescheduled to Bangalore. This was done, and through the day, I visited the counter three more times to ensure that my baggage was rerouted. I was assured all four times that it had been done.
I was supposed to be attending a family wedding on that day, but I spent the day roaming around the terminal, spending my own money on food, and trying to relax in the Hotel. Finally, I got on my Bangalore flight at 10:10 pm, which (thankfully) took off on time, and I got to Bangalore by 12:15 am.
After waiting at the baggage belt for 45 mins, and then making some inquiries, I was told that my baggage had not been loaded on the flight from KL to Bangalore! The staff there (who were all Air India - there was no one from Malaysia Airlines there) didn’t even know if it was in Jakarta, or in KL, or in Hyderabad. After registering a complaint for lost baggage, and receiving a carbon copy of the same, I went back home, and finally managed to change out of my clothes after 40 hours.
The next day, after three calls to the airport at the number which they had given me, and no response, I got a call from Hyderabad airport, telling me that my luggage was there, and that they would send it back to Bangalore asap. I was asked to send an email across saying I would take responsibility if anything was lost / damaged, if I wanted it delivered to my home, else I had to come to the airport (45km from where I lived) to collect the luggage.
The next day, when I went to the airport, they refused to give me my luggage back, unless I surrendered the copy of the complaint that was filed! When I told them that I needed a copy to claim insurance, they refused to let me have my luggage. I had to surrender the complaint copy before I got my luggage back - two days later.
I’ve put in a complaint with Malaysia Airlines, and it’s been a week, but I have not received a response so far. This was an ordeal I would not want anyone else to go through. And yes, on top of that, I missed a family wedding.