Akasa Air lets woman board 8 minutes late, users ask why rules were bent

A passenger who missed Akasa Air's baggage cut-off by eight minutes was still allowed to board after the staff assessed a workaround. Her post has sparked a debate over consistency in applying airline rules.A passenger praised Akasa Air for letting her board after delay. (Photo: @rashmikothari98/X)A passenger’s praise for Akasa Air after she was allowed to board eight minutes past the baggage cut-off has triggered a debate online. While she called it an example of good customer service, many users questioned the exception.Rashmi Kothari shared her experience on X after travelling from Kolkata to Bengaluru on an 8.25 pm Akasa Air flight. She said she left home at 5.40 pm, expecting the journey to the airport to take around an hour."Google Maps showed 1 hour 22 minutes because of a flyover closure, and the traffic only got worse," she wrote. Rashmi said she eventually reached the airport at 7.33 pm, eight minutes after the airline’s baggage check-in cut-off.She expected that she might have to leave her large suitcase behind or take another flight. Instead, she said the Akasa Air team listened to her situation and worked out a solution. According to Rashmi, the airline agreed to let her take the suitcase through security and hand it over at the boarding gate. She said the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel took a few minutes to assess the situation before allowing the baggage through.Rashmi eventually boarded the flight and thanked Akasa Air for making what could have been a stressful situation easier. “Airlines have policies. Good customer service is about knowing when to apply empathy within those policies,” she wrote.See the post:Her gratitude was acknowledged by the airline as well. “We appreciate you taking the time to share such a heartfelt note about your journey with us. Your thoughtful words mean a great deal to us, especially the way you recognised the care and effort behind the experience,” they wrote.However, her post also drew criticism. Several users questioned whether the same flexibility would be extended to other passengers who miss the baggage cut-off. Some said airline rules are usually enforced strictly and wondered why an exception was made in this case.Others raised concerns about the security aspect of allowing a large suitcase through after the regular baggage check-in deadline.Some users also pointed out that they had experienced similar flexibility or good customer service from Akasa Air.- EndsPublished By: Srimoyee ChowdhuryPublished On: Sep 10, 2026 10:04 IST