Chapter 1 The Luggage Misadventure

What do you do when your luggage goes missing, and the airline isn't providing any assistance? This scenario is not uncommon, though it often goes unreported.

In a recent episode, a 28-year-old software engineer, Nandan Kumar, and network engineer, Raj Shekhar, were passengers on an IndiGo flight from Patna to Bangalore, India. They mistakenly took each other's bags, which were nearly identical in color and style, leading to the mix-up.

To provide some context, IndiGo is the largest airline in India, commanding over 53.5% of the domestic market share as of October 2021.

Nandan was traveling with his wife, and it was only when they were heading to their apartment that she noticed a lock on the bag that they did not own.

"I only realized it after we got home when my wife pointed out that the bag had a lock that we didn’t use," Nandan shared on Twitter. "We had too much faith in the airline staff, I guess."

After arriving home, Nandan attempted to reach out to IndiGo's customer service. However, he was informed that they had contacted Raj, who failed to respond. When Nandan requested Raj's contact information, the airline refused, citing privacy concerns.

Section 1.1 Taking Charge

Frustrated by the lack of assistance from IndiGo, Nandan decided to take matters into his own hands. Using the Passenger Name Record (PNR) and the last name on Raj's luggage tag, combined with his programming skills, he managed to extract Raj's phone number from the airline's website within 10-15 minutes by analyzing the browser's network response.

Upon contacting Raj, Nandan discovered that Raj was unaware of the bag swap. They arranged to meet that afternoon to exchange their belongings.

This experience not only helped him retrieve his lost luggage but also unveiled a potential flaw in IndiGo's online system that could compromise user data.

Subsection 1.1.1 Title

Chapter 2 The Airline's Response

Nandan later shared his experience on Twitter, highlighting the security vulnerability he uncovered in IndiGo's system. In response, the airline issued a statement expressing regret for the inconvenience and assured that their website had no security flaws, though they would review the feedback.

They also clarified that passengers can retrieve their booking details using their PNR, last name, contact number, or email, a standard practice among airlines worldwide.

The video titled "Bengaluru software engineer hacks Airline company website to find his lost luggage | RJ Vivek" explores this incident in detail, shedding light on Nandan's innovative approach.

In conclusion, while it remains uncertain whether Nandan will receive any reward for his discovery, one thing is clear: self-reliance is often the best solution.

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