India, Dec. 9 -- What might usually pass as a during short delays in flights has, this week, come to represent a much larger problem. On Monday, a video showing IndiGo passengers receiving a "goodie bag" spread rapidly across social media, as the airline's operational disruption stretched further.

The video was shared on Instagram by @babyaaira.gaurav, along with the caption "Unboxing: Apology token from indigo for flight delay."

The bag contained caramel popcorn, baked methi mathri, a mixed fruit juice carton, tissue paper and a Samsung-branded card. For many stranded travellers, it felt less like assistance and more like a makeshift response, offered while hundreds of flights continued to be cancelled.

Social media users reacted quic...