Does any one have any advice/experience of dealing with airlines over damaged bags?
On retrieving Mrs B's pull along case when we returned from US it was impossible to extend the telescopic handle. Further investigation showed that the alloy housing into which the handle's vertical elements retract had been severely distorted seizing the mechanism. Either bag has been dropped or more likely something dropped on it. It's effectively unusable.
Bag is newish, hold baggage sized and of American Traveller brand. Three years old but little used. Current equivalent retails at £75.
After initially rejecting any liability on 'cosmetic' damage grounds Singapore Airlines offered £25 ex gratia now increased to £50. While I can either top up by £25 or buy something cheap from Dunelm I don't see why they should 'get away with it' and am inclined to pursue further.
Views, experiences and anecdotes welcome.
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Travel insurance usually covers damage.
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My expectation of baggage handling is that it will be handled by someone who shifts thousands of them a day and really does not give a toss about your bag and contents. If it is returned to me with contents intact that is indeed a bonus.
So I pack my bags accordingly and use only cheapo luggage.
I'd take the £50. It is a 3 yer old bag after all.
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I'm surprised they offered any money at all, as FB says I'd take the money and chalk it up to experience. I only take cheap fabric bags with me , it's harder for them to get damaged.
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>>My expectation of baggage handling is that it will be handled by someone who shifts thousands of them a day and really does not give a toss about your bag and contents.
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Exactly.
After decades of travel, many hundreds of flights to many countries this is what I do.
Buy the hard cases that flight crew usually have. Delsey etc.
If you need to have a holdall cos they fit in a car boot better, then lash the handles together with string so it cannot be thrown by one handle.
Put a coloured strap, preferably an unusual colour around cases and holdalls. Tie it and do not rely on plastic fastners. A tied on label (not yellow ) with some details that do not identify home may also help.
Some folks paint colours on the side of Delsey wheels which may help a lost bag being identified.
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BA (I think) to Madrid a few years ago for three days on business. Newish case brought to protect suits was dented and cracked!
I reported it to the representative at baggage claim and a similar quality case (in lilac) arrived at my home in the UK before I got home. Gave the case to my mum because the Mrs already had a decent case and lilac just doesn't go with my hair colour! :-)
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When eldest went to NZ on her elective we got her one of those semi rigid cases and looks like blown plastic and has a fabric weave around the zip. It is very flexible. It cost about £70 and has decent wheels and handles. (I think it's made by IT luggage.
It was also huge to carry her 40kg allowance and did the route (UK, Abu Dhabi, Perth, Aukland x2, Christchurch x2, Sydney, Abu Dhabi, UK) without so much as a scratch!
Got a vivid fire engine red one so it would stand out on the carousel. Ribbons around the handles further customised it for easy identification.
Only trouble was with Austrailian customs who couldn't believe a 5ft tall 21 year old was travelling with such a big case and nothing hidden in it and emptied the lot out. They did find some contraband:- muddy walking boots and the female officer thought it hilarious amongst all of the frocks and proceeded to clean then for her before giving them back.
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This site www.bagsetc.co.uk/ are doing two for the price of one until tomorrow night.
I've bought two of the largest size "lightest bags in the world" for £30, one for each offspring, which is a bargain. I've been using those for years. I wouldn't expect them to last forever but so far so good. And they are light!!
Anyway the BOGOF makes many of their offers really cheap.
And Quidco too!!
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I would accept the £50 and buy a replacement from Age UK or similar for £5. I fly on leisure quite a lot ( lucky soab) and roll my clothes, don't need expensive suits, and a cheap fabric bag suits my requirements.
Off to Turkey for 10 days this month... flying Monarch ex LBA and only taking 10Kg carry on. Which is more than enough... flights from Turkey to UK must have all electronic goods in hold. Won't affect me as I'm stuffing a few paperbacks in my pockets ( bought from a Rotary book stall @50p each).
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Like you LL we normally fly or Mediterranean type destinations with cabin bags only. Just come back from a week in Kefalonia and that was more than sufficient. Got one of these which I think are brilliant. Mine's in Tangerine orange, not easy to mislay!
cabinmax.com/carry-on/146-metz-cabin-backpack-0705105659411.html
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Flying without baggage can go a bit wrong.
At one point I was flying between my house in San Francisco and my apartment in Rio weekly. One week, because it was a last minute decision, I flew with no luggage from Rio to Dallas.
Omigod did that go wrong. The US Customs & Immigration fell apart at the idea of someone flying in without luggage. It was such a kerfuffle that I would never fly to the US without at least cabin baggage again.
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I think I'd take the £50 and move on.
Once whilst sat on a plane I watched the baggage truck pull up and the ground crew start loading. Every single case was thrown on the conveyor belt so it landed upside down with quite an impact. I always pack to make sure anything that could get damaged is not on top.
I'd never want to put a laptop in hold luggage after seeing the handling of all the cases that day.
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3 years old and they're offering you 2/3 of the current retail value?
Perhaps you might want to think that through?
So it was hardly used? Prove it.
Its a fair offer, verging on the generous.
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S'funny but despite bring a cheapskate with my 'hold bags' in different sizes... bought at charity shops or freebies, my cabin bag was an expensive piece of kit ( would have been £100 + if not obtained at Trade price when I worked in the outdoor gear trade).
It's Haglofs brand, mid orange colour, top quality with 4 compression straps, two external pockets for laptop/ tablets, tough corners and goes everywhere with me when flying.
I've never seen another one like it
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>> Its a fair offer, verging on the generous.
Realistically that's probably true.
I'd be less inclined to dig my heels in if they'd not tried to wriggle out via a 'cosmetic damage' exclusion. Responses to correspondence indicated they'd neither read what I wrote nor examined the pictures of damage I provided at outset. Pictures also bear out the lack of prior wear.
Only other relevant experience in immediate family involved similar but much less serious damage on a flight from Palma to East Midlands. Monarch Airlines replaced bag without quibble.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sun 4 Jun 17 at 21:14
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>> Travel insurance usually covers damage.
Aside from an excess likely to be >£50 we only insured for accident/medical and cancellation/curtailment plus flight delay.
Possessions that matter are covered by household policy and I'm perfectly capable of fighting my own corner on things like this.
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>> I'm perfectly capable of fighting my own corner on things like this.
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"Does any one have any advice/experience of dealing with airlines over damaged bags?"
So why did you ask?
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sun 4 Jun 17 at 21:13
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>> So why did you ask?
The practicalities of phone calls, correspondence and even complaint adjudicators or small claim are no issue for me; I spent 35 years doing that professionally.
My question was seeking help on what I should accept.
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Damaged Suitcase - Old Navy
