Last week we made a trip to the airport—not to catch a flight or pick up someone flying in but to deliver a suitcase. It was a suitcase damaged by American Airlines during a recent trip. Now we have had many bags damaged by different airlines during our years of globetrotting, but never did anything about it. This time, however, we decided to see what the airline would do for us.
When we took the bag off the airport conveyor belt we immediately noticed that it had been ripped and took it to the airline’s baggage desk. The agent offered to exchange it for a bag that he had in stock, but since ours was a spinner (the kind with four wheels) and his were not, we opted to have ours repaired. The agent put our information into the computer and gave us a print out with instructions on what to do next.
We had 30 days to bring that bag back to the baggage desk. Like any good procrastinator, we waited until day 29! At the desk they exchanged our bag for a claim ticket and said, “If we can’t repair it, we will replace it. You can expect to get your bag back in about 7-10 days.”
Sure enough, a week later the repaired suitcase was delivered via FedEx to our front door. Except for the inconvenience of having to return the bag to the airport, the whole experience was relatively painless and the repairs were made much quicker than we thought they would be. With that experience in mind, here are some tips for the next time you fly:
–Always check your luggage carefully before leaving the airport and report any damage to the airline immediately. You can file a claim later, but it may be more difficult. Lufthansa, for example, says that damage must be reported within seven days and “you must also produce evidence that the damaged occurred while the bag was in the care of the airline.”
–File a claim, even if the bag is still usable. There’s going to be normal wear, but when bags come back with ripped seems, holes, damaged wheels, etc. they should be reported.
–Remember there are limits to what the airlines will pay for your bags and their contents. Airlines will usually cover up to $3,300 per passenger for U.S. domestic flights and less than half that for international flights. Airlines do offer excess valuation insurance but it usually only kicks in if the bag is completely lost—not if it or its contents are damaged.
If you are concerned about the value of your luggage and what’s inside, you are better off to buy travel insurance that also covers delayed, damaged and lost baggage. If you purchase travel insurance through Ministry Travel, you can get luggage coverage for up $2,500 included in your policy. This is “primary insurance” and pays in addition to what the airlines may or may not pay.
Sooner or later your bags will be damaged. Just keep these tips in mind and it will make getting your luggage repaired or replaced much easier.
Thanks Jessica for the insights!
Some great tips! As a former airline agent myself, having many damaged bag claims under my belt, the best thing you can do if your baggage is damaged is to keep your cool. The airline agent taking your claim was not the one who is responsible for damaging your bag and he/she can be the one who makes sure your claim is filed or is conveniently left on the bottom of the pile of claims to process. Also many airlines consider small scratches, dents, broken zipper pulls and even missing pull handles to not be covered under their damaged bag policies and consider it to be normal wear and tear. And if your bag looks like it was so stuffed with belongings that you had to sit on it to zip it, if your zipper breaks and your belongings go everywhere, they’re not liable. Just some facts from the other side! Hopes this helps a little too, Happy Travels!