Expensive Suitcase Damaged, Man Angered by Airlines Solution

Source: JobTube, Arianna J., Freya W., Josh B.

On December 15th, the suitcase of a Malaysian Singer, Tan Say Aun, was badly damaged during air transit, with dents and deformations. Unfortunately, after the damage it could not be used anymore. Later, due to the unsatisfying solution provided the airline, Tan Say Aun exposed the issue on social media.

That day after his arrival at Taoyuan Airport, Taiwan, China, Tan Say Aun found that his suitcase was seriously damaged and thus he went to negotiate it with the airline staff. 

The staff gave him two options, where Tan Say Aun could either pick a new suitcase available in the airport, or they could get his repaired at a maintenance center. However, they could not provide him with a new case of the same quality.

Tan Say Aun declined as he found it unacceptable. First, his suitcase cost about 14,000 Yuan, and a new airport suitcase was far cheaper; secondly, for the maintenance plan, no guarantee was given for his belongs inside the suitcase, as the staff said they dont know how to handle it during the repair. Whats worse, Tan Say Aun couldnt take it away, as once he did so, the responsibility would be on him, which eventually angered him.

Not a Rare Case

Tan Say Aun was not the only one who received a damaged suitcase after a flight.

On July 7th, 2019, Mr. Wen took a flight from Beijing to Shenzhen and when picking up his suitcase which cost him 8000 Yuan, he found it was so damaged that it couldn't even be repaired. However, the airport staff told him it could only be compensated by weight, up to 500 Yuan.

Besides Mr. Wen, many bloggers complained about a similar situation that they had encountered recently.

Blogger A:

On December 7th, 2019, her suitcase was cracked at Beijing Capital Airport.

Blogger B:

On December 1st, 2019, his suitcase was broken, and he was asked to accept either a 400-Yuan compensation or a 7-day wait for another solution.

Blogger C:

On October 6th, 2019, after arriving at Jieyang Chaoshan International Airport from Chengdu, she found one of the wheels on her suitcase went missing, and she simply didnt know how to handle it.

Once Your Suitcase is Damaged, What Should You Do?

All airlines charge for luggage, so you must claim compensation if you find your checked luggage is damaged or lost. First, its necessary to have a look at the remedies of the airlines:

Prepare new suitcases of different models in advance for passengers to choose and replace at any time;

According to the invoice provided by the passenger, compensate for the cash after depreciation according to the service life of the suitcase;

After negotiating with the passenger about the price of a new suitcase, the passenger shall contact the carrier with the invoice for the new one to handle the compensation procedures;

After weighing the damaged empty suitcase, make compensation according to the weight;

Thus, it seems a timely declaration is the top priority once you find your luggage delayed, damaged or lost. Report the situation to the airline staff timely and most airlines have a 24-hour window for reception. Besides, for a damaged suitcase, keep the label on it, as it might need to be sent back to the airport after the report.

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