Airline damage- success in collecting?

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

Got a customer who just came back from France... hard case box, somehow the
airline managed to squash it, breaking the frame inside. Of course, the
airline says they're not responsible, due to the waiver that says they can
drop kick it out of the plane at 40,000 feet and it's tough luck.

Has anyone had success in getting past that?

I might add that the TSA agents did a real number on my own case, as well as
making a mess of the contents (although fortunately not damaging by bike,
just breaking an *unlocked* latch on the case, among other things).

Thanks-

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

 

[trino]

I know Canada Post Guarantees parcels with certain mail products.
I have seen bikes go through there but no idea on cost.

 

[Bill H.]

Every time I've traveled with something valuable, it's been a
crapshoot, especially if I have to check it.

I don't think your customer will have much luck with the airline,
unfortuantely. Best bet might be to ship the frame to the destination
and insure it against loss. Probably costs more, obviously, but at
least you have some peace of mind in the event of damage.

-Bill H.

 

[Will]

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
> Got a customer who just came back from France... hard case box, somehow the
> airline managed to squash it, breaking the frame inside. Of course, the
> airline says they're not responsible, due to the waiver that says they can
> drop kick it out of the plane at 40,000 feet and it's tough luck.
>
> Has anyone had success in getting past that?
>
> I might add that the TSA agents did a real number on my own case, as well as
> making a mess of the contents (although fortunately not damaging by bike,
> just breaking an *unlocked* latch on the case, among other things).
>
> Thanks-
>
> --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
> www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

Might be worth it to forward some photos to the hard case manufacturer.
Perhaps they would have some ideas on how to approach the airline. I
imagine they would be interested in seeing the damage, not from a
liability point of view, though they might offer to help out, but from
a real-life feedback perspective. I remember sitting in an aisle seat
and watching a baggage handler slam my ski case (also hard shell) into
the runway. It was a challange: can I break this sucker...

 

[Frank Drackman]

"Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Got a customer who just came back from France... hard case box, somehow
> the airline managed to squash it, breaking the frame inside. Of course,
> the airline says they're not responsible, due to the waiver that says they
> can drop kick it out of the plane at 40,000 feet and it's tough luck.
>
> Has anyone had success in getting past that?
>
> I might add that the TSA agents did a real number on my own case, as well
> as making a mess of the contents (although fortunately not damaging by
> bike, just breaking an *unlocked* latch on the case, among other things).
>

I have had zero luck in the past and started getting baggage insurance on
valuable things.

 

[[email protected]]

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
> Got a customer who just came back from France... hard case box, somehow the
> airline managed to squash it, breaking the frame inside. Of course, the
> airline says they're not responsible, due to the waiver that says they can
> drop kick it out of the plane at 40,000 feet and it's tough luck.
>
> Has anyone had success in getting past that?
>
> I might add that the TSA agents did a real number on my own case, as well as
> making a mess of the contents (although fortunately not damaging by bike,
> just breaking an *unlocked* latch on the case, among other things).
>
> Thanks-

I flew Air France to California a few years ago and they broke my
expensive baby-carriage. It was just a matter of some paperwork and a
wait, and they coughed up the $600 or so it cost to replace. I've flown
with baby carriages and bikes and I think the waivers are the same. A
frame is probably more than $600, but even partial coverage would help.

Joseph

 

[M. Bakunin]

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] wrote:

> Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
> > Got a customer who just came back from France... hard case box, somehow the

What's the name of the airline?

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[Florence Henderson Had A Mullet]

Airlines think they're not responsible, because they think they don't have
to obey the law like everyone else.

I'd file a lawsuit.

--

Buy my book about school bullying here:

http://www.lulu.com/content/112781 (recommended)
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?isbn=1411626559
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1411626559

 

[Sojourner]

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
> Got a customer who just came back from France... hard case box, somehow the
> airline managed to squash it, breaking the frame inside. Of course, the
> airline says they're not responsible, due to the waiver that says they can
> drop kick it out of the plane at 40,000 feet and it's tough luck.
>
> Has anyone had success in getting past that?

I have. But it was a battle. They damaged the hardcase for my son's
electric bass guitar. Guitar was OK, no thanks to them.

I managed to force them to fix it, and to pay for the UPS charges to
send it back and forth (they wanted to make me drive 200 miles round
trip to the airport, twice, to drop it off for repair and then to pick
it up).

We never checked his bass guitar again. In fact, come to think of it,
there were so many hassles involved with flying after 9-11 (not the
least being the fact that my son looked older than his age at the time
(16) and is handsomely slightly dark complected, being voted "most
likely to be accidentally shot as a terrorist at the mall" in high
school) that he just never even flew again after that.

It was worth it to drive 10 hours one way rather than expose his stuff
to baggage gorillas, and his person to redneck bigots (HEY! TOWEL
HEAD! GO BACK WHERE YOU CAME FROM! I guarantee you, he is not going
back where he came from, he won't fit.)

Sojourner