Hi Tracey ... you would have to check the booking conditions for your specific airline or tour operator, but in most cases, any damage to hold luggage has to be reported to and witnessed by an airline representative or handling agent before you leave the airport. They would normally give you a copy of the damage report, so that you could pursue a claim with the company or with your travel insurer.

As for the delayed baggage, airline compensation or insurance cover normally kicks in after a delay of so many hours on the outward journey, so that you can buy essential items in order to continue your holiday with minimum discomfort and inconvenience until the baggage arrives.

However, delayed baggage on a return flight is not given the same consideration, because being back at home, you may be deemed in less urgent need of the contents. Again it's a case of checking out your specific booking conditions or insurance cover.

David

On ariving back from Menorca at Manchester in the early hours of 13 May my 2 new troly cases were smashed we reported it to servis air then and there and receved £40 less than a week later which was the cost of my cases and we flew with xl a year ago we flew into Glasgow and one of the handles had been broken on our case and because it was eary hours we didnt think of reporting it and when we tried to clame were told it was to late it had to be done when we arived and we had flew with Thomsons

hi can anyone help when my buggy went onto the plane it was in perfect condition when it cameof it has a bit missing off the handle can i claim it from airline also i was annoyed on flight as they refused my one year old a meal although he got one on the way out is it worth complaining
regards

Hi

Many years ago when my kids were babies one of the wheels was buckled on the buggy when it came off the aircraft. We reported it there and then at the airport and they gave us a short report of what had happened so that we could send it to our insurance company. Unless you actually reported it at the airport I don't think you would now be able to claim as they could say it has been done since the holiday

With regards the meal I don't think under 2's normally get a meal anyway; you normally have to supply your own which they will heat if necessary. You was probably just lucky on the way out that they may have had a spare one.

Rgds Jackie

Was once sat on an aircraft at malaga waiting to depart whilst they were offloading the one parked in the next bay.There were quite a lot of buggys to be unloaded and they did it in 5 minutes flat!!...they simply threw them out of the hold onto the ground...I kid you not..

Hi - did your 1 year old have his own seat or was he sat on your knee? If he was sat on your knee they don't have to offer you one, but if he was in his own seat then by rights they should have as you've paid for his seat along with everyone else.

With regards to the buggy issue - if you noticed the damage at the airport then it should have been reported before you left, however if like mine your buggy (or in my case buggies) are in a stroller carrybag (I do it that way so if anything falls off it falls off inside the bag and not on the tarmac at departure airport) and you don't notice till afterwards then perhaps you do have a good excuse.

Sorry not much help

thanks for your help think i will just leave both issues cant be bothered with the hassle ha ha

Just thought you would like to hear of my experience in claiming for damage to two suitcases on a recent holiday.

We flew Manchester to Palma with Thomsonfly in August. On arrival at Palma we noticed that my daughter's new pink hard bodied case had a crack in the side. We informed the Thomson rep who directed us to the Iberia office at the very end of the airport. Mindful that our coach would be waiting to transfer us to our cruise ship, we legged it like mad along to the end and got a computer sheet detailing flight number and damage.

When I checked our insurance policy ,I realised that the excess was more then the case cost and thought we would have to swallow it.

On our return to Manchester. lo and behold , damage to another case!!! (There seemed to be others with damage to buggies etc). As we had got in at 6am after an 8 hour delay there was only one office open in the baggage claim hall but I managed to get a Thomsonfly claim form.

I thought I would send it in anyway. I took photos of the damage to the two cases, sent the Spanish claim form , purchase receipt for the pink case, Flight tickets and baggage tags and an estimate for the 2nd Matalan case as I didn't have the receipt.

It was worth a try I thought. I also stated that I was not claiming on my insurance policy.Well the cheque for the cases arrived today and I am gobsmacked! I really thought I wouldn't hear a thing.

So, there is hope for anyone claiming for damage. I think however that I will pay the extra premium for excess waiver next time just for peace of mind.

it's not often that you get things without a real fight.Well done!

yey Well Done!! it show what being organised (receipts / photo's etc) and patient (getting the forms at the airport) can do.....we had damage to a case into gatwick some years ago - came off covered (and i mean covered) in oil.... very obvious on a bright red case....we werent the only ones but it was 11pm, a delayed flight from menorca and in the middle of the petrol crisis so my hubby didnt want to hang around incase someone pinched our taxi(!!!)....i loved that case too!!!

Six of us have just returned from a cruise which ended in Venice. Between the ship and the airport, a journey of approx 30 mins, two cases were badly damaged. This was reported and we were told we will hear from Princess within ten days. About a dozen cases had been reported damaged. We flew back to Heathrow and set off home. When we were unpacking I noticed that my case was also split underneath, between the wheels. I had not seen this when the case was stood up on end. Is it worth trying to claim? Who actually lifts a heavy case upside down to examine it all over? The damage to the others had been obvious but mine was 'hidden'. It was only a cheap case but it was brand new.

We happened to be in Glasgow airport the day of the terrorist attack. We didn't get our cases until 1 week later and both of them were damaged with the contents soaking wet having been lying in a carpark all that time. As we had already been checked in and through security by the time the attack took place and having been told that our bags were in a secure area which they weren't, just wondering if we have any chance of a claim or will they get out of it by it been caused by an attack? Anybody got any idea please?

Hi digby ... this was obviously an unprecedented situation, but I think initially you would have to be speak to the airline or handling agent, presumably you reported the damage to one of them on the day that the baggage was returned to you. Failing any success with them, it may be worth speaking to BAA Glasgow, because if all the baggage was left outside for several days, I would imagine there must be hundreds of passengers in the same position as yourself who have been in touch with them regarding water damaged belongings. Depending on the outcome of those discussions, it may then be worth speaking to your travel insurer to see if such an incident was covered by them.

David

Thanks, David for reply. Yes, damage was reported on the day we got our cases and cases were shown to airport staff who wrote out a report telling us we would hear if we would get replacement cases within 2 weeks. That is what would happen at any other time, but this was different. We have not had an aknowledgment yet and hoping to go on holiday soon, don't want to buy new cases just incase. Patience is probably what I need more of!

Well, decided I had waited long enough with no acknowledgement from my claim so I phoned the airline today. Just as I guessed they are not going to pay out. That's us lost 2 cases and the contents of one and no one will take responsibility. If anyone else is waiting in hope for a claim to be settled I'm sorry but they don't care. Funny how they always find a way out of paying up.

Digby

Perhaps it is worth a call to Ros Fernihough the travel law solicitor?

We have teamed up with Ros Fernihough, Travel Law Solicitor, to provide the best information available.

Ros has offered our members free impartial legal advice. Please note that Ros does not read or post on this board any contact to her must be made via :-

Tel :- 01922 621114

She is off work at the moment, but her assistant Pam should be able to advise you.

luci

Thanks for advice, Lucy. I will contact Pam on my day off work next week.

Hi digby ... in addition to speaking to the airline, have you also spoken to the BAA and your travel insurer to verify that there is no cover from either of them ? If you had their responses before speaking to Pam or Ros, it may help them assess the situation.

David

Will now contact B.A.A. and see if they will help. Thanks David.