Damaged luggage - claim against Airline or insurer?

Minerva_2

I was unlucky enough to have my bag very badly damaged yesterday.

I completed a Property Irregularity Report at the airport.

What should I do next?

Should I claim off the airline, my travel insurance company, one or the other or both?

I would rather claim off the airline, as I don't want future travel insurance policies to be more expensive, on the basis that I have made a claim!

Thanks for any advice!

Minerva

Burtie_2

I think you'll find it fraudulent to "double dip" and claim off both!!!

Minerva_2

I can assure you that I certainly was not intending anything fraudulent!!!

I was only asking whether I should claim against the airline and the insurance company and then let them sort it out between them.

I only have 7 days to claim against the airline and 31 days to make an insurance claim.

Minerva

Burtie_2

How will the airline know which insurance company to "sort it out with"? Making claims against two companies for the same thing is [in my opinion] fraudulent.

Phone up and speak to your insurance company, if you aren't covered with them they will soon tell you.

And if your premium should "go up" (I doubt it will) move your insurance cover elsewhere.

rubia1409_2

Call your airline. Tell them what happened. as they damaged the bag it is their responsability to fix it. If you get no joy there, call your insurance company and say you have already contacted the airline and what they said.

Don't think you'll be double dipping if you clain from both as you are only claiming on one insurance policy-your own. You are simply getting compensation from the airline for their mistake

Minerva_2

Just checked my travel insurance documentation, not exactly light reading at 40 pages!

It appears that I have an excess of £50 for damaged baggage, so it doesn't look like I will be making a claim on my insurance policy, as the bag was worth about £50 when I bought it - we are not talking Louis Vuitton!

And no, before you ask, I don't have the original receipt to prove how much it cost!

So rest easy Burtie, I will not (as you seem to think is my intention) be fraudulently "coining it in" from both the airline and insurer!

With my luck, I will be lucky to get enough money from the airline to afford a "Bag for Life" from a leading supermarket.

Now, if I really was planning on perpetrating fraud, I would have said "Yes" when they asked me if anything was missing from my bag - it wasn't and I didn't!


Minerva

Bob63

For future reference it pays to be insistent and get the problem settled at the airport.

I had a hard shell case damaged on a transatlantic flight some time ago. The bag came onto the baggage carousel inside a huge plastic bag. I collected it and went over to the airline's luggage desk. Without much prompting (maybe because I was a first class passenger, I don't really know) they handed me an ATM Maestro card pre-loaded with £120 and a PIN number to enable me to use it in any cash point.

Mike

lisyloo

You did the right thing getting the PIR report at the airport.
You need to claim off the airline.

Follow their procedure and you'll get your money back (although it might take a few weeks).
I've done this 3 times and always got the money back.

If you've had the bag a long time then they may reduce your claim accordingly.

I have never been given a pre-laoded ATM card.
This is either a wind up or it's something they do for 1st class people.
You and I will have to go through the claims procedure.

Minerva_2

Mike,

At least they had the decency to put it in a plastic bag! Mine appeared on the carousel with all my clothes spilling out of it!

Now I have heard of the saying to air your dirty laundry in public...

Yes, you are definately right, it is best to "get it sorted" there and then, but it was late and I had a fractious child with me and I just wanted to go home.

Glad that you were dealt with so well and received proper compensation.

Minerva

exel1966

Claim from the Airline for a new case. You must report it directly to the ailrline or their representative at the airport concerned. Who did you complete the report with ?

Minerva_2

exel1966 - I reported it to their airline's baggage handling company, I think it was Servisair. I have sent the airline a claim letter (recorded delivery) with a copy of the PIR so we will have to see what happens next.

Lisyloo - I may travel charter, but I'm a First Class person at heart!