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When Your Adventure Starts with a Smash: The Case of Damaged Luggage During Flight! ✈️✨
There’s nothing quite as thrilling as stepping on a plane and reaching a new destination. But imagine after a smooth flight, delightful food served onboard and hospitality only to find on arrival your checked-in luggage transformed into a piece of poor man’s mosaic art – tattered, dusty & broken!
That’s exactly what happened to us between the Delhi to Zurich flight. Our excitement quickly turned into frustration when we discovered one of our bags was severely damaged. If you’ve ever faced a similar situation, you know how stressful it can be. More so, if one travels to a new country the language barrier doubles the stress.
Frankly, we have seen far more damaged bags than ours in the past but this is not a thing to find solace in. In fact, during our recent international trip to Europe, we saw an almost fully open big check-in luggage bag from which clothes were sticking out. As a damage control, it was hurriedly wrapped with a plastic wrap. But only when something similar dawns upon you does the pinch feel for real. As for us in our broken luggage bag case, we took some immediate steps to address the issue, and we’re happy to share a small guide here so you can be prepared if it ever happens to you!
What to Do If You Have Damaged Luggage During Flight?
Luggage damage is more common than you’d think, and airlines take cognizance of these mis-happenings. As a result, they do have set procedures in place for such incidents. However, since not many people know the same either they don’t take the damages or falter and become ineligible for the same. Here’s what we did and what we recommend for anyone with damaged luggage during flight:
1. Take Photos Before and After Your Flight
One of the best ways to support your claim is by having before-and-after pictures of your luggage. We always take photos of our check-in baggage from multiple angles before heading to the airport. This ensures we have sufficient proof of the condition in which the luggage was handed over to the airline.
2. Inspect Your Luggage Immediately After Landing
Once you pick up your baggage from the conveyor belt, inspecting it for any damages should be the next step. Minor bruises cannot be counted as visible damage. If there is any substantial damage to the bag like it is broken from a side one shouldn’t not leave the airport before reporting. Airlines typically require immediate reporting for compensation claims.
3. How to report the check-in luggage bag damage?
If you find your luggage damaged, fret not, go straight to the airline’s lost & found or baggage service counter. The airline official will assess the damage and direct you to the next steps to be done. In our case, we approached Swiss Air’s lost & found department. The airline official quickly assessed the visible damage and handed us an information booklet outlining the next steps.
We also received a yellow confirmation form as proof of luggage bag damage had been assessed by an official. This step is critical—if you don’t report it before leaving, the airline might refuse to accept responsibility later.
4. File a Formal Complaint with the Airline
In our case, the airline we flew with was Swiss Airlines. A word of caution here from our end. variations may be in the exact processes followed for airline baggage damage claim by different airlines. So we advise you to check with the airlines you are flying for the relevant process in case such a situation arises with your baggage. The information shared here is the core aspect of the process and is the same for all airlines.
Once we reached our hotel, we followed the procedure mentioned in the airline’s yellow booklet and filed a formal complaint online. The photos we had taken before and after were incredibly useful in strengthening our claim.
5. Follow Up with the Airline’s Appointed Service Provider
Following up on this broken baggage matter is important to get a resolution of it. A few days later, while we were still travelling, we received an email from Dolfi1920, a service provider handling baggage claims for Swiss Air. Since then, we have been in continuous communication with them.
6. Choose Between a New Bag or Monetary Compensation
Usually, the airlines offer two kinds of compensation as airline baggage damage claim. These were provided to us as well by Dolfi1920:
- A replacement bag from their collection
If your bag is damaged beyond repair and it will be too much of a problem without the bag then this option is best to choose. The bags given as a replacement are of excellent quality. If this option comes to you after your return from the international destination then get a confirmation with the resolving company beforehand about whether you will be entitled to pay the customs duty or it will be done on their behalf.
- Monetary compensation
We opted for this option as we had a tight itinerary planned for the first day of our trip and we didn’t feel like wasting our time at the airport for this issue. Moreover with the monetary compensation, one can buy a bag of their preference and requirement.
7. Provide Bank Details for Compensation
The next step required us to share our bank details for the compensation payment. However, Dolfi1920 did not initially disclose the amount, so we requested clarification before proceeding.
8. Be Patient—Processing Can Take Time
While the officials have been cooperative, communication has been slow. The last response we received was about twelve days ago. The compensation process takes roughly 1 month or so. Patience is key!
Key Takeaways to Avoid Hassles with Airline Baggage Damage Claim
If you’re a frequent traveller, here are some essential tips to keep in mind:
- Photograph your luggage before check-in to have proof of its original condition.
- Inspect your bags immediately after collecting them from the conveyor belt.
- Report damages before leaving the airport to avoid issues with claims.
- Keep all documentation safe, including complaint forms and email correspondence.
- Be persistent but patient—claims processing can take time, but regular follow-ups help.
Final Thoughts: A Bumpy Start but a Beautiful Trip
While dealing with damaged luggage wasn’t the best start to our Swiss adventure, we didn’t let it dampen our spirits. Zurich’s stunning vibes made up for the loss! We hope our experience helps you navigate similar situations of damaged luggage during a flight.
If you found this post helpful, save it for future reference and share it with fellow travellers. Safe travels!
P.S.: Stay tuned to our Instagram stories, reels and posts (@freemindtree) for travel updates!
