NickB

How much did you expenses amount to? If they amounted to €250, then it is OK for them to do that: they offer you the appropriate compensation (€250) but offer, in addition the alternative of €500 in travel vouchers if you prefer that, which could be a win-win for both: KL not having to shell out hard cash and you getting more value if you were going to spend as least as much on KL tickets anyway. OTOH, if your expenses claim amounted to €500 and you can justify it, then no: you do not have to accept travel vouchers instead of cash.

wandering_nomad

Maybe someone has input on this:

Delta never placed one of my two bags on an outgoing flight to Europe, with a connection and AF flight from CDG. Bag was delayed about two days meaning I had to purchase about €106 in necessities (kept receipts). When I finally received the bag (which looked in rough condition, but purely cosmetic) I found out that it had been submerged in water, and many of the contents had some oil/grease scuff marks and mold and mildew. I tried my best to clean them but some items were not salvageable. I totaled the replacement costs to be about €778 (looked up current prices).

I sent an itemized list to AF of my damaged items, including pictures (even though Delta rep told me photos weren't necessary!) along with a receipts for the "necessary" items. Anyone think I have a chance of my €885 compensation? I'm in grad school, so going out and purchasing new textbooks/clothing is going to really suck without being reimbursed.

amenas

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amenas

My bag pack was stabbed approx. 10 times with very thin and strong, long object like awl. The force was so huge what it went through all rolled cloths in the back pack and plastic box. Now I have many approx. 1 mm holes in each item, including in two sailing jackets. Price for each jacket was 650 EUR, they were used just several time and I have original receipt. Any idea how this could happen? I want to claim full value of sailing jackets in total 1300 EUR. They are designed/manufactured to be completely waterproof, each seam is glued and 10 holes in a fabric makes them unusable. Any chance I can get full compensation? Should I ask for higher value KLM vouchers? Flight was from Asuncion to Madrid via Sao Paulo and Paris. First leg operated by GOL, rest by AF, ticket from KLM.

Fragment of one T-shirt with with 7 holes:

HalconBCN

You will want to take clear pictures of all the damage and send this to the airline. They might also ask you to get a certificate of irreparability ("no tiene arreglo") or somesuch from a luggage store.
Not sure if the airline will offer you the full amount in cash but it sounds like something you should be able to claim from travel insurance?

amenas

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amenas

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amenas

HalconBCN, thanks for your reply. It is almost impossible to take good quality macro pictures with phone. These holes are just about 1 mm. I had no travel insurance. Generally I do not care much about some small holes in a back pack or in a 20 EUR T-shirt, but sailing waterproof jacket with holes is a joke. Why would I buy one for 650 EUR if I prefer to be wet in a storm? Few more pictures:

HalconBCN

If it was up to me, I would pay you the full replacement costs, but the airline might not be no so generous, especially as it's not so clear where and how the damage happened.
The airline may want proof that your clothes are really damaged beyond repair, and even still they may find reasons not to pay out.
I would expect your case to involve quite a lot of "dialogue" with the airline, and to be very honest I can imagine them finding reasons to deny or reduce your claim. If your flight was in business class or you have top tier FF status, the process may be a bit quicker.
Will you keep us posted on how it goes? Would be interesting to know.

amenas

I guess someone can claim it is possible to repair such damage or almost any damage. But I hardly can imagine how and at the end of the day why would I want to have sailing jacket with 10 patches? This is not my fault and responsibility, so why should I be the one who is left is losses? This is KLM/AF responsibility. I will send claim later today and update as soon as possible. Any idea how this could happen? I have at least 3 holes on a back side of back pack, few in front and few on a lateral sides. Interesting fact what back side of back pack has a mesh fabric for ventilation and this mesh is not damaged at all. Maybe it is just a luck, but from my perspective someone stabbed in a way not to damage this mesh so damage could not be visible at the time of pick up at the airport. I'm really amazed by the force of stabbing, it went through all items in the back pack, each peace of clothing was tightly rolled and back pack was tightly stuffed, so including back pack it was at least 20 layers of various materials including plastic box.

brunos

This is indeed very strange. I never heard of something like this. It seems likes someone was taking a revenge at your bag and stabbed it multiple times.

From your first (deleted post), it appears that this happened two or three days ago. It is very late to make a claim now. I do understand that it was hard to notice it at the airport, but you should have reported it the moment you noticed it. Maybe you did.

Frankly, the airline will have a tough time accepting responsibility for the scenario you describe ("but from my perspective someone stabbed in a way not to damage this mesh so damage could not be visible at the time of pick up at the airport."). It seems more like a personal vendetta. You should also file a police report given the nature of the incident. But if you don't have a very extensive insurance policy I doubt that anything can be recovered.

Your only hope is if this is caused by some machine at an airport and it happens to bags periodically. I understand that you post here to try to get that information. But I never heard of it. Maybe some other posters did. But even then, getting any refund from AFKL will be tough.

irishguy28

Somehow I think it's more likely that your bag fell from a height onto some kind of spiked structure rather than some lunatic having had a go at it with a screwdriver.

If the holes seem to be regularly spaced on the surface of the case, it might suggest my explanation. If they are seemingly randomly sited, then maybe your psycho-stabber suggestion is more likely.

Did you notice the damage to the case at the airport? Or only after you got home?

Do you have travel insurance?

I may be wrong but doesn't one of these conventions (Montreal?) severely limit the amounts that can be claimed for loss/damage to luggage/contents? You may end up having to supplement any airline compensation with that of your insurer.

brunos

This is becoming a detective story.

If irishguy28's guess is correct and the bag fell on a fakir bed, you find correspondence of the entry and exit points in your bag. But apparently, the bag was stabbed on all sides ("I have at least 3 holes on a back side of back pack, few in front and few on a lateral sides") so it should have rolled which seems highly unlikely.

In case the airline accepts responsibility, the Montreal convention limits its liability to approx 1,300EUR. You have seven days.
But AFKL will request purchase receipts for the jackets and will apply a depreciation for age.

amenas

Indeed 3 holes on a back side are almost evenly spaced and in a line, so it could be some kind of structure, but spikes should be long, very strong and thin. No such structure comes to my mind. I doubt it is possible to stab this way with a screwdriver (it wouldn't come through all these layers), you need something like awl.

It was impossible to notice such damage at the airport. I noticed just completely ripped plastic packing (back pack was packed to the plastic bag in Asuncion at the check-in desk), some scratches and few tiny material irregularities, looked a bit like some thread was puled (these were front/lateral holes). My first thought about these tiny material damages was that it could happen during transportation or anywhere else (e.g. trekking in a forest).

I have noticed all damages just at home, then unpacked everything. At first I noticed just one hole in a jacket and started thinking how and where this could happen on a new jacket. Later checked everything and found every item to be with tiny holes. Rolled back jackets and holes were in line, so it became 100% clear they were made while jackets were rolled (and they were rolled just during this trip while in a back pack). Lastly inspected backpack and found entrance holes. I had no travel insurance.

amenas

It is indeed detective story. I have receipts for jackets. Age depreciation for clothing sounds strange (they were used just 5 times or so, so I consider them to be new). Do you think AFKL could offer travel vouchers?