I recently was aboard AC 486, YUL-YYZ, when, accidentally the FA spilt orange juice on me. No problem, she was very apologetic, and immediately gave me a $15 cleaning reimbursement chit.

However, it seems like one has to jump through hoops to get the $15. Nobody would handle it at the MLL...I was told, in no uncertain terms, to go back out through Customs, back to the ticket counter, and come back through security and US Customs/Immigration...all in the hopes that I will forget and not bother.

This exact same scenario happened to me SEVENTEEN years ago, in 1992 at SFO, when nobody wanted to do anything...waiting for the Station Manager to finally decide to give me the $15 cash and submit the voucher internally for reimbursement. It seems like, in this respect, the crown corporation mentality is still alive and well.

Why couldn't the MLL agent give me the $15, and then submit the coupon for internal reimbursement? Why even say "they will give you the money at the airport" when that is not exactly feasibly achieved....perhaps better to say "mail it in to..." ; although a frustrated and angry passenger most likely will not hunt down an envelope, a stamp, fill in a form...he/she has to pay for the dry cleaning upfront, so why should the redemption be so difficult, unless it is in hopes that 95% of those who get the voucher don't bother thereafter.