Flying into JFK a few years ago on AAnother airline and a girl who had checked in directly after us at LHR was standing next to me at the luggage reclaim. We were missing a bag for one of our party and was advised to go and report it, she was next to get spoken to but by that point we were heading to Customs. Whilst waiting at the desk trying to report the missing bag the girl walks past with her hard shell suitcase that looked like a 747 had sat on it. Ruined wasn't the word, and I hope she didn't have toiletries in there as they would have squirted everywhere.

We were trying to make AA understand that we would be on a sailing boat and so contacting us about the bag would be difficult the day after we got to the BVI. Whereupon she reappeared with a shiny new suitcase, and her old one in a thick clear plastic bag to stop it falling apart anymore than it already had. Apparently they have a storeroom of new bags/cases waiting for this to happen. I dread to think what had happened to cause her suitcase to be in that condition, and we were then fearful for our missing one, that did appear a day later.