To continue the SYD link in baggage damage, in the last 20 yrs, the only times I have had found baggage to have been damaged has been in on collection in SYD - flights from SFO, YVR, HKG and direct from LHR. Damage such as handles ripped from perfectly sound and good condition bags, bike box dropped on a corner (and damaging the protected forks that happened to be in that corner of the box), stacking flat multiple bike boxes (contrary to stickers requesting staking on edge) and gouges in bags. It may not be just be a SYD thing, but you've got to wonder.