Originally Posted by
SilverChris
A bag doesn't have to be declared lost to claim the maximum amount under the Montreal Convention. If the passenger can justify the 1288 SDR worth of expenses as a result of the delayed bag (I suspect a wedding dress would be reasonable enough), that's what the airline is on the hook for.
That's true, but there's also an expectation that any purchases should be commensurate with the purpose.
Need a replacement suit for a business meeting? Buy one from Marks & Spencer, not Savile Row.
Dress for a wedding? Most people manage just fine with something that doesn't cost anything like €1300. Even a few hundred at most should get something sufficiently unusual, but if there's a particular reason for needing something that expensive, then hire it.
Essentially, if the luggage is delayed the airline isn't responsible for completely replacing your whole wardrobe. If I got a receipt for the maximum amount against a relatively short delay, particularly given most people would carry something so valuable as carry-on, I think I'd be as skeptical as KLM. I'm not in the least bit surprised this has reached a fairly formal audit stage.