I am still not clear on the exact nature of the damage...just a reference to a broken handle? Can you be more precise?

Over the years, I've had my share of damaged luggage incidents and always had little problem having AC (or CP) pick up the tab. They've always provided the name of a local luggage shop and those places have fixed the damaged item at no cost to me. Often, the repair shops will have fixed other minor things on these bags at no extra charge (to me).

I've used the manufacturer's guarantee to fix the handle mechanism of my roller bag that broke after a trip last year. I just had to take it around to the dealer (the BAY) for repair.

The biggest issue is still the length of time repairs can take (often upwards of a month), so for someone constantly on the road, this is a real problem and requires a back-up case.