maryann122

Back in May, on a flight from Chicago, through Madrid and ending in Rome, Iberia broke the wheels off my suitcase. Since I wasn't going to be anywhere for more than 3 days, fixing it in Italy was impossible. This four foot tall suitcase weighed over 40 pounds and negotiating the streets of Venice and Florence became a nightmare with out the wheels. On the return trip, Iberia lost that same suitcase all together! It finally showed up two days after I got home, the bottom all torn up. Since I left for another trip 3 days later, I didn't get the suitcase to their recommended repair site for another 3 weeks. One month later, I finally got the suitcase back. The tears were still there. Where there used to be a pivoting set of wheels, there is now a bit plastic bar, which does nothing to help manuever this beast, but does allow it to stand straight! What they thought I could do with a handle on the bottom of the suitcase is beyond me... When I spoke with their "customer service" deptartment, I was told I would have to replace the suitcase with my own money, then send them the receipt, along with all my original paperwork and a copy of my passport! The gentleman refused to pass me on to a supervisor, telling me that supervisors don't speak with customers.
This was a $500. suitcase that I got on sale for $300. which is now worth nothing since they got their mitts on it! Does anyone know of a way to get to their top management, where the people just may be a tad more polite and reasonable than the rude clerk I spoke with? Any advice will be appreciated.

JDiver

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but every airline I know of will not assume any responsibility for breakage of "attachments or protuberances" like wheels, housings, handles and the like on your luggage; the tears will generally be considered "wear and tear" to boot. Unfortunately the Iberia website has virtually no information about luggage breakage, as they only address allowable baggage weights and items, loss or declaration of additional value (I've just checked it for you, in Spanish.)

IMO, you have two options - scrap it, or take it to a real luggage repair shop locally and have it properly done - you could TRY billing IB, but I'd not hold my breath to wait for the check, nor subject myself to further stress. Luggage was invented so airlines could visit various forms havoc upon it; fancy expensive luggage is only bait to the airlines luggage monsters.

Now, as to contact - you apparently have their telephone number. They have no corporate office in the USA, only airport offices. Their e-mail is [email protected].

Iberia luggage issues:
C.A.T. Iberia equipajes
Apartado de Correos 36.299
28080 Madrid
España

Iberia corporate Customer Service:
Iberia
Unidad Relaciones Clientes
Apartado de Correos Nº 548 F.D.
28080 Madrid
España

maryann122

Thanks for the information. Iberia must feel some sense of responsibility or they wouldn't have paid the repair shop for the screwed up job. I'll never fly them again.

JDiver

You're not the first person who ever said that, maryann122 - Ironically, IB claims the lowest baggage loss rate in Europe or something like that on their site; "loss" doesn't include baggage maceration.

Do you have any good baggage repair shops locally? For instance in SMF we have Longshore's Luggage; they can repair anything, and very well. Another option is to get luggage that has a no questions warranty, like the new (and lighter) Eagle Creek, iirc some TravelPro, and for dive or sports luggage Stahlsac. I had one airline (Air Niugini) grind my wheels flat, bend the axle, etc. Stahl made it right, all I paid was the shipping to their factory. ^ I think that was 1993 or so, yet I still travel with that bag.

maryann122

The shop I used (Irv's on Halstead-Chicago) is supposedly a good one. The manager there claims it's my fault because I sent it there by messenger as opposed to hauling it over there, and looking him in the eye balls while he wrote out the repair ticket. Apparently, talking to him on the phone for 15 minutes wasn't good enough. He obviously didn't bother to read the Iberia damaged luggage report where it states plainly what happened to my poor suitcase. IDIOT!!
If you search real hard, way down at the bottom of the Iberia/English website there is a link to customer service. That leads you to an excruciating long form that gets forwarded to their customer service department. That was yesterday. We'll see if they respond...

GWU ESIA STUDENT

Good luck with IB baggage. I flew MIA-LHR(AA)-MAD(IB) and they lost my bags in LHR. After being lied to for a day I was told that my bags would arrive at my home by noon; they showed up at about 10:30pm and I lived 30 mins from the airport. Their MAD based baggage office spoke incredibly poor English, save for one Brit who got the night shifts; it became easier for me to use Spanish, and would never transfer me to a supervisor. I did manage to get IB to cover about 50 euro in purchases for the time that I was without luggage.

Adriana St

more4less

15 years afterwards??

Welcome to FT Ariadna St!