Suitcase security.
Jun 29th 2014, 11:16 am
#31
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2012
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 56
Re: Suitcase security.
We've been here 10 years, and one of our brand new suitcases was damaged beyond repair when we arrived in Brisbane via Sydney.
We were very fortunate that Virgin Blue accepted that we hadn't had the chance to unpack the case during our weekend in Sydney and that the damage wasn't apparent until we had unpacked the case and it collapsed in a heap. They replaced it without any hassle.
We travel a lot, both in Australia and elsewhere. Last year we bought new cases to travel back to UK - we used one of them once for an internal flight before using them to go to UK.
Although we had a stopover, our checked baggage went all the way through to Manchester.
On arrival, both cases were destroyed with items inside hanging out.
On reflection, we should just have walked away with the damaged cases. Trying to persuade Emirates that they were at fault was useless. They asked if we had checked the luggage in like that! We asked if they would have accepted it at check in if half the contents were hanging out?
It took up so much time during our UK holiday that in the end I told them that I would deal with it when I was back in Australia, and bought cheap wheelie bags to bring luggage home.
They eventually replaced the two suitcases, which I think I might sell. I will never travel with decent suitcases again.
As for locking your cases? Unless you have a state of the art locking system someone will always get into it.
Someone suggested that we should have used the 'wrapping' service at the airport, but I think the cases would still have been destroyed although we would not have lost items.
I can't believe the number of people I see here (or coming here) who check in those $2 bags from Crazy Clarks, but I think a $2 bag and $8 for wrapping will be the way forward for us for international flights now
We were very fortunate that Virgin Blue accepted that we hadn't had the chance to unpack the case during our weekend in Sydney and that the damage wasn't apparent until we had unpacked the case and it collapsed in a heap. They replaced it without any hassle.
We travel a lot, both in Australia and elsewhere. Last year we bought new cases to travel back to UK - we used one of them once for an internal flight before using them to go to UK.
Although we had a stopover, our checked baggage went all the way through to Manchester.
On arrival, both cases were destroyed with items inside hanging out.
On reflection, we should just have walked away with the damaged cases. Trying to persuade Emirates that they were at fault was useless. They asked if we had checked the luggage in like that! We asked if they would have accepted it at check in if half the contents were hanging out?
It took up so much time during our UK holiday that in the end I told them that I would deal with it when I was back in Australia, and bought cheap wheelie bags to bring luggage home.
They eventually replaced the two suitcases, which I think I might sell. I will never travel with decent suitcases again.
As for locking your cases? Unless you have a state of the art locking system someone will always get into it.
Someone suggested that we should have used the 'wrapping' service at the airport, but I think the cases would still have been destroyed although we would not have lost items.
I can't believe the number of people I see here (or coming here) who check in those $2 bags from Crazy Clarks, but I think a $2 bag and $8 for wrapping will be the way forward for us for international flights now
Jun 29th 2014, 1:10 pm
#32
Not actually a squirrel
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2010
Location: England
Posts: 3,446
Re: Suitcase security.
We've been here 10 years, and one of our brand new suitcases was damaged beyond repair when we arrived in Brisbane via Sydney.
We were very fortunate that Virgin Blue accepted that we hadn't had the chance to unpack the case during our weekend in Sydney and that the damage wasn't apparent until we had unpacked the case and it collapsed in a heap. They replaced it without any hassle.
We travel a lot, both in Australia and elsewhere. Last year we bought new cases to travel back to UK - we used one of them once for an internal flight before using them to go to UK.
Although we had a stopover, our checked baggage went all the way through to Manchester.
On arrival, both cases were destroyed with items inside hanging out.
On reflection, we should just have walked away with the damaged cases. Trying to persuade Emirates that they were at fault was useless. They asked if we had checked the luggage in like that! We asked if they would have accepted it at check in if half the contents were hanging out?
It took up so much time during our UK holiday that in the end I told them that I would deal with it when I was back in Australia, and bought cheap wheelie bags to bring luggage home.
They eventually replaced the two suitcases, which I think I might sell. I will never travel with decent suitcases again.
As for locking your cases? Unless you have a state of the art locking system someone will always get into it.
Someone suggested that we should have used the 'wrapping' service at the airport, but I think the cases would still have been destroyed although we would not have lost items.
I can't believe the number of people I see here (or coming here) who check in those $2 bags from Crazy Clarks, but I think a $2 bag and $8 for wrapping will be the way forward for us for international flights now
We were very fortunate that Virgin Blue accepted that we hadn't had the chance to unpack the case during our weekend in Sydney and that the damage wasn't apparent until we had unpacked the case and it collapsed in a heap. They replaced it without any hassle.
We travel a lot, both in Australia and elsewhere. Last year we bought new cases to travel back to UK - we used one of them once for an internal flight before using them to go to UK.
Although we had a stopover, our checked baggage went all the way through to Manchester.
On arrival, both cases were destroyed with items inside hanging out.
On reflection, we should just have walked away with the damaged cases. Trying to persuade Emirates that they were at fault was useless. They asked if we had checked the luggage in like that! We asked if they would have accepted it at check in if half the contents were hanging out?
It took up so much time during our UK holiday that in the end I told them that I would deal with it when I was back in Australia, and bought cheap wheelie bags to bring luggage home.
They eventually replaced the two suitcases, which I think I might sell. I will never travel with decent suitcases again.
As for locking your cases? Unless you have a state of the art locking system someone will always get into it.
Someone suggested that we should have used the 'wrapping' service at the airport, but I think the cases would still have been destroyed although we would not have lost items.
I can't believe the number of people I see here (or coming here) who check in those $2 bags from Crazy Clarks, but I think a $2 bag and $8 for wrapping will be the way forward for us for international flights now
I've rather do that than contemplate the arrival of Christmas again. 
