Damage to things inside a suitcase.

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I can find lots of information on damage to luggage but what about damage to things inside? I had some things in my luggage that were not overly breakable but it looks like something heavy has been stabbed into the soft top side of my suitcase leaving a mark on the suitcase and it has literally bashed my things in. Do I claim through Virgin or my travel insurance? Can I claim at all? Cheers and thanks for answering a newbies question!
 
My experience in the past with a staff travel claim, insurance will tell you to claim with airline, airline will decline and tell you to claim with insurance. Take airline decline to insurer and then make insurance claim. Took many months to resolve.

What are you claiming? New or repaired bag or cost of broken items or both?
 
I can find lots of information on damage to luggage but what about damage to things inside? I had some things in my luggage that were not overly breakable but it looks like something heavy has been stabbed into the soft top side of my suitcase leaving a mark on the suitcase and it has literally bashed my things in. Do I claim through Virgin or my travel insurance? Can I claim at all? Cheers and thanks for answering a newbies question!
When did you notice the damage?

FWIW, Such should always be reportED and a claim with the airline filed before leaving the airport.
 
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As noted above, first point of contact is the airline and then travel insurance for any remaining value.

However, do note that airline is likely to say something about poor/unsuitable packing/protection on your part, so be prepared to address such response.
 
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Hi there, thanks, I didn’t think to check all my belongings for breakage as soon as I got my case off. The reason I was flying was that my Dad was dying and so I basically dumped my suitcases at home and went directly to the hospital. I’m glad I did as he passed away 36 hours later :( so I only just opened them.
 
@PeterPanandWendy, I am very sorry to read about the passing of you Dad. I feel you pain.

Your best approach is to start with the airline. However, if there is no physical damage to the suitcase itself, they are unlikely to offer any assistance/compensation. But you probably need something in the form of a written response (email etc.) from the airline acknowledging you have contacted them and that they have refused your claim for compensation. Then you take that to your Travel Insurance to make a claim.

If you go straight to travel insurance, they will likely just tell you to contact the airline first.
 
Without wanting to complicate things, a stat dec might be useful as to value, condition of packing and the reason for delayed claim. When I had a theft from my checked suitcase, there were a couple of things I don't realise were stolen at the first claim; was a few days later. Told additional claim was inadmissible, but a stat dec fixed that.
 
Wow! You had some things stolen from checked luggage? That is terrible. My nieces iPhone had to go through X-ray security once flying Delta and I actually saw the guy put it aside and fail to send it through in the plastic tub. I thought they were rechecking it. But he’d stolen it. Hoping we would forget it probably, but they failed to realise that kids have their phones stuck to their hands 24/7 and we soon noticed it wasn’t there! I went back to get it and had to threaten we’d ask for the cameras to be examined, suddenly it turned up from a drawer!
 
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