Check in luggage damaged at NRT, no replacement?

[cardiology]

Need your help and guidance here.
My luggage's lock on the case was damaged when I arrived at Tokyo from BNE, it can still be opened to get the contents inside the luggage but it cannot be closed anymore. The spring lock mechanism was lost and the lock was kept in a spring opened position. I have taken a photo and also reported to the luggage counter at Narita airport. I called up the Qantas luggage service at Tokyo and they said they only have a small carry on bag that they could replace in stock and asked me to see if I could get a replacement when I fly to HKG in the next few days. I then asked Qantas luggage in Australia and they said they cannot do anything and will not replace the damaged luggage case. I cannot reuse this case as the lock can no longer be closed properly. What should I do? Can I buy a new one in Tokyo and claim it back from Qantas? Any suggestion will be very much appreciated.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Need your help and guidance here.
My luggage's lock on the case was damaged when I arrived at Tokyo from BNE, it can still be opened to get the contents inside the luggage but it cannot be closed anymore. The spring lock mechanism was lost and the lock was kept in a spring opened position. I have taken a photo and also reported to the luggage counter at Narita airport. I called up the Qantas luggage service at Tokyo and they said they only have a small carry on bag that they could replace in stock and asked me to see if I could get a replacement when I fly to HKG in the next few days. I then asked Qantas luggage in Australia and they said they cannot do anything and will not replace the damaged luggage case. I cannot reuse this case as the lock can no longer be closed properly. What should I do? Can I buy a new one in Tokyo and claim it back from Qantas? Any suggestion will be very much appreciated.

You should not purchase the case (expecting a full refund) without explicit approval from QF to do so. QF's baggage policy is here: https://www.qantas.com/travel/airlines/baggage-services/global/en#jump1 and they may feel they have grounds to deny the claim as it pertains to locks. If they do agree to liability, they may wish to determine how the bag is replaced or repaired.

You may wish to ask your travel insurance on the other hand - see if they approve a new case given the time constraints before your next trip.

 

[Cynicor]

Travel insurance? Things break, bad luck sometimes. But if you can get something off them then that is great too, so good luck!

 

[Flying mermaid]

You should not purchase the case (expecting a full refund) without explicit approval from QF to do so. QF's baggage policy is here: https://www.qantas.com/travel/airlines/baggage-services/global/en#jump1 and they may feel they have grounds to deny the claim as it pertains to locks. If they do agree to liability, they may wish to determine how the bag is replaced or repaired.

You may wish to ask your travel insurance on the other hand - see if they approve a new case given the time constraints before your next trip.

Surely when they talk about locks it means a lock that has been added to the suitcase, not a lock which is an integral part of the suitcase?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Surely when they talk about locks it means a lock that has been added to the suitcase, not a lock which is an integral part of the suitcase?

Who knows. They have tried to include plenty of wriggle room in their exclusions:

Qantas is not liable for damage that occurs due to an inherent defect, quality or vice of the baggage or due to wear and tear

It's worth trying, but I wouldn't replace a bag expecting QF to refund it in total.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Who knows. They have tried to include plenty of wriggle room in their exclusions:

It's worth trying, but I wouldn't replace a bag expecting QF to refund it in total.

These days I work on the basis that if you don't expect anything from airlines, you won't be disappointed

 

[anat0l]

The purpose of the bag is to protect the contents inside. All airlines take this as the rule. If you can still use a bag to store things inside securely, then the airlines won't accept liability.

If you can't seal up the bag at all, then the purpose of the bag isn't fulfilled and you have wriggle room to negotiate the claim process. Make sure you have obtained a damage report from the baggage handlers for Qantas in Tokyo.

Depending on how many days you have in Tokyo before your next journey, and how badly you need your existing bag (of the same size), you may need to consider some of the following options posthaste:

• Even if you were to accept the small bag as a replacement, does this limit your ability to get a proper repair/replacement for your damaged bag?
• Confirm with the baggage handling service and Qantas (in Tokyo/Japan, or Australia) how you can process your claim if it cannot be resolved in Tokyo. If they are recommending that they sort it out in HKG (your next onward destination, supposedly), then either they are recommending:
  • You will "pass" the problem onto the carrier which will carry you to HKG, viz. say you are flying CX to HKG. If CX don't make you sign a release waiver at Tokyo for the bag, then you would make the claim at HKG at CX's baggage service and get them to fix you up. A bit dubious.
  • Someone must give you a report in Tokyo, make notes, and/or inform the baggage services for Qantas at HKG that they are expecting you and something can and will be done. You cannot just turn up in HKG and see QF baggage services there and expect that you will be able to make a claim without some forward notice of some kind. Whoever does baggage handling for QF at HKG will probably direct you to the services of the airline that will fly you to HKG (unless they are the same service provider).
• See if you can negotiate with Tokyo baggage services and/or Qantas Japan/Qantas Australia (the latter not preferable) to buy a case in Tokyo and they can reimburse you. As MEL_Traveller said, don't buy a bag before you clear the process with Qantas on the reimbursement. Make sure you find out exactly how to get reimbursed, as well as an acceptable price range for the new bag. You might need to spend some money on a SIM / phone calls suitable for Tokyo to get this working. It might also take some time on your part.
• If you really need to use your damaged bag when leaving Tokyo, you could consider a baggage wrapping service if that might work. The cost - you might be able to negotiate that as part of your repair / replacement costs with Qantas.

Long story short, make sure you get a damage report and try to work out a reasonable solution with the baggage service in Tokyo and/or the Qantas representative in Japan. Dealing with the Japanese can't be too confronting as long as you are reasonable, as most of the time they should be trying their best to help you out, especially if you explain some constraints, e.g. short time frame. If you can't get it "fixed up" in Tokyo, you need to make sure that Qantas gives you a way to claim that damage even after you leave Tokyo.

If this all fails, you might be able to get travel insurance involved, but now you need to check your policy and see if there is a lot of conflict between it and the airline process.

 

[Sdtravel]

Surely when they talk about locks it means a lock that has been added to the suitcase, not a lock which is an integral part of the suitcase?

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/...98u1A_PtH7XkOxVuoQmKWkV8hHpAWLhydWRDGa54BxXuA

My rimowa bag has locks build into the case. If the locks are broken the case can't close. Sounds like the OP might have something like this.