juddles
Suspended
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2011
- Posts
- 5,283
- Qantas
- Platinum 1
I agree with the concern or disappointment expressed by the OP, but I also agree that exposure to the elements is a common problem in travel. This is a hard one, as this is yet another facet where pax could never be expected to understand those realities, yet no airline makes this sort of thing obvious.
As a relatively experienced traveller, I take great care in packing a checked suitcase. Essentially, if you are not happy to hose your bag, or hurl it several metres onto a concrete floor, then the bag is not right. And internal plastic bags make managing a bag easier - for example you should EXPECT that at some point in international travel some security staff may make you completely empty the contents of it, then you have to repack it under time pressure - separation of your stuff into internal bags makes this so much tidier and easy
I moved away from soft bags over time - they are great for comfort and flexibility (including stuffing them into a rental car) but unless the contents are just soft like clothes, they are fraught with peril. But with hard cases I offer the trick of purchasing a couple of el-cheapo pillows from k-mart or similar - these hold everything in a hard case in place - so if you are like me where you may have less or more contents depending which way you are travelling, these take up the slack.
I have transported many many dozens of fragile objects (lets be specific - wine and spirit bottles ) in checked in baggage and have never ever sufferred a mishap.
Again to the OP, I hear your upset and agree. But it is simply not something that the airlines are going to change anytime soon. One way to deal with your situation is "zen" - don't lose sleep or time battling against the realities. But maybe a considered (not nasty) email to the airline may elicit some sort of recognition of the incident. But knowing most airlines, you will most likely get a canned response that will not actually make you feel better. (Hence my recommendation of the zen thing). But at least I can offer you that I, and as per the other posts, other AFF members, have heard your post and we feel for you
As a relatively experienced traveller, I take great care in packing a checked suitcase. Essentially, if you are not happy to hose your bag, or hurl it several metres onto a concrete floor, then the bag is not right. And internal plastic bags make managing a bag easier - for example you should EXPECT that at some point in international travel some security staff may make you completely empty the contents of it, then you have to repack it under time pressure - separation of your stuff into internal bags makes this so much tidier and easy
I moved away from soft bags over time - they are great for comfort and flexibility (including stuffing them into a rental car) but unless the contents are just soft like clothes, they are fraught with peril. But with hard cases I offer the trick of purchasing a couple of el-cheapo pillows from k-mart or similar - these hold everything in a hard case in place - so if you are like me where you may have less or more contents depending which way you are travelling, these take up the slack.
I have transported many many dozens of fragile objects (lets be specific - wine and spirit bottles
) in checked in baggage and have never ever sufferred a mishap. Again to the OP, I hear your upset and agree. But it is simply not something that the airlines are going to change anytime soon. One way to deal with your situation is "zen" - don't lose sleep or time battling against the realities. But maybe a considered (not nasty) email to the airline may elicit some sort of recognition of the incident. But knowing most airlines, you will most likely get a canned response that will not actually make you feel better. (Hence my recommendation of the zen thing). But at least I can offer you that I, and as per the other posts, other AFF members, have heard your post and we feel for you
