Virgin Australia has come under fire after offering a passenger just $75 in compensation after his suitcase was crushed on a domestic flight.
Mark Trenwith demanded Virgin Australia pay him compensation after finding his suitcase badly damaged following a flight from Adelaide to Melbourne late last year.
Despite the bag being returned to him in an unusable condition, Virgin Australian offered Mr Trenwith just $75 in compensation for a suitcase that cost him $219.
‘The absolute minimum is that you expect your bag to work again. “I thought the steering wheel was broken, but upon further investigation it turns out the whole thing was crushed,” he said. Yahoo News.
“My ideal outcome is that they replace the housing, but it looks like they only rated it as a minor dent.”
Media pressure eventually forced Virgin Australia to change its tune and the airline compensated Mr Trenwith for the full cost of his suitcase.
The passenger said he had to ‘jump through hoops’, including contacting police and completing a ‘difficult’ claim.
Virgin Australia was questioned by Daily Mail Australia about why Mr Trenwith was not fully compensated straight away.
Mark Trenwith has fought hard to be fairly compensated by Virgin Australia
Virgin Australia offered one of its customers an outrageous offer for their damaged luggage
“We have investigated this matter and have contacted the guest directly to apologize and provide compensation for the claim,” a spokesperson said Thursday.
“This matter has now been resolved.”
Luggage damage has become a common story in recent years.
In December 2022, two baggage handlers were fired after they were filmed forcibly hurling luggage onto a conveyor belt at Melbourne Airport.
Many others have also had to wait months and even years for airlines to recover their lost luggage, just like Michael Pascale in May 2022.
Mr Pascale lost his luggage for 18 months despite traveling alone from Brisbane to Sydney.
Sri Lankan Airlines, Qantas’ airline, offered him just $150 in compensation, but he was understandably unhappy with the offer and took them to court and was awarded $2,700.
Incidents like this are the reason there are calls for an independent regulator for airlines that will stand up for passenger rights.