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Company founder slams Qantas after three rare surfboards worth $4,000 were damaged, just days after baggage handlers were filmed recklessly tossing bags
- James Huddle’s $4,000 surfboards were damaged after a short Qantas flight
- Mr Huddle flew Qantas from Melbourne to Newcastle in NSW
- He claims that the handlers ran over the bag containing the three expensive surfboards.
- Two Qantas Melbourne workers were fired this week for ‘disrespecting’ luggage
A businessman claims Qantas left him $4,000 out of pocket by damaging his prized surfboards, just days after two handlers were fired for “disrespecting” luggage.
Melbourne kombucha company founder James Huddle, 45, shared a video of three surfboards he checked in on a Qantas flight from Melbourne to Newcastle on the north shore of New South Wales on Thursday.
The pictures show all three surfboards, which are valued at around $4,000, with a large dent in the top.
“So this is what you get when you fly from Melbourne on Qantas these days,” he said, holding up the tables.
James Huddle’s three surfboards (above) that he checked in on a Qantas flight returned severely dented on top
There’s something not quite right with the porters down there.
“These are thousand dollar surfboards, all completely destroyed.”
Mr. Huddle then claims to have found the cause of the damage to his beloved surfboards.
“I looked at the bag, there’s the telltale sign, obviously a vehicle has run over the bag of boards,” he said, showing white markings on top of the bag.
“There’s no other way that kind of damage could have happened.”
Huddle said Qantas’ solution to the broken dashboards was for him to “fill out an online form and wait 21 days.”
“So, I’m stranded in Newcastle without a team,” he said.
Hundreds of comments below his video said the ruined plates were a startling continuation of Qantas’ recent patchy customer service record.
“At one point you just wanted to ride Qantas being an Australian but now everyone has had enough,” one person wrote.
All three surfboards were dented (above), which Mr Huddle says was caused by baggage handlers running over them.
‘Just another reason I never fly Qantas…Somebody bring Ansett over,’ said another.
“I got off the plane for a ski trip and the skis literally arrived halfway out of the luggage,” another claimed.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Qantas for comment.
In a statement to seven newsA Qantas spokesperson said it “has contacted the customer and apologized for his experience” and is investigating the incident.
“We are urgently reviewing security cameras and working with our ground handling contractors to find out what has happened.”
Huddle’s video comes just days after a TikTok went viral showing Swissport’s subcontracted Melbourne baggage handlers dumping Qantas customers’ luggage onto conveyor belts.
The two workers filmed themselves hurling the bags at their belts, some from head height, leaving Qantas customers outraged.
A Swissport spokesperson has since confirmed that the two workers have been fired following a company investigation into the incident.