Rig stolen while checked in on flight.

[kentAllan 0]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/216952851725755/

Anyone knows about other this has happened to?

What's the best way to approach this issue with the airline?

Suggestions?

Info:

"STOLEN:
Black and blue Icon container, main chute Pilot 150 blue and lime colored, white Smart 150 reserve chute, Cypres II.
Bought NEW with witnesses through the Crazy Viking Camp 2009.
Has about 120 jumps on it.
They stole some more things from my bag, but this is the most important and most expensive thing they took!

They want to pay me back 10 000 NOK, but all put together with the things that´s missing, they should pay up almost 50 000 NOK.
A brand new rigg with only 120 jumps is not all of the sudden worth 1/4 of the cost.


This is what happened:

We were flying from Oslo to San Diego, with stops in Amsterdam and Minneapolis.

1. Checked in my luggage in Oslo (Was gonna get it in Minneapolis.)
2. Luggage did not show up in Minneapolis. We informed the security, and got told
to check if it already was sent to San Diego.
3. Didn´t show up in San Diego. Informed the helpdesk for KLM and Delta in San Diego that it didn´t show up in Minneapolis, and not here.
4. Had to wait some days, they said it wasn´t scanned and that it still was in Amsterdam, but was on its way now.
5. Came a couple of days later to get, since they said it had arrived. I looked at the luggage, which now was put in a white plastic bag and shut with white KLM tape, then my boyfriend and I looked at each other, ´cause we could informed the lady at the helpdesk at once that that bag was too small for my whole rigg/parachute to be in it.
6. Opened the plasticbag., found that my gearbag was in the plastic bag, but WITHOUT my rigg/parachute and some other stuff I had in it. INSTEAD they had put somebody else's underwear in it, and some cornflakes and tea that was scattered in my gearbag.
7. On the edge of starting to cry, I had to fill out forms for lost baggage! Lost!! This is STOLEN!

My luggage was never on the baggage pickup. It was only supposed to be transfered by KLM EMPLOYEES from the Oslo flight and over to the Amsterdam going to Minneapolis flight!

This is not the first time employees of KLM steal from their passengers, and expect us to not do anything!

Please share this page!!
Maybe KLM will get stricter with who they hire!

I WANT THEM TO PAY UP WHAT THEY STOLE FROM ME AND OTHERS!! PLEASE HELP ME!

Thanks!"


edit: added the information from the FB group.

[jlmiracle 7]

Sorry for your loss but I found the corn flakes funny.

J

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[beowulf 1]

Do you have the serian numbers for the gear?

[VideoFly 0]

I once had checked luggage stolen on a flight. I gave the airlines the retail price of my articles and they paid me in full. I hope all goes well with your loss.

[danornan 64]

I'm sorry your gear was stolen. Hopefully someone will learn from your loss.

Generally flying from the US, the international carriers are more service oriented.

The US airlines generally treat us like cattle and with the governments approval, provide limited service except to get you from point A to point B now in their words, " please shut up!"

I fly with gear, but never check a parachute. I alway carry it alone in a seperat bag that can be easily opened by TSA.

Dano

[tmccann 1]

Sounds like this is a friend whose gear was lost/stolen?

1. If they took out travel insurance, this might be covered.
2. If not, did they book their flight with a credit card? Several credit cards provide some level of travel insurance when you make travel arrangements using their card. Even if they don't they are likely to have a lot more pull with the airlines than an individual; I'd give them a call.

That sucks royally. If I ever travel with my rig, I'll learn from this to carry it on.

[DrewEckhardt 0]

Quote

https://www.facebook.com/groups/216952851725755/

They want to pay me back 10 000 NOK, but all put together with the things that´s missing, they should pay up almost 50 000 NOK.

A brand new rigg with only 120 jumps is not all of the sudden worth 1/4 of the cost.

FYI, the airlines' liability for international travel is limited to about $1800 per passenger.

[BillyVance 34]

I have never, and never will, allow my rig to be checked. Fuck the airlines.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[crotalus01 0]

KLM is shit. They lost my bag with all my clothes in it while I was flying from Amsterdam to Tel Aviv. I got my bag back in this case...2 weeks later on the day I left Israel to return to the States.
For my "inconvenience" (spending money to buy all new clothes in a foreign country and missing out on half the things I had planned to see due to lack of funds spent on clothes) they refunded me $150 US and "comped" me 10K frequent flier miles - not that I would ever fly that sorry shit airline again. Not to mention that 10K miles is NOTHING.

As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD...

[kentAllan 0]

This is not my gear we are talking about. It's a girl who comes frome the same city as me. I'll check with her if she have the serialnumbers.

I know there is some kind of agreement in the US that allows one to take the rig as handluggage. In europe however,most airlines don't allow this.

[aeroflyer 0]

Quote

I have never, and never will, allow my rig to be checked. Fuck the airlines.

Yep, pretty much

I like having my rig in front of me on flights, even if it's not useful for escaping a 767, it's still nice to have.

I suggest calling whomever put together your rig (rigger/mfr), they should have your serial numbers. No skydiver will let anyone unload stolen gear.. post those serial numbers and people will be on the lookout.

[piisfish 135]

Quote

I know there is some kind of agreement in the US that allows one to take the rig as handluggage. In europe however,most airlines don't allow this.

not true.
I have travelled Lufthansa, British, Swiss, Easyjet, Iberia with my rig as handluggage. No problem.

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[kentAllan 0]

Ok. I have never travelled with my gear but friends who have says it can occur problems with some airports and airlines in europe.

I hope I can take it with me as handluggage when i'm going to z-hills in march. I'm travelling with KLM, wich is the airline the girl i'm writing about in the OP used

[piisfish 135]

Quote

Ok. I have never travelled with my gear but friends who have says it can occur problems with some airports and airlines in europe.

I hope I can take it with me as handluggage when i'm going to z-hills in march. I'm travelling with KLM, wich is the airline the girl i'm writing about in the OP used

the only troublesome airport I know of in Europe is Aéroports de Paris (that is for parachutes as cabin luggage)
I travelled within Europe without problem with gear either as hand luggage or checked (sometimes gate-checked) to/from
Geneva
Zurich
Frankfurt
Kiev
St Petersburg
London Heathrow
Barcelona
Prague

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[coticj 0]

Quote

Quote

I know there is some kind of agreement in the US that allows one to take the rig as handluggage. In europe however,most airlines don't allow this.

not true.
I have travelled Lufthansa, British, Swiss, Easyjet, Iberia with my rig as handluggage. No problem.

I can add Ryanair, Adria Airway, Alitalia, Austrian Airlines and Air France to that list. Never had any problems.

But I had problems with Lufthansa once, as they only allow 8kg for hand luggage, and the rig with the gear was 10kg. But I managed to talk my way through that.

http://www.prostipad.si

[Hellis 0]

Montreal convention
Article 18 and 22.
1000 SDR ~ 1220€
Another good reason to not check in gear.
If they don't take full responsibillity, they can not force me to check in the gear.

And you never know how much fun those muppets have with your bag.
They might damage your AAD, and it might be to late when you find out it's damaged

[manseman 0]

If you're worried about weight limitations for carry-on and/or the amount of coverage for lost checked items you can always simply disconnect your main and put it in a suitcase to check. Probably less likely that someone will snatch it if they do open your suitcase as well. And you still don't have to worry as much about stuff having been bent or pulled.

[BillyVance 34]

Quote

KLM is shit. They lost my bag with all my clothes in it while I was flying from Amsterdam to Tel Aviv. I got my bag back in this case...2 weeks later on the day I left Israel to return to the States.

I thought only El Al flies into Israel??

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[FastRon 0]

I have no experience with European procedures, but in the U.S. it's important to get a stolen property report taken. "Lost" property does not normally end up as a hit in the NCIC databases, if the serial number is checked. If it's discovered somewhere in an arrest or raid or or by a suspicious rigger or whatever, it would not find its way back to you if "lost", and no one gets arrested or charged. It can be 'difficult' getting a stolen report taken. Agencies often hem/haw about jurisdiction re: where stolen- (even when it's a firearm-) and not want to take a report. You may have to be very demanding to get it done. TSA would likely NOT be helpful. They are not really law enforcement per se, with limited jurisdiction and authority.

[jlmiracle 7]

Funny how my post was deleted. I guess finding corn flakes funny was offensive to the Mods. Bu BYE!

j

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[sundevil777 93]

Quote

Quote

I know there is some kind of agreement in the US that allows one to take the rig as handluggage. In europe however,most airlines don't allow this.

not true.
I have travelled Lufthansa, British, Swiss, Easyjet, Iberia with my rig as handluggage. No problem.

Maybe there is a difference. In the US the authorities specifically acknowledge that AADs are not to be considered a hazard. If there is not such official position/guidance from European authorities, then airlines can choose to do what they want and worry about AADs and such with their position changing for every flight/airport/airline/day. Even in the US, I've had TSA lie about the policy being revised, but at least there is a fair chance of them following the policy - there is something to guide them countrywide.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[goobersnuftda 0]

I never, ever check my rig. Airlines have a small limit as to the maximum they will pay for lost luggage and in no way does it even come close to the price of a complete rig. Even if my home insurance does cover the loss, how long do you think it will take to replace the custom rig? The skydiving trip you would be flying to will also be ruined. Even if you check it in and it arrives at the other end do you really want the baggage monkeys tossing it around?

Buy an industry standard carry on. The kind with the roller blade wheels and the extendable handle. Just by looking at it anyone in the airline industry knows it is the type that will fit in their test setup at the ticket counter for it's dimensions. Mine is tight enough that the pilot chute can not be in the BOC. Wheels are a MUST because some airports are looooong.

[antibac 0]

Quote

This is not my gear we are talking about. It's a girl who comes frome the same city as me. I'll check with her if she have the serialnumbers.

I know there is some kind of agreement in the US that allows one to take the rig as handluggage. In europe however,most airlines don't allow this.

No, but airport security are sceptical to the AAD, but they are not prohibited. It is allowed to carry on in Europe, I know lots of people who have done it.