Woman says Scoot denied compensation after surfboards were allegedly broken in transit
SINGAPORE: A woman took to Instagram after two of her surfboards were allegedly damaged on a Scoot flight from Hainan, China, to Phuket, Thailand.
Karlie Huang (@karlie_huang33 )wrote in a July 11 Instagram post that she discovered that both her longboard and mid-length board had snapped into two pieces, adding that this left her “Extremely frustrated and disappointed with the irresponsible baggage handling and zero customer accountability from Scoot Airlines.”
She called the boards essential equipment and noted that they were beyond repair. Moreover, the damage to her surfboards disrupted her travel schedule to Phuket and Indonesia, “resulting in direct financial loss. She also said that together, her boards, which had been checked in and were carefully packed in a surfboard bag and tagged by airport staff as fragile, are worth over US$2,500.
Ms Huang tagged the airline as well.
“Scoot ground staff fully denied airline liability and refused compensation,” she wrote, adding that compensation had been denied because she had signed a limited release form before flying out.
However, Ms Huang claimed that “limited release terms only apply to minor wear and tear during standard carriage,” and “catastrophic structural breakage proves violent rough handling, outside normal baggage risk scope.”
She has since sent formal compensation claim emails, together with evidence of the boards’ damage, to Scoot, as well as to the Singapore Civil Aviation Authority.
“I am extremely angry and helpless with this whole experience. Violent baggage handling that breaks surfboards in half is never a normal travel risk, and the airline must take full responsibility for its staff’s negligence,” she wrote, asking how she can trust the airline the next time she needs to fly around the region.
And while Ms Huang also claimed that Scoot has neither replied nor provided an explanation to her, a report from AsiaOne on July 14 quoted the airline as apologising for the incident, adding that it has been in touch with the unhappy passenger and is providing her with the help she needs.
Many Instagram users have since commented on her post and seemed to be divided as to who was responsible for the damage on Ms Huang’s boards. Many agreed that it was a handling problem, while a few argued that the bubble wrap and foam roller were insufficient protection for her boards.
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Others recommended buying a hard case for her boards, and some reminded Ms Huang of the importance of buying travel insurance.
“Airlines do not hire the baggage carrier; it belongs to the airport. Airlines are required to use whichever options are available to them at origin and arrival airport. Tagging the airline really does nothing much. Just file insurance and claim and be done with it,” another advised. /TISG