[sabrekat66]

I arrived at my destination on 12/18/09 for the holidays. My bag was delayed but delivered the next day in apparently good condition so I accepted delivery. Several days later after removing more items from my suitcase I realized that it had been crushed at some point in its travels. All of the plastic reinforcements at each corner were shattered leaving sharp shards and exposed rivots inside the suitcase; no longer suitable for air travel. I presented the bag in person at the local airport to file a claim but was told that they were unable to accept my claim since I had not reported the damage within 24 hours. The local AA supervisor insisted that his hands were tied due to corporate policy. I contacted AA through their online complaint form and was informed that the final decision on claims is determined by the local facility. When I questioned this statement I was told that AA would not be accepting any claim after 24 hours....period.

I fly AA on a fairly regular basis, 2-3 times per year, and am disappointed in the "pass the buck" attitude I received from the corporate office. The local agents were extremely courteous so I have no issues with them since they were following corporate policy. I find it ironic that the flight crew must give their standard speech about "we know you have a choice when it comes to air travel....", yet the customer service seems to be grossly lacking. I requested a refund ($15) for the baggage charge on the flight in which my bag was lost and then received damaged but of course AA will not refund that charge. They did credit my frequent flyer account with 5000 miles but those are not so easy to use when you really need them. I wonder how those few airlines who don't charge for baggage are making it work? We are getting less service for more money!