How Chase Sapphire Reserve coated my $200 broken bag

There are plenty of vacationers on the market who refuse to examine their baggage.

Nonetheless, I usually do — particularly once I want sufficient gear for an extended journey, as I did on a latest three-month journey round Europe. And since many European airways have smaller carry-on limits, I did not need to threat it.

After a blissful 5 days in Porto, Portugal, I took a three-hour EasyJet flight to Prague solely to appreciate upon arrival that my checked bag had a giant dent within the prime nook.

Naturally, I used to be aggravated, however I saved issues in perspective and targeted on what I might do to switch the bag and get some compensation.

Listed here are the 4 steps I went by way of.

Compensation from the airline: Denied

Lining up at an airport, particularly after touchdown, whether or not it is for immigration, baggage or catching a experience, is one in every of my least favourite issues. So, I skipped talking with a baggage agent in individual.

Fortunately, EasyJet has an internet course of for submitting claims for broken, delayed or misplaced baggage.

You will need to file inside seven days of your flight, and the service strongly suggests taking pictures of the harm earlier than leaving the airport, as “pictures taken later is probably not accepted.” I snapped some footage once I arrived at my lodge half-hour later and submitted the declare the subsequent day.

The on-line kind — hosted by the third-party supplier DamagedLuggage.com — took lower than 10 minutes to finish.

I uploaded:

• My flight particulars and reserving reference quantity
• My private info
• My lodge’s deal with
• An outline and pictures of the harm
• A replica of the acquisition receipt

I acquired an automatic e-mail with a declare reference quantity. Then, 10 days later, a letter denying the declare “on the grounds of beauty harm, because it does not compromise its capability, and all options stay in full working order … Whereas it is unlucky, it does not have an effect on the performance” arrived.

This was technically true, and the letter was surprisingly properly written and appeared to return from an actual human.

If I hadn’t had safety by way of one in every of my bank cards, I might’ve pushed again and submitted an attraction. However there was a neater path to compensation.

Buy safety: Ineligible

My first intuition was to say by way of the buy safety profit on my American Specific® Gold Card, which I had used to purchase the bag.

Nonetheless, I purchased the bag in April 2023, and this profit solely covers loss, theft or harm throughout the first 90 days of buy. So, I used to be out of luck.

Journey insurance coverage coverage: Not price it

I buy a 12-month journey insurance coverage coverage annually once I return to Australia, the place I am initially from. (These are typically cheaper and extra beneficiant than U.S. insurance policies.)

Whereas my protection included baggage harm, it got here with a 200 Australian greenback ($130) deductible. On condition that the bag solely value me $196, it wasn’t price submitting a declare.

Reimbursement from Chase: Success

Since I had used my Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and charges) to e book my flight, the cardboard’s journey protections kicked in.

This profit would additionally apply if I had paid for the flight with factors and coated the taxes and charges with the cardboard.

Beneath its “misplaced baggage reimbursement” profit, the Sapphire Reserve covers as much as $3,000 in damages, properly above the $196 substitute value of my bag.

To qualify, I needed to notify Chase inside 20 days of the incident. I submitted:

• My journey itinerary
• Proof that I used my Sapphire Reserve to pay for the flight
• The denial letter from EasyJet
• The bag’s buy receipt

I submitted the declare on-line by way of Chase’s card advantages portal, now administered by Assurant. Chase beforehand used eClaimsline, which had a status for poor customer support; in distinction, I discovered Assurant’s course of fast and clear.

The shape took lower than 5 minutes to finish. I submitted it the identical day I acquired the denial letter from EasyJet.

9 days later, I bought an approval e-mail asking for my financial institution particulars. And the subsequent day, the $196 reimbursement landed in my account. I had anticipated a partial fee for the reason that profit technically covers solely the depreciated worth of the merchandise, so receiving the total quantity was a nice shock.

Backside line

Whereas I wasn’t thrilled that my baggage was broken, I used to be fortunate to have layered protections in place that made the reimbursement course of comparatively painless.

My tricks to put together for the same state of affairs are to:

• Preserve your receipts.
• Keep away from checking a bag when attainable.
• Examine your bag for harm earlier than leaving baggage declare.
• Take pictures of any harm.
• Submit a declare with the airline.
• If relevant, file a purchase order safety declare inside 90 days of buy.
• Use a journey rewards card with baggage safety to buy your flight.

It is a reminder that the perks your bank card gives aren’t simply advertising and marketing fluff. When one thing goes flawed, they will actually repay, so long as you are prepared to place in slightly bit of labor.

To be taught extra, learn our full evaluate of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

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