31 July 2025

How our colleague Abby left the airport with a free new suitcase

By Kate Harvey

Digital Journalist | Kaiwhakahaere Kaituhi Matihiko

Our colleague Abby Damen had to fly from Wellington to Christchurch for a conference recently. But the suitcase she left Christchurch Airport with wasn’t the one she’d checked in at Wellington Airport that morning.

When Abby’s usual suitcase came out on the conveyer belt in Christchurch, a big chunk of the hard casing was missing from one corner, and a wheel had broken off so she couldn’t pull it anymore.

“I was just thinking I’ll have to hold it rather than wheel it, but I was travelling with our CEO Jon Duffy and he said, ‘No, I think we should sort this out because you can’t be heaving that around Christchurch’,” Abby recalls.

Jon and Abby found the Air New Zealand baggage service area where Abby was asked for the receipt for the suitcase she’d had for 7 years. She, of course, did not have it.

“I was just expecting they’d duct tape it up and then I’d need to contact them later to try and get some money for a replacement, but to my surprise they came out with a brand-new bag,” Abby says.

Blue Flight Eastbourne Trolleycase. — Abby's new suitcase.

The new suitcase was the same size as her broken one and Flight brand, which is sold at Briscoes. “I mean I wouldn’t have chosen the blue but I’m definitely not complaining. I left my broken suitcase with them, and we still got to the conference on time,” Abby says.

We don’t often say this at Consumer NZ, especially about an airline, but we were very impressed with the service. So why did Air New Zealand replace Abby’s bag?

The rules if your checked in baggage is damaged

Domestic flights

Under the Contract and Commercial Law Act 2017:

the airline is liable for damage of up to $2,000 per bag
you have 30 days to make a claim with Air New Zealand, but only 3 days with Jetstar.

International flights

Damaged luggage is covered by the Montreal Convention, which most countries have signed. You can claim up to NZ$3,600 per passenger, unless the damage is caused by the contents of the bag or a fault in its construction.

Check your airline’s time limits for reporting damaged luggage. Air New Zealand’s is 7 days.

Air NZ responds

Air New Zealand general manager – customer, Alisha Armstrong, said Abby did the right thing by visiting the baggage service desk.

“We know how inconvenient it can be if your baggage is damaged and we’ll always do our best to make things right if this does happen. We ask that if you've collected your bags from the baggage carousel and something is not quite right, you report it by visiting the baggage service desk so our team can help,” Armstrong said.

“If you don't notice that your checked baggage has been damaged until you've left the airport, you can still easily report it online through our website.”