Unfortunately we had to fly home from Canada early as my wife did herself in in Whistler Bikepark.

Our return journey routed us through Heathrow, and the bikebags have arrived mangled. Both have had the straps torn off and have tears in the sides through to the inner. One bag had the entire zip split open from one end to the other. Careful checking shows that nothing is missing, but they've been handled so badly that the zipties and padding on the bikes have been totally ripped off in places.

As a result, the paintwork on my bike has suffered a bit, but it is only cosmetic, but more annoyingly my shock shaft is sporting a nice scratch, and both helmets are going to need replaced.

Over the past few years we've flown through Calgary, Vancouver, Malaga, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Geneva, Denver and Prestwick, and we've never has as much as a scuff on the bags. Last time they got a thorough trashing? Oh yes, Heathrow…

Did you make a complaint as soon as you picked the bags up? That is the right way to proceed. You should be able to claim for all damage including that to the bags.

go strike a jihad on them. 😉

Unlucky. I thought Heathrow were pretty good on the whole. Apart from forgetting to put my bike on the same plane as me a couple of times, but then that could be down to my old habit of taking check-in down to the wire.

I had my snowboard bag wrecked at Stanstead this year along with my helmet. It looked as if the fork lift legs had gone straight through the bag, in one side & out the other, passing through the helmet on its way. Complained straight away & was given a reference number to deal with Easyjet. Easy process to go through with just a form to fill in. I didn't have any receipts but refered Easyjet to current web adverts for the kit. They deducted a percentage per year for the age of the gear. I recieved a cheque after about 3 weeks & ended up with around the replacement cost.

Is your wife's well being not more important at this point!? Still irritating, but…

Course it is but what's that got to do with Heathrow not doing it's job properly. Whether the OP had come home on time or under the circumstances above the baggage chuckers should not have trashed his bags.

Of course it is but he should be pi55ed off about the damage surely.
COMPLAIN

don't forget you might also want to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYSYipouABI

THIEFROW!!! not Heathrow

Had the same problem when the new terminal opened last year. Flew in from Seattle and did not get my bags for 6 days. Came damaged and they dint to sh1t.