A disgruntled airline passenger has gone viral after receiving his airline luggage in pieces. In the clip, which has 1.8 million views, Britton Hardcastle (@britton.hardcastl) showed viewers the luggage carousel at an airport. It showed pieces of cameras and other filmmaking equipment strewn all over the carousel.
“So I flew home last night on American Airlines, and this is how my gear came out on the carousel,” he said. “This is what I do for a living, is travel the world and make films and commercials and things like that. And I trusted them with a bag that I checked because they made me, and when it came out, all my lenses were broken.”
He also noted that he was unsure if his cameras would turn on anymore and added. “I have no way to feed my family,” he said.
According to Hardcastle, American Airlines emailed him saying that they don’t cover that type of damage, “even though they caused the damage.”
“So my last resort is to come here and to make sure that, you know, not to fly American because they don’t care about your stuff, and they dang sure don’t care about you,” he concluded.
In the comments section, several suggested that Hardcastle go down the legal route. “You have to sue them, you can’t just call them and ask them for money,” one wrote.
“File a police report and take them to court,” another added.
But other commenters were more cynical, with one asking, “Who puts their electronics in the loaded baggage?”
Hardcastle didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via TikTok comment and contact form.
@britton.hardcastl I learned the hard way that American Airlines doesnt care about its customers, our bags, or ethics. @American Airlines ♬ original sound – Britton Hardcastle
Are airlines liable for damaged luggage?
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, airlines are responsible for either repairing damaged luggage or reimbursing the passenger if the luggage was “under the airline’s control during transportation.” If the damage is not able to be repaired, airlines will also consider compensation.
However, the Department also stipulates that airlines are not responsible for existing luggage damage or damage caused by poor packing.
American Airlines has a similar policy. The site claims it can’t accept liability for damage caused by poorly packed luggage, security checks, and items excluded from liability.
Hardcastle isn’t the only TikToker calling out airlines for purportedly damaging their luggage. Courtnie (@feen4court) went viral on TikTok after showing viewers her burnt, holey luggage bag, which was, quite literally, hanging by a thread.
“I asked the Help Center if they can locate my bag & this is what they gave me it looks like a monster took a bite out of it,” Courtnie said.
The Daily Dot reached out to American Airlines via email.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
