You WON’T believe what happened to these suitcases after a flight
- Replies 5
Travel is said to be one of life’s greatest pleasures – seeing new places, and meeting new people… what's not to like?
Whether by land, air, or sea, there’s just something about the journey and the experience that calls to our souls, isn’t there?
Speaking of air travel, sometimes flying on a plane can be a bit of a nightmare.
Long security lines, screaming babies, and the occasional delays are just some of the less-than-pleasant realities of travelling by plane these days.
And that's not even getting into the potential problems with lost or damaged luggage!
Sadly, that was recently the experience of two different travellers whose suitcases were returned to them in an absolutely unacceptable state after being placed under the care of an airline.
Our first story is from Reddit, where a user posted a picture of mangled luggage with the title ‘My uncle’s suitcase after his flight’ on a group aptly called ‘r/mildlyinfuriating’.

The luggage, which most probably was a decent red suitcase once, looked like it was used as the landing gear for his uncle’s flight with all its gashes!
It was also covered in what looks like dust or some sort of white power, to make things worse.
The original poster (OP) shared that his uncle said the white powder was gravel, which led them to believe the suitcase was dragged across the airport’s tarmac while being taken off the plane.
He said his uncle didn’t feel comfortable with him sharing the name of the airline he travelled with.
Thankfully though, save for a hairbrush, a shoe, and the suitcase itself, his belongings were undamaged.
He is also being reimbursed for the damages. (Rightfully so!)
Of course, other users took their time offering their opinions on the post!
Most took to joking, with one user saying ‘Did they put it IN the engine?’
Another said: ‘Airline Spokesman: How do we know it didn't always look like that?’
Some were downright livid, with one user saying: ‘How is this mildly infuriating? I think I would lose my s**t, something used this suitcase as a chew toy.’
One user offered their own explanation of the bag’s sorry state: ‘They use conveyors in airports that run quite quickly, that probably got jammed up where there is no sensor to detect jams (some can cause a “logjam” of bags 30+ feet long with dozens of bags). So potentially (for) a few minutes, the conveyor was zipping along with the bag stuck…If it’s any consolation, that is sadly far from the worst damage I have seen a bag take when I worked on the systems.’ Yikes!
Our next story is from radio show 2GB listener Michelle, who shared photos of her daughter's luggage after her international flight from Heathrow arrived in Sydney via Malaysian Airlines.

Once Michelle’s daughter came to her baggage, she came across a rather infuriating sight: her bag was torn to shreds! Literally!
The blue bag looked like it had been on a journey from hell and back, and that’s putting it lightly looking at the picture she shared.
Unfortunately, it’s not clear if Michelle or her daughter sought compensation for the damaged bag — but hopefully, they did!
So, what do you do if unfortunately, you arrive at a similar grisly sight?
Aussie airlines like Qantas or Jetstar advise their customers to proceed to their airport baggage counters in similar instances. They also usually ask for photographs of the item before the damage as an added assurance against fraud. So remember to always take photos of your suitcase and its contents before flying!
Speaking of Qantas, you might want to check this story about an award they were likely not too happy to receive.
Meanwhile, if you’re planning a holiday, allow us to help you with your choices with this lovely list of Australia’s hidden gems!
Have you had similar experiences of your luggage being damaged while travelling? What happened? Tell us below!
Whether by land, air, or sea, there’s just something about the journey and the experience that calls to our souls, isn’t there?
Speaking of air travel, sometimes flying on a plane can be a bit of a nightmare.
Long security lines, screaming babies, and the occasional delays are just some of the less-than-pleasant realities of travelling by plane these days.
And that's not even getting into the potential problems with lost or damaged luggage!
Sadly, that was recently the experience of two different travellers whose suitcases were returned to them in an absolutely unacceptable state after being placed under the care of an airline.
Our first story is from Reddit, where a user posted a picture of mangled luggage with the title ‘My uncle’s suitcase after his flight’ on a group aptly called ‘r/mildlyinfuriating’.

A Reddit user shared the sorry state of his uncle’s luggage after a flight. Credit: Reddit/u/anonym0ose
The luggage, which most probably was a decent red suitcase once, looked like it was used as the landing gear for his uncle’s flight with all its gashes!
It was also covered in what looks like dust or some sort of white power, to make things worse.
The original poster (OP) shared that his uncle said the white powder was gravel, which led them to believe the suitcase was dragged across the airport’s tarmac while being taken off the plane.
He said his uncle didn’t feel comfortable with him sharing the name of the airline he travelled with.
Thankfully though, save for a hairbrush, a shoe, and the suitcase itself, his belongings were undamaged.
He is also being reimbursed for the damages. (Rightfully so!)
Of course, other users took their time offering their opinions on the post!
Most took to joking, with one user saying ‘Did they put it IN the engine?’
Another said: ‘Airline Spokesman: How do we know it didn't always look like that?’
Some were downright livid, with one user saying: ‘How is this mildly infuriating? I think I would lose my s**t, something used this suitcase as a chew toy.’
One user offered their own explanation of the bag’s sorry state: ‘They use conveyors in airports that run quite quickly, that probably got jammed up where there is no sensor to detect jams (some can cause a “logjam” of bags 30+ feet long with dozens of bags). So potentially (for) a few minutes, the conveyor was zipping along with the bag stuck…If it’s any consolation, that is sadly far from the worst damage I have seen a bag take when I worked on the systems.’ Yikes!
Our next story is from radio show 2GB listener Michelle, who shared photos of her daughter's luggage after her international flight from Heathrow arrived in Sydney via Malaysian Airlines.

2GB listener Michelle’s daughter was in for quite a nasty surprise when she saw her luggage. Credit: 2GB
Once Michelle’s daughter came to her baggage, she came across a rather infuriating sight: her bag was torn to shreds! Literally!
The blue bag looked like it had been on a journey from hell and back, and that’s putting it lightly looking at the picture she shared.
Unfortunately, it’s not clear if Michelle or her daughter sought compensation for the damaged bag — but hopefully, they did!
So, what do you do if unfortunately, you arrive at a similar grisly sight?
Aussie airlines like Qantas or Jetstar advise their customers to proceed to their airport baggage counters in similar instances. They also usually ask for photographs of the item before the damage as an added assurance against fraud. So remember to always take photos of your suitcase and its contents before flying!
Key Takeaways
- Two people shared stories of their relatives' horrifying luggage experiences with airlines.
- One traveller's luggage in America and another's in Australia suffered the same fate, having surfaces ripped to shreds.
- Some people online aired their disbelief at the state of the luggages, while others speculated that they might have gotten stuck in conveyor belts.
Meanwhile, if you’re planning a holiday, allow us to help you with your choices with this lovely list of Australia’s hidden gems!
Have you had similar experiences of your luggage being damaged while travelling? What happened? Tell us below!