This seems somewhat insensitive. Too soon?

So basically, you can be reimbursed for your clothing? I assume that's probably meant to cut down on false claims, but man...

At least they are alive though. I'd be fine with losing all my stuff in exchange for making it out.

@modelchick8806: Everyone made it out alive. If someone had died this would be insensitive IMO

I'm a little concerned about some of those things that US Airways refuses to compensate. Books? Photographic or electronic equipment? Musical instruments and lifesaving medication?

I sort of understand why the airline wouldn't compensate items of debatable value like furs, artifacts, or manuscripts, but come on...

Maybe they will make an exception since, you know, their plane crashed into a river. If not, that would be pretty ridiculous.

Here in Denver a Continental jet went into a ravine on takeoff a few weeks back.

Local news said they got bags about 10 days later. Not the bottom of a river, but I'd guess it would still be sorted and sent back.

@aguacarbonica:
At the same time, this was less of their fault than most crashes they would have gotten themselves into. Most of the time where crashes are caused by mechanical failure (which can be prevented from routine maintenance) or pilot failure (lack of sleep, etc.), this one was geese! So I think that the airline should be getting a lot more credit than it is.

@downwithmonstercable: my understanding is that "irreplaceable" is supposed to apply to all of those things. Not sure though

Actually, bad news on the credit card extra coverage.. Most CCs only cover your standard baggage allocation (Zero in US's case) - not any additional bags. Since every bag on US in coach for non-elites is an "additional" (i.e. not part of the ticket) one, it won't be covered by the extra protections.

Source: When we were working with Barclays on our co-branded card, this fact arose - and no CC issuer has done anything about it yet.

BTW, I think even attempting to compare US Airways' cust. service to the competence of their pilots is a major insult to pilots everywhere!

This gives me a little food-for-thought...

Normally, I decline any insurance on the belongings I bring with me, because if I check any luggage, it's just clothes, and possibly the chargers/plugs for the equipment I bring with me.

The expensive stuff comes with me as carry-on. I have a Pelican 1519 camera case which is designed for carrying photographic equipment as carryon (It fits in any overhead bin) and carries about $7,000 worth of photo equipment (camera, lenses, flash, etc) and my backpack contains my laptop and other "I don't want them to lose it" things.

So, why would I take extra insurance? They may lose my checked luggage, but they won't lose my carryon... I have it with me.

Well, looking at a situation like this, maybe it WOULD be wise to take out that insurance on the equipment.

Also, a situation like this should remind anyone who was going to bring their pets on vacation with them as "checked luggage" a second thought.

I'm just saying...

@RedwoodFlyer: Actually, you would want their customer service to be as good as their pilots, well at least this one.

One of my questions would be does the airline consider "carry on" items to be "baggage in US Airways' custody."

I suspect they will not, and therefore not cover any carry-on items, either.

Looks like maybe passengers will be repaid, maybe, for their checked luggage itself, and possibly the clothing in it.

Of course, that's also only if you can actually PROVE what was in the luggage...

I assume that if the carrier eventually returns the soggy baggage to the passengers that travel insurance that only covers "lost" luggage" won't pay...

Well, since the luggage isn't "lost", just severely damaged, couldn't you get coverage under your homeowners for "Act of God", as long as it is recovered and documented officially?

@Dooley:

In this situation, carry ons are just as lost as checked baggage. The news article specifically stated "coats and belongings left behind".

I'm pretty sure an out of court settlement for the civil suit that the passengers will bring would address this issue, regardless of the T&Cs on the ticket jacket.

@cromartie: Are they suing the geese? Cuz any court that finds this pilot negligent would be the target of mass outrage.

All I'm going to say, is that if you are in a water bound plane crash, you better be compensated one HELL of a lot more than $3000. Seriously.

About 10 years ago my uncle was on a plane that blew out a tire and skidded on the runway...he was not allowed to have his luggage back as it was "FAA evidence"...

@Dooley: So hypothetically, if you were in an incident, what would you do with your carry-on luggage?

I hope the insurance company doesn't consider planes from the air a pollution and refuse payment.

This is why from now on I will ALWAYS refuse to check my dog as luggage if they say he's too to go under the seat, because he's not.

@proskills: It is not the airlines fault if birds flew into the engines, thus why should they have to pay more than the 3k?

@modelchick8806: Nope, not too soon.

@Dooley: So you're one of the assholes who tries to take their stuff with them after an accident? Or are you merely stating that your precious equipment cant get lost because you physically have it assuming the plane doesn't crash? For your sake I hope the latter.

@Dooley: If he meant to take his carry-on stuff with him after a crash, he wouldn't NEED insurance on it. He never bought insurance on carry-ons because he didn't plan to lose it, but checked luggage is out of his hands.

I was on QF30 last summer, an oxygen tank exploded mid flight and we flew an hour with a giant hole in our plane.
[www.iht.com]

Our bags were returned to us in Melbourne only 3 days later. I was pretty shocked. I can only attribute the quick turn-around to the fact that it was a non-US carrier.

I have ALWAYS wondered what happened to baggage after a plane crash - thank you!

@proskills: How much would still being alive be worth to you. Hopefully more than 3k.

I wonder if it goes to Scottsboro, AL. Many moons ago, I learned that that is where all lost luggage goes. I've sometimes thought about "losing" myself in a suitcase to visit there.

@Dooley: Perhaps you could get all that stuff insured by a regular ol' insurance company instead. That sounds like a lot of expensive equipment, and most of it won't be covered by airline insurance anyways (only up to $3300 while your equipment is $7000), plus they don't cover electronics, right?

Besides, if you get that equipment insured regularly, you won't have to worry TOO much if it's stolen.

@downwithmonstercable: I'm not sure how this would be insensitive if someone had died. Because it is a tragedy, another passenger is not allowed to be compensated for their lesser loss? How would "mourning the loss of a fellow passenger" and "getting compensation for my lost luggage" be mutually exclusive?

I am glad that no one was killed in this crash, and they all have their lives (and now, a little bit of their money back hopefully).

i guess these days you have to wonder if they refund the checked baggage fees in the event of...emergency landings in the hudson river.

@Dooley: you'd better believe some of my belongings are coming with me when i get off a plane in a situation like that. no point in not having my life saving medication because i won't be able to count on the emergency crews to have my type of insulin on hand. sure, the laptop can sink though

@KHAN!!!_GitEmSteveDave: can the family of the geese be held accountable for what was obviously an act committed while not of sound mind?

I've been wondering what happens to the plane. Do they just fish that thing out of the Hudson and do some maintenance while they let it dry out a bit, before putting it right back into service? Or... what?

They wont replace electronic equipment because they know it was already taken by the baggage handlers.

@catastrophegirl: You're right. Canadian Geese attack US Airways? It was an act of war!

@MsAnthropy: They'll strip it for parts. I think it was History channel had a show called "Boneyards" and they showed how they took apart old planes piece by piece and warehouse them. They tested each part, even down to ultrasounding the metal, so they only sold parts that were good. I'm guessing US Airways will get a insurance settlement, and the insurance company gets the title and will sell it off for parts.

Maybe they can just refund the extra bag fee to their customers and call it even.

@Dooley: Well, to be fair, the Pelican cases are designed not only to float, but to be waterproof as well, so in this case if you've properly marked and packed your case (which I'm guessing since you're the type to know the model of your pelican that you have) then you should have nothing to worry about with regards to that. Your laptop on the other hand will probably have to sink.

@Dooley: For those people who have to check bags with valuables, buy a flaregun and check it as luggage carrying a firearm. Something I read about, google it.

@proskills: saving their lives wasn't worth more than $3k?

@DeeJayQueue: Though, if it's trapped on the inside of the plane, depending on how deep it sinks, you might end up with a broken case from the pressures. I guess it's more promise than nothing at all.

@catastrophegirl: That's COMPLETELY understandable! No sense in surviving a plane crash to die because your insulin is at the bottom of the wreckage.

I would, at least in a lot of cases, have some outer garment on with most of my stuff in it. I'm not taking it off to get out of the plane. If it's off and not right in my hand, yeah, it goes down with the aircraft.

Hmm, with that list of exclusions you'd be pretty hard pressed to hit the $3,300 limit.

@AgentTuttle:

Too what? TOO WHAT?!??!

Something tells me they will be receiving alot more then whatever they would get for their lost luggage.

Question though: If they file these claims for their luggage, is there anything in the paperwork that lets the airline off the hook for any future lawsuits? Hopefully people are reading these things closely.

@Bradford Charles Meckel: Irreplaceable lifesaving medication? Though that brings up another question, does that mean they would have to reimburse for medication that's not life saving? Oh contracts...

@lars2112: Actually it is the airline's fault. Their engines are highly rated for bird strikes, and it would almost have to be a non-fully functioning engine for a bird to take an entire jet down.

@Douglas Switzer: Hehe.

Anywho, I would always be a bit eh on checking my pets as luggage...I once read an article titled something along the lines of "Confessions of a luggage handler" and he said sometimes the doggies or kitties got accidentally put in the wrong compartment and in the specific case he was talking about they had to do an emergency landing at an airport to switch the doggie to the right compartment... :\

I had a claim with US Air a couple of years ago (anyone remember the ice storm that crippled Jet Blue?) and I went above my allowance by $75. They still covered it. And they also gave me a free round trip.