Ontario man says carry-on with items valued at $10K lost after airline forces him to check bag

Ontario man’s carry-on with items valued at $10,000 lost after airline checks it in. Pat Foran reports.

An Ontario man lost thousands of dollars in personal items after he says he was forced to check his carry-on bag before a flight.

Stafford Gordon, of Oshawa, is a collector of gold jewelry and luxury watches. In August, he visited Jamaica with his wife for a memorial service and to celebrate their 34th wedding anniversary.

He told CTV News he took two watches, jewelry, suits, shoes and other items. He said he used a carry-on so his suitcase would stay with him, but at the last moment, an airline staffer took it and said it must be checked.

“He just took the bag and stepped away and left,” said Gordon. “He called back and said, ‘What seat are you in?’ and I said, ’33′ and he just left.”

It was when they got to Jamaica that Gordon said they found out his carry-on went missing.

“I found there was nothing. They had no record of my bag. It was gone,” he said. “So, I had to attend the memorial in my travel clothes. I had nothing. My wife was upset and I was upset.”

Gordon said he flew to Jamaica with American Airlines and when he complained to the airline, he was told to provide receipts of the missing items.

However, he told CTV News that some of the jewelry and watches were 10 to 20 years old, so he didn’t have receipts.

He estimated the missing items were valued at $10,000.

“I gave them that list and they completely disregarded it,” Gordon said. “My jewelry alone was worth at least $8,000.”

When CTV News reached out to American Airlines, a spokesperson said in a statement, “Our goal is to provide a positive travel experience for all our customers. Our team has been in touch with the passenger to learn more about their experience and address their concerns, and we are working with them to come to a resolution.”

In the end, Gordon said he was compensated $1,272, which he believes is not enough.

“I need adequate compensation for my loss,” Gordon said.

According to Air Passenger Rights advocate Gábor Lukács, Gordon should have been given about $3,000 as a starting point and if he could prove the value of his items, he should have received much more. He’s advising Gordon to take the airline to small claims court.

“You have a carry-on allowance and the airline needs to honour that,” said Lukács. “If the airline takes your baggage, they are liable for your baggage, they have to deliver it back to you, and they cannot run away from that liability.”

Gordon said it was a frustrating experience and he’s still seeking more compensation for his lost bag and items.