How a passenger's bag went missing, and then the airline sued him over it
A rather unusual case is going before the federal courts in Canada as the country’s biggest airline is suing a passenger following a missing bag claim. Air Canada issued legal proceedings against Alaa Tannous on Christmas Eve last year. It all started in 2022 when Tannous and his wife, Nancy, took a flight from Toronto to Vancouver, but while they got to their destination, their bag did not. They said an Air Canada employee told them they had no idea where the bag was and that they could spend "a reasonable amount" on necessities, so the couple began shopping for replacement items. The luggage then turned up less than 24 hours later, but not before the couple had spent C$3435 (NZ$4230). When they sent the airline the receipts, they were offered C$250 (NZ$308) in compensation. Tannous declined and went to the Canadian Transportation Agency which ordered the airline to pay the couple C$2079 (NZ$2560), which was accepted. At that time, Air Canada’s maximum payout for delayed or lost luggage was C$2400 (NZ$2950). But now the airline has pushed back, issuing legal proceedings against Tannos. In a statement posted on LinkedIn, it listed a time-line of the items bought by the couple (all in Canadian dollars):<br/>May 25, 2022: $570.12 for toiletries, make up and skin care products<br/>$1,121.86: $348.84 for a dress, 2 x trousers, 3 x tops<br/>$247.52 for 4 x sets of lingerie and 1 x sleepwear<br/>$525.50 for underwear, jeans and 2 x t-shirts<br/>May 26, 2022: Bag delivered to hotel at 9:15 am<br/>May 26, 2022: $433.61 for one pair of ladies sneakers purchased at 6:54 pm<br/>May 28, 2022: $1310.40 for one personally monogrammed Tumi piece of luggage, purchased at 11:23 pm.<br/>“Under current law, Air Canada cannot appeal decisions by the Canadian Transportation Agency to the agency itself and must instead appeal to the Federal Court. In this case, Air Canada has chosen to appeal to the Federal Court because it is seeking guidance on what constitutes reasonable expenses that customers can claim.“ Tannous defended the purchase of the sneakers as the couple had left the hotel for the day and were unaware the bag had been returned. He also said the purchase of the Tumi luggage was to bring home the newly-purchased items and that the compensation of C$2079 did not cover its cost.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2025-03-04/star/how-a-passengers-bag-went-missing-and-then-the-airline-sued-him-over-it
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How a passenger's bag went missing, and then the airline sued him over it
A rather unusual case is going before the federal courts in Canada as the country’s biggest airline is suing a passenger following a missing bag claim. Air Canada issued legal proceedings against Alaa Tannous on Christmas Eve last year. It all started in 2022 when Tannous and his wife, Nancy, took a flight from Toronto to Vancouver, but while they got to their destination, their bag did not. They said an Air Canada employee told them they had no idea where the bag was and that they could spend "a reasonable amount" on necessities, so the couple began shopping for replacement items. The luggage then turned up less than 24 hours later, but not before the couple had spent C$3435 (NZ$4230). When they sent the airline the receipts, they were offered C$250 (NZ$308) in compensation. Tannous declined and went to the Canadian Transportation Agency which ordered the airline to pay the couple C$2079 (NZ$2560), which was accepted. At that time, Air Canada’s maximum payout for delayed or lost luggage was C$2400 (NZ$2950). But now the airline has pushed back, issuing legal proceedings against Tannos. In a statement posted on LinkedIn, it listed a time-line of the items bought by the couple (all in Canadian dollars):<br/>May 25, 2022: $570.12 for toiletries, make up and skin care products<br/>$1,121.86: $348.84 for a dress, 2 x trousers, 3 x tops<br/>$247.52 for 4 x sets of lingerie and 1 x sleepwear<br/>$525.50 for underwear, jeans and 2 x t-shirts<br/>May 26, 2022: Bag delivered to hotel at 9:15 am<br/>May 26, 2022: $433.61 for one pair of ladies sneakers purchased at 6:54 pm<br/>May 28, 2022: $1310.40 for one personally monogrammed Tumi piece of luggage, purchased at 11:23 pm.<br/>“Under current law, Air Canada cannot appeal decisions by the Canadian Transportation Agency to the agency itself and must instead appeal to the Federal Court. In this case, Air Canada has chosen to appeal to the Federal Court because it is seeking guidance on what constitutes reasonable expenses that customers can claim.“ Tannous defended the purchase of the sneakers as the couple had left the hotel for the day and were unaware the bag had been returned. He also said the purchase of the Tumi luggage was to bring home the newly-purchased items and that the compensation of C$2079 did not cover its cost.<br/>
