Flair Airlines ordered to pay Vancouver passenger $606 for lost jewelry from checked bag

The BC Civil Resolution Tribunal ordered Flair Airlines to pay a Vancouver passenger more than $600 after nine pieces of jewelry disappeared from checked baggage during a flight from Mexico in February 2024.

The passenger reported the loss via text on February 7, 2024, and followed up through the airline's website on April 10. Flair acknowledged the claim on June 13, 2024, but denied responsibility because the passenger didn't provide receipts or an itemized list. The passenger had claimed the jewelry was worth $868.73 total, with individual items ranging from $15 to more than $535.24.

Tribunal member Amanda Binnie ruled Flair liable under the Montreal Convention and the federal Carriage by Air Act, both of which hold airlines responsible for baggage lost while in their care. Crucially, Flair argued in its own tariff that jewelry should only travel in carry-on luggage, but the airline provided no evidence it had ever told the passenger this before the flight, nor did it furnish a copy of its tariff to the tribunal.

Binnie did not award the full claimed amount because the passenger offered no receipts, photos, or proof of the jewelry's condition or age. Instead, the tribunal awarded $500 in damages, $38.68 in interest, and $67.50 toward tribunal fees, due within 30 days.

The ruling highlights a gap between what airlines claim their policies are and what they actually communicate to passengers at check-in.