Wheel destroyed on checked baggage — AirAsia deflects responsibility and refuses to properly compensate despite documentation
I flew AirAsia on a Premium Flex ticket, expecting a corresponding standard of care — including for checked baggage. My suitcase was returned with the wheel assembly completely broken and detached, rendering it unusable. I reported the damage immediately after landing and filed a formal claim with photos. AirAsia's Lost & Found department's first response cited their terms and conditions on "minor wear and tear" to protruding parts like wheels, and pointed me toward purchasing travel insurance to cover exactly this kind of damage — effectively shifting responsibility for damage caused by their own baggage handling onto a client's insurer, rather than the airline itself. After I pushed back on the "minor wear" mischaracterization — my case involved a fully broken wheel, not cosmetic damage — and referenced the photos, AirAsia offered a flat compensation of IDR 200,000 (roughly the cost of a coffee), describing it as "firm and final." I then submitted the original invoice for the suitcase and cited Indonesia's own aviation regulation (Permenhub 77/2011, Article 5(1)(b)), which requires that damaged-baggage compensation reflect the actual item — its type, size, and brand — not an arbitrary flat sum. AirAsia's response: they raised the offer slightly to IDR 300,000, again calling it "firm and final," without any reference to the invoice I had provided or any explanation of how the new figure was calculated. At the time of writing, I have received no further response addressing the invoice or the regulation cited. What should have been a straightforward, well-documented claim has instead involved being redirected to insurance, dismissed as minor damage, and offered a token sum twice over. I'd caution other travelers — especially those paying for premium fares expecting a higher service standard — about what to expect if your baggage is damaged.