Surfer Denied Refund After Airline Totally Destroys Boards

“So, I just got back from a pretty wicked trip, surfing in Hossegor [France],” Beck said. “We had pretty good waves. I was flying Ryan Air, and I was waiting for my boards to come out on the conveyor belt. Both my mates had their boardbags already, so I went to the help desk.”

Not a good sign. The ladies at the help desk “looked me dead in the eyes and said, ‘Your boardbags have been destroyed.’” And they weren’t kidding.

Looking at the photos, it was almost as if the boardbag had gone through a trash compactor. Beck added: “Three boards, two of which were brand new, wetsuits, clothes, drybags…like, even the board socks…nothing in there was salvageable.”

So, what happened?

“It got run over by the vehicle that you walk up the stairs to get into the plane,” Beck said. “They didn’t realize they’d run it over. It was stuck underneath one of their wheels. So, it got cheese-grated all across the tarmac.”

Worst possible scenario. And one would imagine that the airlines would compensate Beck for the damage – literally thousands of (US) dollars down the drain. Right? Right!?

Beck continued: “They just said, ‘Put the claim in and Ryan Air will completely pay for it.’ It’s been over a month and a half, which is about 20 days past their deadline, and I’ve heard absolutely nothing. I don’t think they’re going to pay it. It’s like a drop in the ocean for them; they’re a humungous company. And it’s a big deal for me, you know.”

A travesty.