Our 200lb stroller broke on a Ryanair flight, but I can’t claim it because I “don’t have the right form” – CRANE KNOW

I recently went on a family holiday to Malaga, flying with Ryanair. On the way home my son’s Joie stroller broke down sometime between the time I checked it in at Malaga airport and the time I picked it up again in Leeds Bradford.

I didn’t find any Ryanair staff at the airport so I spoke to someone from Swissport, the airline’s baggage handling company.

I filled out a form and was told it would be sent to Ryanair. I asked if I needed to do anything else and was told no.

But when I got home I looked online for Ryanair damaged baggage claims and realised I needed a reference number, which they hadn’t given me.

I went back to the airport to check with Ryanair staff and was told that all I needed was a photo of the handwritten form as proof that I had handed it in. I took one when I had filled it out, so I thought I was sorted.

A week later, I hadn’t received a reply, so I contacted Ryanair online. They asked for my reference number and I replied that I didn’t have one, but I provided them with the photo of the form I filled out at the airport.

I was then told that I had to claim online, but that the deadline to do so had already passed because it had been more than seven days since the flight.

The stroller was less than six months old and cost £200. JH, Leeds

Helen Crane from This is Money responds: Traveling abroad with small children is not for the faint of heart, especially with all the essential accessories that little ones need.

By the time you’ve packed all your diapers, bibs, bottles or cups, sunscreen supplies, and household comforts, it may feel like you’re leaving for a month, rather than a week.

Anyway, you managed to have a fun family vacation with your toddler and return safely, but unfortunately your stroller did not.

When you saw it on the luggage carousel it was in a sorry state, with the bumper bar, which also functions as a carry handle for the stroller, broken in half.

Some parts of the folding stroller were also bent, so it no longer fits into place.

In short, it was totally unsafe and unusable, meaning I should have been able to claim money from the airline for a new one.

This is a consumer right under the Montreal Convention and applies regardless of which airline you fly with, whether first class or a low-cost airline like Ryanair.

But filling out paperwork can be easier said than done, especially when you get home to a sparsely populated arrivals hall with no airline staff in sight.

You managed to corner a member of staff at Swissport, the company Ryanair employs to ensure that passengers’ checked luggage reaches and returns to its destination.

You filled out a form and made sure to check that you had done everything necessary before leaving the airport.

But she later discovered that she was missing a key piece of the puzzle: a reference number for the damaged item. However, when she found out, Ryanair told her it was too late to file a claim.

It turned out that she had been given incorrect information, both on arrival at the airport and on her second visit. Ryanair’s policy is that anyone with lost or damaged luggage must speak to someone at the airport on arrival and complete an online claim form.

If your baggage is damaged, you must report it at the airport of arrival and file a claim online with Ryanair within seven days of the date of the damage. If your baggage is delayed, you will have 21 days from the day it is returned to you.

You thought you had taken the matter to the limit with Ryanair, so you contacted me for help.

I contacted the airline and they are now processing a £150 compensation payment for the damaged stroller.

This is less than the £200 you paid for it in March due to wear and tear. It is common for the airline to offer a deal based on the current value of the item, rather than its new price.

It is important that you have proof of purchase for the stroller, which is often vital when making a claim for lost or damaged luggage.

A Ryanair spokesperson said: ‘This passenger travelled from Malaga to Leeds Bradford (…) where her pram was damaged on the return flight, however the third party assistance agent mistakenly failed to provide her with a PIR (Property Irregularity Report), which is required to lodge an online baggage claim form.

‘A member of our customer service team has contacted (the customer) directly to assist them.’

Of course, you filled out a form at the airport, although it seems you were not given the correct one as it did not include the all-important reference number needed to make a claim online.

However, I’m glad you were able to get the money to replace the broken stroller and I hope your next family trip is less eventful.

CRANE OVER THE CASE