As previously reported, on March 26, 2009 DOT issued a “Guidance on Airline Baggage Liability and Responsibilities of Code-Share Partners Involving International Itineraries” that states in part as follows: “Although carriers may wish to have tariff terms that prohibit passengers from including certain items in checked baggage, once a carrier accepts checked baggage, whatever is contained in the checked baggage is protected, subject to the terms of the [Montreal] Convention, up to the limit of 1000 SDRs (Convention, Article 22, para. 2).” (On December 30, 2009, the 1,000 SDR limit was increased to 1,131 SDRs, which is currently equivalent to about $1,750.)
Upon receiving a consumer complaint after the 90-day grace period for compliance with the Guidance, DOT initiated an enforcement action regarding Air France’s policies and practices with respect to items of checked baggage lost or damaged in transit to or from the United States. DOT’s specific concern was over the airline’s General Conditions of Carriage, which disclaimed liability for “valuable, fragile or perishable items” in checked baggage and the reliance of the airline’s Customer Relations Department on such disclaimer to deny liability for the loss or damage of jewelry, electronic equipment and similar items.
By a Consent Order issued on December 23, 2010 (Order 2010-12-26), DOT announced that it and Air France had reached a settlement. Under the settlement, Air France agreed to modify its policies and practices in order to comply with the Guidance and to pay a compromise assessment of $50,000 (and an additional $50,000 should it violate the Order within a year).
Note: In a November 18, 2010 ruling, the Canadian Transportation Agency struck down an airline’s tariff rule, as well as a proposed revised version of such rule, that purported to preclude an airline’s liability for fragile and valuable items in baggage checked in connection with carriage subject to the Montreal Convention. See Lukács v. WestJet (Decision No. 477-C-A-2010). On February 1, 2011, the Federal Court of Appeal denied WestJet’s application for leave to appeal the agency’s decision.