Photographer's £1,500 Baggage 'Shredded' on Ryanair Flight
A wedding photographer from Essex has described his shock and frustration after Ryanair offered him just £50 in compensation for his checked bag and its contents, which were completely destroyed during a flight from Nice to London.
Daniel Sakal, 34, arrived at London Stansted Airport on 4 September following a work trip to France. What should have been a routine journey home turned into what he describes as a travel nightmare when his checked duffel bag failed to appear on the baggage carousel.
The Shocking Discovery
After waiting approximately 40 minutes in the baggage reclaim area, Daniel sought help from a Ryanair attendant. The staff member spent another 20 minutes searching before eventually locating his luggage - or what remained of it.
The employee returned holding the remnants of his £200 bag, which Daniel said looked as if it had been 'dragged down the runway'. The wedding photographer recounted: 'We went back and forth for ages and she eventually found it and it was shredded. She was really shocked, she was like 'I'm so sorry, I've never seen anything like this before.''
Photographs taken by Daniel show the extent of the damage, with clothing, underwear, new shoes, a drone controller and an extension lead all torn to shreds. The bag, a gift from his wife, and its contents were valued at approximately £1,500.
Embarrassing Aftermath and Insulting Offer
With his belongings spilling onto the airport floor, Daniel was given a bin liner to transport the fragments home. 'All my stuff was falling out, it was a bit embarrassing,' he said. 'All my boxers and underwear were on the floor at Stansted airport. I was in a bit of shock. A lot of people were looking.'
After documenting the damage and submitting a claim, Daniel says he had to send five follow-up emails before receiving any response from Ryanair. The airline's eventual offer of £50 compensation - matching what he paid to check the bag - left him feeling insulted.
'I filled out all the forms as soon as I got home,' Daniel explained. 'The first correspondence I had was today offering me £50 as compensation which is mental, it's such an insult given how much damage they've caused to my stuff.'
Social media users viewing the shocking photos suggested the bag appeared to have been 'dragged under the plane along the runway,' with one commenting: 'Dear lord! Did they drag it along the runway under the plane?! That is terrible yet I am not surprised from Ryanair!'
Accountability Demanded
While London Stansted Airport maintained the issue was Ryanair's responsibility, the airline pointed to third-party baggage handlers at Nice Airport as being responsible for the damage, though they reportedly refused to explain how they reached this conclusion.
Daniel, who claims he hasn't received an apology, now wants the airline to be held accountable. 'It's only stuff,' he said. 'The main thing is they need to be held accountable, I haven't even received an apology, my bag has literally been shredded.'
The incident raises serious questions about airline passenger rights and compensation procedures for damaged luggage, highlighting what can happen when baggage handling goes catastrophically wrong.
