Paddle Your Own Kanoo flags American Airlines returning a customer’s checked bag with the wheel missing, and telling that customer ‘sorry, not sorry’ they don’t cover wheels on checked bags – and asserts that American’s position is in conflict with Department of Transportation regulations that say airlines cannot exclude liability for a bag’s wheels.
Damage to or loss from normal wear and tear to parts that stick out like wheels, straps, pockets, handles, hooks or other attachments aren't something we cover. We're sorry for the inconvenience. You can find this info under our bag liability here: https://t.co/peO9PQ0ui0
— americanair (@AmericanAir) March 20, 2026
However, it’s actually quite a bit more complicated than this, and American Airlines isn’t out of step with the industry (even if the industry does push the envelope of what’s acceptable under the rules).
- A claim that “we don’t cover wheel damage” is inconsistent with Department of Transportation rules. But that doesn’t mean every missing wheel is entitled to payment. Airlines can deny true fair wear and tear, but they can’t impose an across-the-board liability exclusion for wheels, handles and straps. The American Airlines twitter response is actually consistent with this.
- Airlines are not responsible for pre-existing damage or damage caused by improper packing.
- Compensation is based on repair or depreciated value, not replacement cost. For international trips, the Montreal Convention lets an airline avoid liability where damage resulted from the bag’s “inherent defect, quality or vice.”
Wheels break off. Many bags are old or overpacked. A missing wheel doesn’t prove mishandling by the airline and liability on its own.
American’s Contrct of Carriage is consistent with this and says they don’t cover “damage to or loss from normal wear and tear” to parts that stick out, including wheels, straps, pockets, handles, hooks, and attachments. They do not claim ‘wheels aren’t covered’ the rule is ‘wheels aren’t covered when they’re lost due to ordinary wear and tear’.
The problem is that this is ripe for abuse. To the airline, every piece of damage looks like normal wear and tear, and that’s why the Department of Transportation acted in 2015, saying airlines were “routinely” excluding damage to wheels and other protruding parts and that these categorical exclusions are “arbitrary limitations of liability.” They said airlines had to accept these claims for review rather than refusing them automatically.
Here we have a bag accepted intact and returned to the customer with the wheel ripped off. On first impression, that seems more likely to be damage than wear and tear. But American also hasn’t denied the claim yet, either, their twitter account just gave the (correct) lawyerly answer. American is similar to others in taking this stance, too, by the way.
- United: is “not liable for … protruding parts such as wheels” if the damage “occurred as a result of normal wear and tear.”
- JetBlue: is not liable for loss or damage to “baggage wheels” and similar parts when the damage results from “fair wear and tear or the ordinary handling of baggage.”
- Spirit: excludes loss of or damage to “protruding parts such as wheels” if the loss or damage “occurred as a result of normal wear and tear.”
There’s an obvious tension because it’s hard to dispute the normal wear and tear line, and DOT has said this has been abused in the past. My sense, broadly, is that DOT is not currently much for enforcing consumer protection rules against U.S. airlines (not least of which rules adopted during the Obama administration).
Several years ago I wrote about an internal memo that American Airlines sent reminding agents of the ways they can deny damaged bag claims. They are certainly looking to minimize their exposure!
A few months back I wrote about American crushing a family’s stroller, promising to pay, and then rejecting the claim as ‘normal wear and tear’. Getting payouts on these claims isn’t easy. I’d note also that many rewards cards offer coverage for damaged bags, so that’s another avenue of redress.
Bags are made to be damaged over time. That is inevitable. They protect what is inside. Anyone upset over damage to a bag needs to get a life. If you can’t afford a few hundred $ for a bag or live with some level of damage then you don’t need to be traveling. To me bags are disposable and I get a new one every few year anyway.
The baggage handlers are very rough with luggage, especially with parts that stick out. I have a Samsonite 25″ bag that has seen a lot of trips and still keeps on going. It is an older style that doesn’t have four swivel wheels but two non-swivel ones instead that don’t stick out much. My other large bag for international travel is a military style canvas duffle bag in which I put a travel backpack. It is hard to throw. It is not as easy to move when it is loaded (if I am going a distance on foot, I take the backpack out and put it on after securing the rolled up duffle bag to it – much better than a roller bag over rough ground). The combination of the duffle bag and the backpack is lighter than the Samsonite bag so I can pack more. I’m sure that I’m spoiling the fun of the baggage handlers.
I’m increasingly of the opinion that wheeled luggage (especially 4-wheelers) was a mistake. Carrying your bags improves physical fitness and provides a strong incentive for packing light.
American can not override federal regulations. Just to satisfy myself I’d file several complaints. First with American Corp. then with the DOT who set the standard and CC American on that.
Look up Baggage Pusher and High Speed Diverter on Youtube for better context as to what happens to bags once they’re inducted into the BHS.
Beyond that, it’s not unheard of for pax to check a bag with a missing wheel, then ask the carrier for compensation later.
I hope the corporate shills who keep lying that ‘regulations are bad’ and that the ‘free market’ knows best get to experience, first-hand, what happens when these companies screw you over as a consumer.
For the rest of us, I remember the days when if an airline damaged your bag, they’d have a replacement one in their baggage offices to ‘make it right.’ These days, unfortunately, the money went to stock-buybacks, so Ed can get $100 million in incentives. Shameful.
The next time these greedy companies demand a bailout, we’d better ensure actual meaningful worker and consumer protections are included in exchange for handing them billions of dollars that they will inevitably waste corruptly handing that to insiders.
AA: Going for premium
Retired Gambler – bags also aren’t meant to be intentionally treated the way Kyles treat drywall. I’ve talked with baggage handlers, they told me that most of them use the wheels to yeet bags across the tarmac willy nilly, and they will single out nice looking luggage for intentional abuse. Not ok.
Received a bag with a missing wheel 2 years ago on a Delta flight and was given a replacement no questions asked. Delta might not have as premium product as they claim anymore but small things like that make travel easier.
I don’t spend a lot on a check-in bag. But, I’m able to get a lightweight and sturdy one for US$125 or less. Warranties are pretty worthless. I’m supposed to keep the box and pay to send it to them? So, I just replace them early in the life cycle, donating the only-scratched-a-bit old one to charity resale. Obsiously, this makes a lost wheel less likely. If one goes missing, I’ll ask for comp. They turn me down, it really isn’t worth the time/energy to take it further.
On some bags, I think, wheels are easily replaceable for relatively low cost
A quality hard case ; non-zippered; TSA lockable is NOT a cheap option anymore. I’ve purchased high end bags built like tanks, only to still have to contend with sheared off; not just broken; wheels on bags not a year old. I’m financially solvent, but having to keep replacing bags every year, no matter the manufacturer, tells of the abuse rendered by handlers. I am Federal Law Enforcement who packs a firearm, so the bags I choose render the highest security possible to keep them from theft.