Ham-fisted baggage handlers

Passengers are worried that airport baggage handlers are taking a slice of their luggage, after a couple discovered their preserved ham had been pared down to the bone.

Two passengers from flight HU7636 from Changsha, Hunan Province, to Beijing last Friday discovered that one of their cases was broken, and their preserved ham joint was looking distinctly skinnier than when they had packed it, according to Beijing Evening News.

"There were also broken bottles of local chili sauce. At first we thought it spilled out during transport, but the ham was cut, a slice was stolen, so clearly there was someone going through the luggage," one of the passengers' son-in-law, surnamed Wang, told the paper.　

Wang said the airline apologized on the phone and promised an investigation.

A manager for the airline's customer complaints department, surnamed Zhang, said he was unaware of the "ham incident."

"There have certainly been incidents of items lost from inside suitcases before, and in this instance, we would offer a certain amount of compensation if we find out that's what this is," said Zhang.

At many airports, baggage handlers are operated by logistics companies, while in this case, the handlers are employed by Hainan Airlines.

"The ham wasn't worth much, and we joked about how the staff couldn't resist the delicious smell, then took a piece. But it's uncomfortable knowing people there would steal stuff," said Wang.

But the couple may be lucky to receive compensation. Another Hainan Airlines passenger, surnamed Guo, lost cigarettes and beef jerky worth over 2,000 yuan (US$317) after flying from Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to Beijing. Hainan refused to compensate Guo, according to a People's Daily report from 2010.

"If there is proof showing it's the airlines negligence or rough handling with the luggage, the company definitely needs to bear liability to make compensation, just as passengers can claim expenses for repair and damage to luggage," said Wang Silu, a local lawyer.

According to "China's Civil Aviation Transportation Rules for Passengers and Baggage," amended in 2006, airline companies should make compensation by the weight of the lost or damaged luggage at 100 yuan per kilogram.