Lufthansa denied compensation for destroying my professional guitar

Lufthansa: Professional Guitar and Flight Case Damage - a Journey for Resolution

On April 17, 2025, during a recent tour I was performing on (photos here), my Cordoba Luthier Series GK Pro Negra guitar serial number 72103924 and Gator Cases GTSA-GTRCLASS Classical Guitar Case were destroyed due to mishandling by Lufthansa Airlines. These items were essential to my performance, and their destruction has created significant disruption to my professional work.

Passenger Name: Bruno da Silva Justi
Ticket Number: 0162453574180
Baggage Tag Number: 0220273190
Flight: Munich to LAX
Arrival Date: April 17, 3:00 PM

Take me to photos

Incident:

I was traveling from Munich to Los Angeles with Lufthansa Airlines. I was charged €193.29 to check the guitar in its proper flight case.

Upon arrival, I found the case discarded on the floor near the oversized baggage area. Both the guitar and the case were completely destroyed.

I immediately spoke with two Lufthansa staff members near the baggage claim, who were as perplexed as I was and directed me to the LAX Baggage Claims area. Unfortunately, no one there was able to assist me and instead provided a QR code for filing a claim, which according to them was the only way to get in touch with Lufthansa. After spending over an hour attempting to do this—unsuccessfully—someone finally helped submit the claim on my behalf. I brought to their attention that the description added to the claim was misleading and incomplete. He got angry and responded that it was not something to worry about.

This guitar is an essential tool for my work as a professional musician. I had a rehearsal scheduled just two hours after my 12-hour flight landed. Due to the damage, I arrived exhausted, without food, and without my primary instrument. The experience at at point had been incredibly disruptive both financially and professionally.

The guitar is a high-quality, professional instrument I have owned and used exclusively for touring. It was professionally set up a week prior to the trip for my tour (U$95), ensuring it was in optimal condition. Unfortunately, the mishandling of my baggage, coupled with improper handling during transit, led to damage that cannot be repaired.

A few days later I received follow-up from a third-party company called Dolfi1920, requesting evidence (which I provided), and subsequently offered €110 as a settlement.

Only after calling several Lufthansa numbers for support (+1 877-234-3449 Lufthansa Baggage Claim, +1 833-495-4084 Swiss, +1 516-738-4422 Lufthansa Complaint) and raising concern about the €110 settlement offer from Dolfi1920, was I informed of an alternative option to submit a complaint via Lufthansa’s website and to mail all evidence and documentation to Lufthansa’s U.S. office at: Lufthansa Customer Relations - PO Box 425, East Meadow, NY 11554 - Yes, I mailed all the evidence.

Today (May 12, 2025), after several e-mail interactions and after providing all possible documentations (except an original receipt, which I don’t have since the instrument was purchased more than a year ago), Lufthansa’s customer care center employee Ahmed Abdelraouf sent the following response:

“We require a detailed itemized receipt that clearly shows the item description, price, and date of purchase.
Regrettably, without this information, we are unable to proceed with your claim and must decline it at this stage.
Of course, our decision was made after assessing carefully considering the legal liability along with goodwill considerations. Therefore, we kindly request your understanding that we choose to uphold our decision and consider the case closed.”

What I provided:

Since discovering the damage, I have reached out multiple times through all available communication channels, including phone calls, mail (yes, mail), emails, and official Lufthansa customer service portals. I have provided the following documentation to support my claim:

Multiple photos showing the damage, including pictures taken at LAX baggage claim
A description of my interactions with Lufthansa personnel at the airport and through official channels
Printed evidence sent to the address provided by Lufthansa, which was returned undeliverable due to a signature requirement
The guitar registration under Cordobaguitars.com, showing the details about the instrument and proving it belongs to me
Multiple links to current market prices for both the guitar and the case
A receipt for the professional setup done on the guitar just before the flight
A check-in receipt for the guitar and case on the date of travel
Two professional assessments: One from the luthier who worked on the guitar and one from Gator Cases, both confirming that the guitar and case are beyond repair and must be replaced
A notarized value declaration confirming the fair market value of the guitar and case
An offer to surrender the damaged items to Lufthansa, which have not been touched since I picked them up, still with their baggage tags attached

Despite this, Lufthansa has insisted that I provide original purchase receipts for both the guitar and the case, which I do not have because I purchased them from an individual. This request is unreasonable, especially for items that were purchased over a year ago. It is also an unreasonable standard when dealing with the damage to checked baggage, clearly from mishandling and negligence.

Itemized Costs

🎸 Cordoba Luthier GK Pro Negra Guitar
Estimated market value: $1,899.00
🧳 Gator GTSA-GTRCLASS Classical Guitar Case
Estimated fair market value: $199.99
🧾 Professional Guitar Setup (1 week prior to flight)
Actual cost: $95.00
💼 Checked Baggage Fee for Guitar
Actual cost: €193.29

Claim related costs + time investment

📝 Notarized Value Declaration (via UPS)
Actual cost: $15.00
📦 Mailing cost of printed documents to Lufthansa (returned)
Approximate cost: $15.00
⏱️ Time Spent Handling the Claim: ~22 hours