FlySafair refusing baggage claim by incorrectly relying on “no insurance selected”

I am lodging this review to highlight a concerning and unresolved baggage claim issue with FlySafair.

On 18 December 2025, I travelled on FlySafair flight FA560 from OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) to King Shaka International Airport (DUR). My checked baggage was handed over to FlySafair at departure and remained exclusively in the airline’s possession and control until arrival.

Upon collecting my baggage in Durban, I discovered that the bag was damaged and that items were missing from inside the bag. The loss and damage therefore occurred while the baggage was under FlySafair’s custody.

FlySafair has refused to consider my claim on the basis that optional travel insurance was not selected. This response is deeply concerning, as it fails to address the core issue: airline responsibility for checked baggage while in its possession.

This is not an insurance claim. It is a claim arising from damage and loss that occurred while the baggage was under the airline’s care. Travel insurance is supplementary and does not replace an airline’s duty of care or liability for checked baggage.

To date, FlySafair has not meaningfully engaged with:

How the damage and loss occurred while the bag was in their custody

Why baggage damage or theft under airline control is being denied outright

Any investigation into the incident itself

I am requesting that FlySafair:

Acknowledge the facts of custody and control, and

Assess the claim on airline liability grounds rather than deflecting to insurance.

I am now escalating this matter formally and would welcome FlySafair’s intervention to resolve this fairly and transparently.