US Airways steals kid’s Xbox, he sues, airline says it’s not liable for stolen electronics

While I’m sure it’s super fun to stuff your gaming console in your carry-on luggage so it doesn’t get stolen, it’s not all that practical. Yale University student Jesse Maiman found that out the hard way when his Xbox 360 disappeared from his checked luggage on a US Airways flight.

According to Cincinnati.com, Maiman’s Xbox 360 “had a specialized hard drive and components he said cost more than $1,000.”

When he retrieved his luggage, he noticed that his bag felt much lighter and, upon closer inspection, found that his console and peripherals had been stolen. Maiman reported the theft to a US Airways employee, which led to “an unconscionable runaround” that lasted for weeks, according to his lawsuit.

The suit calls for $1,700 to replace his Xbox plus at least $25,000 for “non-economic distress” – apparently the maximum amount allowed by law is a million bucks, so it could theoretically amount to far more than $25,000. Anyone who’s had to deal with an airline over lost or stolen luggage may argue that even a million dollars isn’t enough.

It appears that US Airways isn’t concerned, though, as a company spokesperson said the airline wasn’t aware of a lawsuit and, even so, the federal loss limit is $3,300 per piece of luggage. None of that will matter, however, as the spokesperson finished with, “Our publicly available baggage policies specifically exclude liability for electronics checked in luggage.”

So basically any electronics item you leave in your luggage is fair game to steal. Nice.

[via [H]Enthusiast]