Well as long as the good ol' samsonite protected the contents of said case, it did exactly what it should. I always scratch my case rotten and spray paint it as soon as i get it. Puts anyone off having a little rummage in my bag for goodies. Posher bag, posher goodies. Never had a problem with my case. 9 years old, travelled the globe several times over and just covered in stickers. Can't understand why people buy designer baggage??? what is the point? Its only eventually gonna get damaged or lost, or both. Bags are there to protect the contents, that is all. That said I am glad airlines do replace bags. If only you could see just how badly they get treated sometimes!
Good luck with getting Flybe to pay out.