Fair point Pax Britannia, I based it upon my flight profile Heathrow > Hong Kong (week of work), Hong Kong > Dubai (week of rest), Dubai > Heathrow rather than looking at it as Fly out and return same week.
However you look at it though, it is still unacceptable losses and airlines really do need to do more.
Even though passenger numbers are rising, thankfully the instances of baggage mishandling are gradually reducing. I certainly wouldn't trust my camera gear to the hold unless I knew I would be compensated for loss at replacement cost.
Couple that with the fact that I need the gear for the Job in China then I am driven to keep that gear with me.
- Would I grab my bag in the event of an emergency evac? "Never".
- Would I entrust it to the baggage handlers and check it into the hold? An equally resounding "Never".
In the first instance I would be thankful to be out fit and well, and able to fight a claim on the grounds that I did as instructed by one of the airline staff.
In the second instance I would expect a battle for compensation because it was "my choice to put it in the hold" and the airline shirks it's responsibilities.