Sade Coppens was a passenger on a New York to Dublin flight in July of this year when her carry-on bag was considered too big to bring on board and was taken from her at the gate.
Her final destination was Amsterdam and when she arrived there her bag and a baby buggy were missing.
Ten days later both were returned, but her engagement ring, a two-carat diamond white-gold one had been stolen as well as over $10,000 in photographic equipment and a Chanel bag was also missing.
Coppens, a mother of three and a floral designer, has filed for “emotional trauma and distress” in a New York court.She said Aer Lingus only offered her $1,682 in compensation. Coppens, a Brooklyn resident, told the Irish Independent the items stolen were invaluable to her.
"What Aer Lingus has done to me is to take away very precious memories. One of the most important moments of my life was my engagement - and the ring was the symbol which sealed myself and my husband's commitment to each other," she said. She said the missing SD memory cards contained "all pictures and films of my children's entire lives, including birth pictures".
Aer Lingus wants the case dismissed. Coppens was flying to Amsterdam via Dublin with her three young children to visit her husband Aron.
She said after the items went missing she spent nine days phoning the airline every day. and "had to wait hours at a time" to speak to someone and was passed between Aer Lingus reps in Dublin and Amsterdam.
Aer Lingus says it wants the case dismissed as Coppens had accepted the original compensation amount and she was not entitled to emotional distress damages under the Montreal convention covering such items.
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