Dad says Southwest broke his twins’ stroller on a trip to see his new niece, then told his wife it was ‘not responsible for damages’

Jason Piquette recently took to Instagram (piquettetwins) and TikTok (piquetwins) to document an experience with Southwest Airlines. He says the airline damaged his twins’ stroller and then refused to take responsibility. The video, which has gained over two million views, showed Piquette pushing the broken stroller down the street and filming it bouncing to demonstrate that it was no longer functional.

“Southwest Airlines broke our stroller today. And they said they’re in no way liable. They told my wife we’re not responsible for damages, just loss,” Piquette told his viewers. “So now we’re all the way in Portland, Oregon, to visit our new baby niece for a week, and we don’t have a stroller for our twins and all the activities we planned.”

For Piquette, the real problem wasn’t just the broken stroller. In a frustrated tone, he told his viewers, “I always thought that Southwest had like the best customer service. I guess not, but you got to do better.” In the comments on TikTok, in response to his viewers’ generosity, he wrote that he made the post “cuz I was frustrated and wanted to call out southwest.” He also noted, “yall are showing more love and humanity than that whole 25 billion dollar company combined.”

The comments were flooded with similar frustrations

The biggest response came from viewers who argued that what Piquette says he was told wasn’t right. One user noted, “Check their policies they 100% are liable for damaged strollers.” Others nitpicked the specific wording, and one user suggested, “If they are only liable for loss, I’d go lose that broken stroller on the next flight.”

Others expressed general frustration with the carrier. One user noted, “You shouldn’t have to go to social media for a company to do the moral right thing.” Another user thought this customer service was a sign of something larger, writing, “The decline of [Southwest Airlines] should be a business school case study. In less than a year they have destroyed themselves.”

Many other users came through with advice, help, and their own stories of Southwest staff mishandling bags. One user who got compensated for a damaged stroller promised to look for their emails so that Piquette could use them as a reference. Others suggested Piquette escalate his case to get a resolution. Some even offered to lend him a temporary stroller, and many more offered to send him donations to help him buy a new one.

According to Happy Baby Hubs, airlines may be responsible for a damaged stroller if it was checked for transport and the airline caused the damage. While airlines often distinguish between normal wear and accidental damage, they may need to pay for repairs or reimburse the depreciated value of the item.

The site noted that gate-checked strollers are still considered checked baggage, and passengers should report any damage before leaving the airport to strengthen their claim. Documentation, such as photos and a written incident report, is essential when dealing with these situations.

In later post updates, Piquette shared that viewers had sent him enough money via Venmo to replace the stroller once he returned home. In the interim, a person from his hometown lent him a stroller for his trip.

Attack of the Fanboy was unable to independently verify Southwest Airlines’ side of the story, as this account originates solely from Piquette’s TikTok and Instagram posts.