score:8
There are no laws that give you the right to carry baggage onto an airplane, that is a privilege afforded to you by the airline. So there is no legal basis for you to refuse what is asked of you by a flight crew member in this regard. And before someone goes whatif.. yes there maybe some exceptions, like medical issues that mandate keeping a carry on bag with life support gear, etc
On an airplane, the flight crew has the final word and failure to obey a crew directive is grounds to be removed from the plane.
The fact that your luggage handle got damaged is likely due to airport handling at your destination, not the airline staff handling of your bag when you were forced to check it. And damage such as that can happen to anyone. The taxi driver taking you to your hotel could tear your handle when he throws your bag in the back.
Rule of thumb with carry on luggage, always pack items of value in an easily accessible location and perhaps in their own pouch, as even on full service airlines overhead space gets filled and some passengers have to gate check their bags. And no, full service airlines won't take no as an answer either.
Upvote:6
Can I refuse to place my hand baggage in luggage area when flight is full?
Yes. But you won't be flying on that aircraft at that time.
As mentioned by @Relaxed, this is a safety issue and airlines are adamant about such matters. The most you could hope for is the sympathy of crew (unlikely) or another passenger who might agree to swap their luggage for yours, but they would have to volunteer, or be bribed by you, to do so.