Thread: United Breaks Guitars

Originally Posted by LX_Emergency

So you think it's right that baggage handlers ABUSE the luggage they're entrusted with? You consider that normal?

Baggage handlers are supposed to be proffesionals. People entrust their belongings to these people and they throw it around, jump on it, sit on it and who knows what else.

Otoh you can't expect handlers to treat all luggage as if it contains valuable china, and foamwrap it and then stow it without anything on top.
It's luggage. It goes in a crate. Stuff gets hoisted on top to fill the crate in order to get all luggage in the plane. That's why good travel luggage has hard shells. And it still gets bruised anyway from being dumped on the conveyor belt.

If you want your luggage to be treated with personal attention and stowed individually and hand carried from start to finish, then buy a second seat.
If you don't want to do that, buy a hard travel case for guitars. I'm sure they exist somewhere. If you don't want to do any of that, then don't complain if 10 samsonites gets stacked on top of your guitar.

Originally Posted by Bruno

Otoh you can't expect handlers to treat all luggage as if it contains valuable china, and foamwrap it and then stow it without anything on top.
It's luggage. It goes in a crate. Stuff gets hoisted on top to fill the crate in order to get all luggage in the plane. That's why good travel luggage has hard shells. And it still gets bruised anyway from being dumped on the conveyor belt.

If you want your luggage to be treated with personal attention and stowed individually and hand carried from start to finish, then buy a second seat.
If you don't want to do that, buy a hard travel case for guitars. I'm sure they exist somewhere. If you don't want to do any of that, then don't complain if 10 samsonites gets stacked on top of your guitar.

They do exist....and I'm pretty sure that anyone using a $3500 guitar already HAD a hard case. You have to seriously beat up a hard guitar case to break the guitar inside.
I get your point and a few scuffs isn't too bad. But to actually throw something around untill it breaks? Have you ever handled a hard guitar case? Most of those things are built like tanks and the guitars don't even move within the case.

Originally Posted by LX_Emergency

So you think it's right that baggage handlers ABUSE the luggage they're entrusted with? You consider that normal?

Baggage handlers are supposed to be proffesionals. People entrust their belongings to these people and they throw it around, jump on it, sit on it and who knows what else.

He COULD have known that something could have happened. However the point is that it SHOULD not have happened. I've flown with my guitar. Mine has always been fine. That's the way it should be. You should not be affraid to check in luggage because it "might" be damaged or stolen.

I don't think it's right, but I do expect that my luggage will be treated roughly, and may or may not reach the same destination as me. I do not take razors worth more than $50 with me when I travel, and I bring one of my homemade brushes, not a Roonay Heritage with me for those same reasons.

Baggage handlers move overloaded suitcases all day long. Heavy, manual labor. "here's a light one.....CATCH!". They are not rocket scientists out there loading the plane (or perhaps they are, and were conducting flight tests?)

Originally Posted by Seraphim

Baggage handlers move overloaded suitcases all day long. Heavy, manual labor. "here's a light one.....CATCH!". They are not rocket scientists out there loading the plane (or perhaps they are, and were conducting flight tests?)

Granted accidents happen, but I think it is reasonable to expect that a musical instrument would be handled more gently than a suitcase. Baggage handlers may not be rocket scientists, but I don't believe for a second that there's one out there who doesn't recognize a guitar case when he sees one.

I think the guy's got a legitimate beef.


Goshawk

The band is the Sons of Maxwell based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia - they have an East Coast (Canadian East coast) sound (which is a variation of the Celtic sound for those interested). Dave Carroll, the guy who wrote the song, is the primary, is a great guy - always up for a pint after a show. I suspect he's a bit shocked at how much attention this incident has gained.

Originally Posted by Seraphim

Baggage handlers move overloaded suitcases all day long. Heavy, manual labor. "here's a light one.....CATCH!". They are not rocket scientists out there loading the plane (or perhaps they are, and were conducting flight tests?)

I understand what you man.....but even just throwing a guitar case once won't break the guitar inside.

Baggage handling practices have been public knowledge since at least 1971....

YouTube - 1971 American Tourister "Gorilla" Commercial