Canadian pole vaulter blames Air Canada for busted poles
#1
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Canadian pole vaulter blames Air Canada for busted poles
The Commonwealth Games pole vault champ took aim at the airline on social media Thursday after discovering her tools of the trade were in poor condition — and busted right in half — while in transit to track and field’s Diamond League opener at Doha, Qatar.
“My heart is broken and so are all my poles thanks to Air Canada,” the rising Canadian star wrote in an Instagram and Twitter post. “For years, I’ve put my trust into you as an airline to get my poles and equipment safely to my competitions, spending thousands of dollars weekly on flights and poles. This is how you treat people’s stuff? It’s (a) shame and I am completely embarrassed to have called you the best airline. I’ve never felt so let down.”
http://lfpress.com/sports/local-spor...r-busted-poles
#2
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As an Official Olympic Partner, you'd think AC would have failsafe methods in place to ensure safe passage of oversize and delicate equipment. Having watched AC ground staff abuse bags of all shapes & sizes every day, I'm surprised more stuff isn't reported damaged.
I also wonder if blame may lie with an airport baggage system or with whichever airline took the poles to Doha.
I also wonder if blame may lie with an airport baggage system or with whichever airline took the poles to Doha.
#3
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As an Official Olympic Partner, you'd think AC would have failsafe methods in place to ensure safe passage of oversize and delicate equipment. Having watched AC ground staff abuse bags of all shapes & sizes every day, I'm surprised more stuff isn't reported damaged.
I also wonder if blame may lie with an airport baggage system or with whichever airline took the poles to Doha.
I also wonder if blame may lie with an airport baggage system or with whichever airline took the poles to Doha.
#5
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Champion Canadian pole vaulter rants at Air Canada on Twitter for breaking her equipment | CBC News
In an email statement, Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick said the airline is in touch with the customer and is arranging to get new equipment to her.
In an email statement, Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick said the airline is in touch with the customer and is arranging to get new equipment to her.
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#7
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Champion Canadian pole vaulter rants at Air Canada on Twitter for breaking her equipment CBC News
In an email statement, Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick said the airline is in touch with the customer and is arranging to get new equipment to her.
In an email statement, Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick said the airline is in touch with the customer and is arranging to get new equipment to her.
Good on AC for stepping up and replacing the equipment ^
#10
Join Date: Aug 2014
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Good on AC for replacing the equipment.
Years ago I was talking a survey pole to Greece, so three tubes of steel collapsed, and the thing got pinched and bent. Took photos, sent it all in to AC, and they reimbursed the purchase cost, shipping cost, and cost of us having to buy a hideously expensive Leica pole in Athens.
Years ago I was talking a survey pole to Greece, so three tubes of steel collapsed, and the thing got pinched and bent. Took photos, sent it all in to AC, and they reimbursed the purchase cost, shipping cost, and cost of us having to buy a hideously expensive Leica pole in Athens.
#11
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Pole vault poles are an oddly shaped and rather delicate, and most airlines would really rather not deal with them. A few years back, I found myself flying out of town the day after a college national championship in track & field finished up, and got talking with my seat mate who had been competing there. She mentioned that her team had had enough problems with poles and javelins damaged in shipping by air that if a meet was within about a two day ground shipping radius (but still far enough away to fly the people on the team out) they'd far rather send poles to the site via Fedex/UPS ground because they typically arrived in better condition that way.
#12
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Isn't this what insurance is for?
Insure your special gear. Stuff gets damaged. Poles or not. It's a part of travel.
"Hi I'm a pole vaulter, I bought a basic economy fare, and I'm going to cry on social media that my stuff got damaged."
Great way to up his/her instagram likes, become an endorser for some other product and make money.
Insure your special gear. Stuff gets damaged. Poles or not. It's a part of travel.
"Hi I'm a pole vaulter, I bought a basic economy fare, and I'm going to cry on social media that my stuff got damaged."
Great way to up his/her instagram likes, become an endorser for some other product and make money.
#13
Join Date: Nov 2014
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Isn't this what insurance is for?
Insure your special gear. Stuff gets damaged. Poles or not. It's a part of travel.
"Hi I'm a pole vaulter, I bought a basic economy fare, and I'm going to cry on social media that my stuff got damaged."
Great way to up his/her instagram likes, become an endorser for some other product and make money.
Insure your special gear. Stuff gets damaged. Poles or not. It's a part of travel.
"Hi I'm a pole vaulter, I bought a basic economy fare, and I'm going to cry on social media that my stuff got damaged."
Great way to up his/her instagram likes, become an endorser for some other product and make money.
The issue would seem to be that the gear she needed to compete was destroyed en route.
That she's out some money and wants compensation is secondary.
#14
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I quickly read the article... and I didn't see where she flew from... so based on that, I had no clue that AC flew any commercial metal to DOH! I'm such a FOTSG!
(It might be mentioned in her series of tweets, which I didn't read)
(It might be mentioned in her series of tweets, which I didn't read)
#15
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Also, she's competing in a Diamond League meet, and those meeting cover plane fare for invited athletes. (As well as other expenses and a sliding scale appearance fee depending on how many tickets your name is thought to sell. I remember Lolo Jones saying she made more by making it to the starting line for the Monaco DL stop as a hurdler than she did for an entire season of bobsleeding in the winter)