GunsOfNavarone

Maybe I missed something, but if I read the photographer's twitter properly, she states was bumped. If that is correct, I am willing to speculate she voluntarily put herself on the volunteer list in exchange for compensation. She states she was ok with being bumped. If her description of being bumped= volunteer to take another flight in exchange for compensation, of course there are some critical thinking requirements in excepting voluntary compensation in exchange for a later flight. Maybe she volunteered and was told to wait at the gate, but the plane did not fill up, but by waiting she was last to board.

I wonder if the photographer might have left out a few details of how and when she boarded in her twitter post.

On another post- the photographer has received some publicity from her twitter, maybe she should thank AA for the lost bag in exchange for getting her name and business being discussed. She sounds like some that someone of the likes of a Johnny Depp might hire for photo-shoot.

CPRich

I don't think many people are going to find this factual information as offensive as you appear to, and I doubt she's suffering under any pressure in people pointing out that she called herself what she is. It sounds a bit like me pressuring your for being a "self-proclaimed American EXP".

CPRich

The change fee/fare difference, if any, would certainly have been less than the cost of the gear and lost income.

It's about what I would expect.A 1DXII, 24-70/2.8L II, 70-200/2.8LIS III and 16-35/2.8L II total under $11K. Add a prime or two, flash - you're about there. Photogs I know don't carry their entire inventory with them on a shoot. 3-5 lenses. And more use a less expensive 5D anyway. Using World Press awards as a proxy, Leica (plus every other MF format) totals <3% of usage. Non-weather-sealed, non-ruggedized Leica's don't see much PJ usage.

CPRich

So if she got on the plane, and it crashed, it would have been her fault?

Dallas49er

LOL I see your point.

And yes, the bag is gone. IMHO, she should shoulder a large(r) portion of the responsibility (lapsed insurance, taking a different flight, etc).

ibrandsguest

Why does someone's profession make a difference in battling AA? If someone has something valuable in a bag, it should be the same treatment.

Surely the bag will show up at some point, unless the equipment was stolen.

jcatman

Being an American EXP is a fact. Calling yourself an "award-winning" photographer indicates Michelle needs to stroke her ego.

Then again, Michelle's Twitter account includes the line "Combat wedding photographer". She probably enjoys conflict.

Dallas49er

Using the photographers logic, I should call myself a "Square and Numb butted EXP".

s0ssos

No .Only if she died. Then it would be her fault she did not carry a parachute

dwugson

Regardless of insurance - if I am told not to check valuable items and when attempting to carry them on am forced to check them who now takes responsibility? I've done my part by not checking them according to the airline rules but the airline is forcing me to do so regardless. In that case i really feel that the airline should bear a major part of the liability. I personally would love to check all my camera gear if I had some assurance it would arrive safely and intact. Maybe paying a premium at checkin for insuring such items might help things.

no2chem

As Dave Noble points out, the only relevant information is whether or not her bags were cabin size.

I think she has a good case if they were. I think AA's liability limits only apply to checked baggage, even the limitations of liability on baggage they have assumes all baggage is checked.

Here, the photographer expected to carry her baggage in the cabin. AA failed to do that, so she was involuntary forced to check her bag. AA doesn't have a cabin baggage liability limit, presumably if a flight attendant had broken her bag in the cabin, AA would have been fully liable. I assume the same if AA were to break her diamond ring somehow, etc. AA would also not be liable if she were to lose her diamond ring, because AA is not at fault there. But if some jerk AA flight attendant said, sorry, your diamond ring isn't allowed in the cabin, you'll need to check it, and AA subsequently lost the ring, I would assume AA is fully liable for the ring without limitation here...

Also, the insurance issue is a distraction. Yes, it would have been a good idea to have insurance. But ultimately AA lost the bag, and she is not at fault for not maintaining insurance. The question is if AA is at fault, what do they owe, and does their baggage liability limit apply to cabin baggage or involuntarily checked bags.

I think with cabin baggage it's clear: their liability limits do not apply here, and no contract would legally limit their liability. After all, there's no way to declare the value of cabin baggage, and I guess the passenger is technically cabin baggage too. The question here is whether the same applies to involuntarily checked bags.

garykung

I believe further argument of this issue is moot.

A similar incident just happened with DL as well:

Photography equipment stolen on a Delta flight

After pleading to the CEO, DL agreed to pay the maximum indemnity as required by the law. The family wanted to push for full loss.

Here - it will happen the same way. AA could pay the maximum indemnity as required by the law. However, the photojournalist is apparently after the full loss.

It is an unsolvable case regardless.

Dave Noble

Given that it is a domestic flight and it can make up its own exemptions, I suspect that AA may well just pay that which it is required which seems to be $0

Fine Art Landscape Photographer

While I feel the pain of fellow photographer losing her equipment I don't automatically take photographers side. There are always two sides to the story and I'm not sure the photographer revealed everything in her Twitter post. For example she stated that the flight in question was from Chicago to DC. I would assume this route uses a larger plane as compared to smaller planes used for regional routes (ie. GJT, FCA) so why

She claims to be a journalist photographer who photographs refugees, with this in mind I would assume that she travels to small regional airports on regular basis. With that travel she should know that smaller airplanes have smaller overhead bins and you might run out of space. I just happen to travel with 2 photography carry on bags and in fact one of my bags from the same brand (Thinktank) and similar dimensions (mine is Airport Takeoff 2.0 and hers is Airport International). After my first experience with smaller airplanes I know that my bag will not fit into overhead bins if I have my laptop in laptop sleeve and I have to take it out. I stopped carrying my laptop on most trips and this is no longer an issue. My other photography bag is backpack style and I don't fill it to capacity just in case I need to squeeze my bag an inch or two to fit into smaller overhead bins. I proactively think ahead for every segment where I fly and where I might have issues with my luggage. Its understandable that with my status on AA that I'm always boarding in group 1 or 2 and don't have problems with getting room in overhead bin. Few years ago when I didn't have status I had no problems on other airlines. In 2012 when I was flying to GJT to shoot Colorado Fall Colors I was redirected to DEN from DFW and had to be on standby of another airline. I was literally the last person that got on the plane and FA didn't have room for my bag (only one bag on that trip) but she ended up strapping my bag like a passenger in the empty seat at the last row. If you talk to FA nicely they do try to help with any situation. I've also learned that there is crew storage on the plane and once FA put my bag there. As professional photographer she needs to have insurance as this would not be covered under home insurance. Once she uses her equipment to produce income she needs to be covered as professional photographer.

I have a flight to FCA to get to Glacier National Park in September and I'm flying on airline on which I have no status. I'm taking extra precautions in lieu of hearing of this story and it will include me carrying $50 bills to offer to someone to check their carry on instead of me if it comes down to that. She sounds like she was completely unprepared and this was her first rodeo.

sdsearch

Actually it's in Scottsboro, which is 45 minutes to an hour from Huntsville (assuming no traffic), depending on the route. It's roughly 1/3 of the way from Huntsville to Chattanooga.