Another Musician's Guitar Smashed By United [threads merged]
 

Musician Ellis Paul was forced to gate check his beautiful Taylor guitar and this is what it looked like when he got it back:

https://www.facebook.com/ellispaulmu...type=1&theater

And

https://www.facebook.com/ellispaulmu...type=3&theater

Meh, I don't know if this is UA specific problem. The guitar exceeds the carry-on rules for every airline and every airline warns not to check or carry-on high-value items. Musicians (and every other passenger) should use freight carriers who specialize in high-value items and/or invest in proper containers for their items.

If UA paid for every damaged improperly packaged item that was damaged in luggage handling they would be in even worse shape than they are in now. Furthermore, Mr. Paul likely did not pay any additional fees but expected special handling of his item. Purchasing a durable container for the guitar, securing the services of a reputable freight carrier specializing in high-value items, or purchasing applicable insurance all would have made this a non-issue but he chose not to do any of those and suffered the consequences.

Should polish out.

WOW! Imagine if it were a Stradivarius instrument, would UA force a musician to gate check it and decline to pay for any damage?

Section 403 of the legislation, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, provides:

“An air carrier providing air transportation shall permit a passenger to carry a violin, guitar, or other musical instrument in the aircraft cabin, without charging the passenger a fee in addition to any standard fee that carrier may require for comparable carry-on baggage ….”

When there is not enough space in the overheads though, they can force someone to gate check an instrument.

Ellis Paul did have an appropriate hard case with padding and that was severely damaged too.

I've tried that. To simplify matters, I told the agent that mine was an 230-string guitar but the candelabra on it said otherwise.

Clearly not the case (pun intended).

While none of us will ever know, I am guessing it was more of a traditional case than those made for airline travel.

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/s...yqJ1k&usqp=CAY

You buy it a ticket. I had a Cello as a seatmate once. I got to eat its ice cream

Sympathy for musician proportional to strength of case used.

I check high value items all the time.... lots of people do. Never had any issues.

Of course, I'm also using several-hundred-dollar cases designed to resist crushing etc.

I think the airlines can destroy a guitar in just about any case, proof in this case:
http://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/2013/0...rished-guitar/

Most likely.

If there is the slightest chance of having to check the instrument, then it needs to be in an ATA flight case. Period. @:-) I've carried bass guitars transcon, to South America, and to Europe and back, many times without incident.

Apparently, UAL has hired El Kabong in the baggage handler area.

http://www.experiencetheblog.com/201...nd-social.html

Another Taylor? Pfft. United was doing this guy a favor. I'd be up in arms if it were a Martin though :D

If the passenger cared about publicity, he got what he wanted. If the passenger cared about his instrument, he should have paid for an additional seat.