United wrecked car seat: what can we do?

Old Jan 22, 2015, 9:18 am
  #16  
 
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Originally Posted by COSPILOT
You get what you pay for. We always used Britax car seats for our kids which aren't cheap.
That quote is ironic, as the car seat, a stroller, or a wheelchair is a free piece of checked luggage.
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Old Jan 22, 2015, 9:23 am
  #17  
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Originally Posted by azepine00
$250-300 for carseat?
Cosco scenera is $50 or less
Exactly what I was thinking. In the mid-1990s, I bought two seats for about $30 each from Cosco or a similar company that were top-rated by Consumer Reports. Not only did CU find that they provided the same protection as seats costing several times that amount, but they were narrow enough to fit in economy airplane seats, although my kids generally occupied F or J seats.

One thing I never did was check the car seats so that the airline baggage handlers could mis-treat them. My kids actually sat in them on the airplane.

Originally Posted by COSPILOT
You get what you pay for. We always used Britax car seats for our kids which aren't cheap.
Nothing wrong with that, as long as everyone is clear that the airline owes you nothing if it's damaged as checked baggage. We didn't check the extremely expensive Peg Perego stroller when we traveled with the kids - we bought a cheap one for $40 or so.

Unfortunately for the OP, they've learned an expensive lesson. It's good to know the rules before you act.
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Old Jan 22, 2015, 10:17 am
  #18  
 
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Originally Posted by FWAAA
Exactly what I was thinking. In the mid-1990s, I bought two seats for about $30 each from Cosco or a similar company that were top-rated by Consumer Reports. Not only did CU find that they provided the same protection as seats costing several times that amount, but they were narrow enough to fit in economy airplane seats, although my kids generally occupied F or J seats.

One thing I never did was check the car seats so that the airline baggage handlers could mis-treat them. My kids actually sat in them on the airplane.



Nothing wrong with that, as long as everyone is clear that the airline owes you nothing if it's damaged as checked baggage. We didn't check the extremely expensive Peg Perego stroller when we traveled with the kids - we bought a cheap one for $40 or so.

Unfortunately for the OP, they've learned an expensive lesson. It's good to know the rules before you act.
I never had experience checking a car seat either, as we always purchased a seat for our kids. I think we gate checked a stroller a few times, but never had issues.

More importantly, I have never assumed anything with the airlines, as I always did my research if I was unsure. Doesn't help the OP after the fact, but knowing the rules that are current instead of making assumptions will make flying easier IMO.

With regard to car seat cost, I might suggest comparing it to a car. Yes, maybe the least expensive meets the regs and is considered safe. However, the more expensive may have additional safety features that while not required, help in certain situations. You alone can decide your priorities and if its within your budget.
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Old Jan 22, 2015, 12:49 pm
  #19  
 
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UA damaged one of my car seats a few years ago, I pointed it out at baggage claim customer service, and they sent me a $100 voucher.

The fact that UA disclaims legal liability in the contract of carriage does not mean they won't "make it right" for you. And they certainly won't if you don't ask. But as you can see, whether the actually do depends on who you talk to, how good a day they are having, etc.
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Old Jan 22, 2015, 3:18 pm
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Originally Posted by trajanc
because her doctor told her to avoid co2
Did you tell her you've been leaking Co2 all day?
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Old Jan 22, 2015, 5:28 pm
  #21  
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Originally Posted by fastair
On the other hand, if it were packed to ship, it would be fine, but who wants to save/carry the box? You really believe an item that is not packed for shipping should be covered? Heck, UPS/FEDEX wouldn't accept an unpackaged item. I mean a suitcase is a case to protect the contents (suits). What is to protect a car seat when there is no box?
The reality is that there will be car seats in the baggage, let the airlines come up with a reasonable system to get them there in one piece. Put the liability on the party that can actually control the situation. It's the same as the problem with luggage theft--liability is limited to very low values and anything at all valuable is completely not covered. Thus why spend money improving security?
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Old Jan 22, 2015, 6:07 pm
  #22  
 
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I have a cheap car seat, which we only use when traveling.

If it ever breaks, I'll just buy another one for $50.
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Old Jan 26, 2015, 10:49 pm
  #23  
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I read these replies earlier and they have been very helpful. Sincerely, ty to everyone who replied. Lots of useful info.

To clarify a few things, I did not assume that they covered damage to car seats. I had previously actually assumed the opposite; that their liability would be pretty meager. In this incident tho I went by what the UA phone agent said (he did not say they didn't cover it but instead in summary said bring it in, let them look at it, we'll sort it out) and this web page that I Googled that rather hectic night:
http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...ge/infant.aspx

Which only specifically mentions not covering damage to strollers. I have now been educated and again ty for the info.

The situation appears to have been resolved in a fashion similar to harryhood's experience; the supervisor finally got back to us and offered a $100 United voucher. And no, I have no status with United.

Am I satisfied? No, United took our nice car seat (that was a gift from the inlaws, they are disappointed) and ran over it and destroyed it and left us at the airport environs with no safe way to transport our child. If there had only been one of us traveling with him I guess he'd have been driven to find a new car seat in the completely broken car seat. So yeah, I guess a $100 is more than they might have to offer but it's far from satisfying.

Definitely learned more than a few lessons.
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Old Jan 26, 2015, 11:40 pm
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Originally Posted by trajanc
I read these replies earlier and they have been very helpful. Sincerely, ty to everyone who replied. Lots of useful info.

To clarify a few things, I did not assume that they covered damage to car seats. I had previously actually assumed the opposite; that their liability would be pretty meager. In this incident tho I went by what the UA phone agent said (he did not say they didn't cover it but instead in summary said bring it in, let them look at it, we'll sort it out) and this web page that I Googled that rather hectic night:
http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...ge/infant.aspx

Which only specifically mentions not covering damage to strollers. I have now been educated and again ty for the info.

The situation appears to have been resolved in a fashion similar to harryhood's experience; the supervisor finally got back to us and offered a $100 United voucher. And no, I have no status with United.

Am I satisfied? No, United took our nice car seat (that was a gift from the inlaws, they are disappointed) and ran over it and destroyed it and left us at the airport environs with no safe way to transport our child. If there had only been one of us traveling with him I guess he'd have been driven to find a new car seat in the completely broken car seat. So yeah, I guess a $100 is more than they might have to offer but it's far from satisfying.

Definitely learned more than a few lessons.
sad to hear of it-one option in future is to have the type that child can actually sit in on the plane
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Old Jan 26, 2015, 11:51 pm
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Originally Posted by ifly153
Eva Air once gave me $50 cash on the spot for breaking a cheap old umbrella stroller that we bought for $15.
I once got $120 cash from Royal Air Maroc for a broken suitcase that probably cost less.
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Old Jan 27, 2015, 2:17 am
  #26  
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Originally Posted by trajanc
I read these replies earlier and they have been very helpful. Sincerely, ty to everyone who replied. Lots of useful info.

To clarify a few things, I did not assume that they covered damage to car seats. I had previously actually assumed the opposite; that their liability would be pretty meager. In this incident tho I went by what the UA phone agent said (he did not say they didn't cover it but instead in summary said bring it in, let them look at it, we'll sort it out) and this web page that I Googled that rather hectic night:
http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...ge/infant.aspx

Which only specifically mentions not covering damage to strollers. I have now been educated and again ty for the info.

The situation appears to have been resolved in a fashion similar to harryhood's experience; the supervisor finally got back to us and offered a $100 United voucher. And no, I have no status with United.

Am I satisfied? No, United took our nice car seat (that was a gift from the inlaws, they are disappointed) and ran over it and destroyed it and left us at the airport environs with no safe way to transport our child. If there had only been one of us traveling with him I guess he'd have been driven to find a new car seat in the completely broken car seat. So yeah, I guess a $100 is more than they might have to offer but it's far from satisfying.

Definitely learned more than a few lessons.
Lessons I hope you learned:
If your child needs a car seat, consider taking it on the plane and allowing the child to use it on the plane.
If you check *anything* make sure it is packed in a container that will protect it. I've got a "not-inexpensive" Gibson Les Paul guitar that I take on all flights as checked luggage. The case would withstand and earthquake. Never had so much as a scratch on the instrument.
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Old Jan 27, 2015, 6:55 am
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Our car seat was damaged to the point we were no longer confident in it's structural integrity, and there was no way that we were going to use one of the terrible loaners that they had on hand in ATL at the time. We bought a new one and I sent a claim by fax with the help of the local baggage agent and a few weeks later I received a letter stating that it was not the normal process for claiming car seats but they were going to make a one time exception, and there was a check for the value of the original car seat included.

So YMMV, but I had success. We checked the car seat in a protective bag but it all got shredded.
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Old Jan 27, 2015, 8:34 am
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Just curious, did you have the car seat in a travel bag, plastic bag, or no bag?
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Old Jan 27, 2015, 9:02 am
  #29  
 
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Originally Posted by notquiteaff
I have seen many checked infant seats wrapped in plastic. Not that uncommon because, well, as you say, who keeps the box or wants to travel with it?

But I have also often wondered if it would be really too much to ask for the ramp workers to treat bags a bit more carefully. I mean, we passengers are all sitting there in the terminal at the gate or in the plane looking out of the windows and see how they toss the bags around, how they slam them onto the carts or conveyor, how the bags tumble off the conveyor belts etc. etc. is that what United *wants* them to do? Is that standard procedure?
Hmmmmm. Really? Maybe this is more reasonable position?
But I have also often wondered why it appears from the climate-controlled airplane or terminal that the ramp workers don't to treat bags very carefully. I mean, we passengers are all sitting there in the terminal at the gate or in the plane looking out of the windows and see how they toss the bags around, but wouldn't it be interesting and educational to join them for a day to see how things really are down there?
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Old Jan 27, 2015, 11:09 am
  #30  
 
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Originally Posted by trajanc


Am I satisfied? No, United took our nice car seat (that was a gift from the inlaws, they are disappointed) and ran over it and destroyed it and left us at the airport environs with no safe way to transport our child.

......
Did they use a credit card to purchase the seat? Many of them give purchase protection (such as AMEX) within a certain amount of time after the purchase. Might be worth looking into.
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