United Airlines SUCKS! J3172 is DOA!

[veemagic]

Re: United Airlines SUCKS! J3172 is DOA!

About ten years ago from LA to Milwaukee the airlines lost all my luggage which included a box full of effects and recording gear. Value which at the time exceeded $8000.00. At the time of check in I had to declare what the contents were and they wrote on the box MUSICAL GEAR. Well that **** didn't make it out of LAX alive. The claims people said read the back of the ticket where in very small print it says the maximum amount payable per piece of luggage. Which was $1250.00. Check your ticket and unless you took out additional insurance they'll only pay that amount on the back of the ticket. It sucks huge man. I feel for you!!

[Jim Shine]

Re: United Airlines SUCKS! J3172 is DOA!

US Air destroyed a guitar case on me. It was an SKB holding a Stratocaster. The case was smached on both ends and they took some official tape and wrapped it around the case as the hinges were smashed in. The guitar was fine, but you can chuck a Strat off a roof and it will usually be okay. Now I bring the guitar onboard, ship it where I am going, or if it has to go in the cargo, in a wooden case larger than the guitar padded to the hilt.

[Sukisyn]

Re: United Airlines SUCKS! J3172 is DOA!

Well, UPS pissed me off. They delivered my Uberkab today. They too need to take care of things a little better. When the driver arrived I asked him to wait until I put some shoes on so I help him carry it in. When I came back outside the guy was rolling it like it was a wheel. Hell, he could have put it on a dolly. After getting the box inside I noticed that they dropped it on one of its corners. When I unpacked the cab I checked its corners and sure enough one of them was slightly dented. They must have dropped it pretty good to do that as this cab is pretty solidly built. I tested the cab out and it appears that everything is working fine.

FedEx is almost as bad. Thing I do not like about FedEx is if you are not home they let whatever is being delivered outside your door or on your patio out where anyone can steal it. At least UPS USUALLY takes to item to the apt complex's front office if the person is not home and leaves a message on the door stating such.

My Engl SE is supposed to be delivered tomorrow by FedEx. Needless to say I will be sitting at home all day waiting for it. They delivered my G-Force. It was sitting on my patio when I got home and from where it was sitting on the patio I knew they just threw it over like they were delivering a newspaper.

I ordered a coupe of CDs on the Jul 4th. They were supposedly sent out on the 6th via 2-day FedEx. Well, over 2 weeks later they have not shown up. My guess is they left them outside my door and someone picked them up.
[img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

[White]

Re: United Airlines SUCKS! J3172 is DOA!

KILL THEM ALL!

Im terrified of traveling with my guitar. I avoid it at all costs.

If you had one of those $200 flight cases, it might have been alright.

[paddok]

Re: United Airlines SUCKS! J3172 is DOA!

Terribly sorry to hear that bro, I hope they pay up!

[Zerberus]

Re: United Airlines SUCKS! J3172 is DOA!

That really sucks man.

But if it´s any consolence, I´ll take her off your hands (for cash) if they don´t replace her /don´t want her themselves. I can fix it, regardless of how bad it looks [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[STLKINGV]

Re: United Airlines SUCKS! J3172 is DOA!

Damn Tommy, I'm sorry to hear about that. When I bought my Firebird in California last summer, I took it thru the x-ray machine no problem, went to the gate and talked to the ladies there about taking it onboard. They were cool and told me to talk with the pilot. I opened the case to show him and told him that it was a $5,000 collectors item and that I was the in-flight entertainment. He laughed and said that he would put it in his lugage closet near the cockpit.

Try it next time, hopefully the pilot has a sense of humor.

P.s. Where are you gigging at when you get back??

Adrian

[pro-fusion]

Re: United Airlines SUCKS! J3172 is DOA!

Steve Howe of Yes used to buy a separate ticket for his beloved Gibson ES-175D under the name "Mr. Gibson". I doubt you could get away with that today, but it would be the best way of transporting a guitar--many cases won't fit in the overhead bins, although a gig bag might.

[pro-fusion]

Re: United Airlines SUCKS! J3172 is DOA!

By the way, I'm really sorry to hear about your guitar. It's especially sad that it happened to such an old Jackson--it's not like it's just another recent SL2H that can be exactly reproduced by Jackson--the old ones are much more unique and irreplaceable.

[sparky]

Re: United Airlines SUCKS! J3172 is DOA!

It sucks that people nowadays have no respect for other peoples property!!!

[fuel0707]

Re: United Airlines SUCKS! J3172 is DOA!

I'm truly sorry to hear about that. It's frustrating to watch how some of the "baggage smashers" treat other people's property. And I wish you best of luck with your claim against UAL - like others have said, you might find that UAL has limited liability for a claim as stated on your ticket.

For what it's worth, I fly for a regional airline and I actually bring a cheapie Strat with me when I'm on the road. I always put my guitar in the forward closet on my plane. As others have suggested, you might be able to find a nice crew that will let you do that. Often times, I think you'll find that people are willing to help you out with a guitar. But that said, sometimes the closet space gets tight and depending on the airline, they might hold the closet space for first- or business-class travellers. Still, it's worth asking. Sometimes, too, holding your guitar until the last minute and having it "gate checked" may mean that your instrument will be loaded last (and by hand) into the cargo pit and will likely be first off.

By all means, when travelling with a guitar and there's a chance that it will end up in the cargo pit, make sure that your case fits the guitar properly. And also, pack rags, old t-shirts or whatever around the guitar and the headstock in order to ensure that it doesn't move AT ALL.

But once again, best of luck with UAL and your claim. I'd be interested to hear what the outcome is.

[charvelguy]

United Airlines SUCKS! J3172 is DOA!

United... you are lucky you made it back in one piece yourselves! Ok, well joke aside.. sorry to hear.

Good luck on your claim.. I've heard they can be rather difficult.. worse than UPS! Buy a Chiquita and take that instead.. or a PV. I also always try to carry it on and have they stash it in the vertical compartments the stewards keep their luggage in. I've managed to cram my chainsaw into an overhead as well as my carry on but I have not done this since post 9/11.

[SATCH1967]

Re: United Airlines SUCKS! J3172 is DOA!

Man that sucks. I had GMW reapir mine and they did the best job in the world it is going on 1 year after the reapir it is as if not stronger then new, If that can be a postive at least it can be repaired.

[GodWentPUNK]

Re: United Airlines SUCKS! J3172 is DOA!

Is it possbile to replace the neck? Its not a neck-thru is it?

joe...

[fuel0707]

Re: United Airlines SUCKS! J3172 is DOA!

[ QUOTE ]
Is it possbile to replace the neck? Its not a neck-thru is it?

joe...

[/ QUOTE ]

He said he took an Ontario Soloist on this ill-fated journey. [img]/images/graemlins/poke.gif[/img]