Even it's not exactly what's the topic about I have to say,...I had a very unforgetable experience with continental airlines at NYC airport in 1999.
I was flying from chile to england with a connection at NYC airport , because of the NYC airport rules at this time the flying companies that makes connection at NYC have to let the personal of the airport to recheck-in the baggage again, ( don't know if is still like this right now) I had 2 pieces of baggage , one was with my personal things and the second one was a special case that I specially order to make for this trip and inside was a one piece washburn electric guitar, a handmade bass and synth korg.... So I pickup my baggage and recheck-in again for continue to
london. When I arrived to london, I went to pickup my baggage , the one with my personal things arrived but the special case with instruments didn't ....and never see again. So I claimed to continental airlines, sending letters, emails, phone calls for a period of 3 months. I also send my customs declaration when I left chile with all the serial numbers of each instrument ( so if I wanna come back to chile and didn't needed to pay tax ) but continental airlines replied to me saying that this documents were not legal and finally they offer me 20 dollars per kg; total 640 dollars.( according to 1 baggage missed, 32 kgs) With these money I was not able to buy one of the "missing pieces".
I also have to say that this mad situation put me in a very bad feeling way, so sad. everynight before sleep was a
nightmare. Because I left my country chile with the idea of travel and make music, I arrived to europe with empty hands, can you imagine?....It took me like 1 year to put myself ok. and slowly slowly buy again my instruments. Now it's around 12 years of this incident, I got new stuff ( not the same one), I'm still living in europe , everything it's normal right now. Yes, I know , why I didn't made an insurance before travelling? I never could imagine that something like this can happen to me, because I never thought how can indiference can be an airline company with their customers.
Sorry guys for these long history, even I made it short, but I know how each one of us really loves and take care about his instruments, this feeling it's hard to
explain because it's similar to the feeling that one have to a loved person, and it's unique.
I hope the company airlines, in a nearly future, take in count that musicians need an special treatment with their stuff.
fullpower
luis
--- On Tue, 28/9/10, alessandro <alefisc@gmail.com> wrote:
From: alessandro <alefisc@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Carrying instruments on airplanes - this is cool and very relevant!
To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com
Received: Tuesday, 28 September, 2010, 11:56 AM
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