Air France never more!!

[efsimoes]

Dear Sirs,

I would like to report a bad experience I recently had with Air France - I feel the duty to share what happened with the bassist community.

Well, I decided to buy a new bass on my last trip. I've already traveled with basses and has always been easy to transport - usually, the airline recommends to transport within the cabin, even for being a fragile piece - which is quite reasonable. Exceptions only when the aircraft is small and has no way to accommodate the instrument.

My big mistake was to assume that all airlines have the same philosophy. I was surprised when I was checking in and was told I would have to check the bass. Well, on my last trip with Air France I had to buy a new suitcase outside, because they broke it in transit!

I was outraged! Worse was what they told me then: we only allow you to carry your bass to the cabin if you buy an additional air ticket. When asked about the liability if it broke, I was surprised again: We are not responsible for anything! The risk is all yours!

I would have payed for the damn ticket, but I were on time for boarding and there was not enough time to settle the purchase. In the end, had to check the bass, pissed off and afraid of receiving it back in pieces.

On the plane, to my surprise, there were several empty seats, including the one besides me (besides the aircraft have compartments big enough to fit a whole person inside). I felt screwed! They tried to exploit the situation to sell one more ticket.

Fortunately, the instrument arrived ok, but the risks were too great (not only because of the handling - they toss the baggages - but also from variations in temperature that the cargo may suffer).

I'll never travel by Air France again! I consider this episode a disrespect to the client!

[Setebos]

Different companies different policies. And sometimes the same company has different policies depending on where you take your flight.
For example; taking a flight with Dragon Air from Hong Kong they dont allow you to carry your bass in the cabin. I always request them to let me bring the bass to the gate so someone from the airline can bring it directly from there to the airplane. They also told me that if I want the bass in the cabin with me I had to pay for another sit Taking the same flight back to HK from Bangalore, no one care about my bass and was able to carry it with me in the cabin.
Mine is a travel bass so its a bit less bulky and didnt have any problems to bring it to the cabin in other airlines I traveled with (ex: Lufthansa, Vietnam Airways, Qatar airways).

[Munjibunga]

Sometimes the same company has different policies. On time I flew over to Vegas on Southwest from San Diego with my MTD in a gig bag. They let me carry it on and put it in the overhead bin, no hassles. When I came home, they let me get on the plane with it, but one of the FAs must've been having a bad day. She said, "You're going to have to check that, sirrrrrr. " You know the voice. I said, "No, that's not going to happen. This is a $5,000 musical instrument, and it's staying with me or I'm getting off the plane." It started to go downhill from there, when a more rational (and more senior) FA stepped in and said "I think it'll be OK." My little smile to the first FA garnered me one of the nastiest looks I've seen since my Marine Corps days. I'm pretty sure she peed in my ginger ale, too.

These days, I'd probably be arrested.

[Cirk]

No worries, if they break it, just do what the Sons of Maxwell did.

YouTube - United Breaks Guitars

[bassist4dalord]

Never trust a Frenchman!


Says the French-Canadian

Sorry about that experience man. Airlines take your money then treat you like crap, yet there's rarely any other way.

[Depth_Charge]

Originally Posted by Cirk

No worries, if they break it, just do what the Sons of Maxwell did.

YouTube - United Breaks Guitars

I almost wet myself laughing. Thats awesome!

[justabass]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

Sometimes the same company has different policies. On time I flew over to Vegas on Southwest from San Diego with my MTD in a gig bag. They let me carry it on and put it in the overhead bin, no hassles. When I came home, they let me get on the plane with it, but one of the FAs must've been having a bad day. She said, "You're going to have to check that, sirrrrrr. " You know the voice. I said, "No, that's not going to happen. This is a $5,000 musical instrument, and it's staying with me or I'm getting off the plane." It started to go downhill from there, when a more rational (and more senior) FA stepped in and said "I think it'll be OK." My little smile to the first FA garnered me one of the nastiest looks I've seen since my Marine Corps days. I'm pretty sure she peed in my ginger ale, too.

These days, I'd probably be arrested.

Yep never had an issue with Southwest!

[LSquared]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

Sometimes the same company has different policies.

My worst experience, not bass related. Several years ago, when I was in college, I had significant knee surgery. At college, 600 miles from home. After I got out of the hospital, my parents decided to fly me home for christmas break. I'm on crutches, can't flex my knee at all. The folks at the airport were really helpful, got me set up in a bulkhead seat, with my leg stuck out along the aisle. All is good.

But the flight had a stop, and they changed flight crews. the new folks decide that my arrangement is not acceptable, and that I have to get off the plane! Half way from origin to destination!

I refused. They insisted. I refused with vigor. I eventually told them they'd have to have a security officer come carry me off the plane. And they finally decided I wasn't worth the trouble. I'm sure I would've been arrested by today's standards. But I got home. And had no problems on the return flight.

[TheSuzie]

Originally Posted by Cirk

No worries, if they break it, just do what the Sons of Maxwell did.

YouTube - United Breaks Guitars

I wonder how much they received from Taylor for the product placement.

[CDRhom]

Bob Taylor, owner of Taylor Guitars, immediately offered Carroll two guitars and other props for his second video; The song hit number one on the iTunes Music Store the week following its release. The Times reported that the belated compensation offer of $3,000 which was donated by United to the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz as a "gesture of goodwill" failed to undo the damage done to its image.

Since the incident, Carroll has been in great demand as a speaker on customer service. On one of his trips as a speaker, United Airlines lost his luggage.

In December 2009, Time magazine named "United Breaks Guitars" #7 on its list of the Top 10 Viral Videos of 2009.

Personally, I have recently had a very impressive experiance with Delta airlines with my bass. The flight crew and my fellow passengers were content to let my bass in it's ATA case lie in the overhead bin, since they could put their backpacks on top of it. On the one plane where it didn't fit in the bin, the attendants let me put it in the closet by the door.

Of course I did have a lot of folks eyeing me warily in the terminal, thinking it was some kind of high powered hunting rifle. :P

[CDweller]

By and large, United sucks. Horrible management yields horrible customer service. I've had good luck on Jetblue and Southwest.