United Airlines breaks guitars

[Donald]

Sons of Maxwell’s guitar destroyed by airline staff

'Smashed to smithereens'
Sons of Maxwell’s guitar destroyed by airline staff
By JEFFREY SIMPSON Staff Reporter
Wed. Jul 8 - 4:46 AM

Dave Carroll is hoping for a smash hit with his critical song about United Airlines.

Mr. Carroll, half of the Halifax band Sons of Maxwell, released his latest video online Tuesday and quickly began hearing from sympathetic people wanting to share their own flying experiences. The video garnered more than 131,000 views as of Wednesday afternoon.

United Breaks Guitars was inspired by a trip Mr. Carroll took with the airline last year on his way to a tour in Nebraska. While changing planes in Chicago, another passenger watching the baggage handlers on the tarmac shouted words no musician wants to hear.

"Oh my God, they’re throwing guitars outside," Mr. Carroll recalled her saying.

"So it was noticeable enough to a passenger that she felt compelled to scream it out."

A member of the Sons of Maxwell backing band looked out the window in time to see his bass flying through the air, which had followed Mr. Carroll’s $3,500 Taylor acoustic.

"Bass guitars are pretty indestructible but acoustic guitars aren’t," Mr. Carroll said.

He tried to speak with three different United employees in Chicago to complain and was told to take it up with staff in Omaha. When he arrived in that city, it was late and no United employees were around, so he went with his band to the hotel and slept. Tour promoters picked them up early the next morning, so he didn’t check out the damage until later.

"At the first show, I opened up the case and there was my guitar smashed to smithereens on the bottom," Mr. Carroll said.

"I had two guitars so I finished the tour, and as soon as I got back to Omaha I spoke to a person, trying to open up a claim and show them the damage, and they wouldn’t look at it. They said I had to go back to the airport I started the whole thing with."

That kicked off a frustrating ordeal that lasted months as Mr. Carroll sought to be reimbursed in flight vouchers for the $1,200 it cost to repair his guitar.

He’d started his trip in Halifax, but United has no staff in the city. Instead, Air Canada acts as its partner. One of that airline’s employees examined the damage and opened a claim but didn’t want to pay, Mr. Carroll said.

Air Canada told him to call United.

He reached a call centre in India and was directed to staff in Chicago and then New York.

"The lady seemed interested to do something in New York and said to call back," he said. "When I did, the number had been disconnected and I got sent back to Chicago, and they said, ‘Just bring the guitar into O’Hare and we’ll look at it.’ "

After following up with several more phone calls and emails to other United representatives, Mr. Carroll reached a woman who told him the airline wouldn’t accept responsibility.

So, inspired by the crusading filmmaker Michael Moore, Mr. Carroll told her that he intended to write a series of three songs about United Airlines, make videos and put them on YouTube.com to share his story with people around the world.

"I sent her an email this morning inviting her to help me reach my goal of one million views on YouTube.com and to tell all her friends to view the video," Mr. Carroll said late Tuesday afternoon.

The video, which is also featured on the Sons of Maxwell website (sonsofmaxwell.com), features Mr. Carroll recounting his tale through the twangy song, strumming a broken instrument while orange-clad baggage handlers toss around guitar cases.

"It started as a way to release a little frustration but it’s actually been a really enjoyable experience as a songwriter trying to write three unique songs about the same thing," Mr. Carroll said.

"I’ve been doing that in all my live shows for a long time and it goes over like gangbusters."

He’s already written the second song and how the third one turns out could depend on United itself.

"They have a golden opportunity here to determine how Song 3 turns out," he said. "They can take an active part and if they want to turn this into a happy ending, they can."

Robin Urbanski, a spokeswoman for Chicago-based United, said late Tuesday afternoon that the airline has changed its course and wants to speak with Mr. Carroll today to settle the matter. She declined to comment further until she spoke to him.

"This has struck a chord with us," she said.

"We’re going to contact him directly."

United Breaks Guitars on Youtube

[Go Guns]

Great video!

[corytrevor]

He's up over 500,000 views now.

[North Shore]

Great vid/song! Public relations nightmare for United..

[slowstream]

Yup, A great video.

The only problem is that United really DOES NOT CARE!

They have numbers on their side which allows them not to care what their customers say or do.

[golden hawk]

He'll have to keep 'harping' at UA.

[ScudRunner]

1,384,878 views as of 10:45 Mountain time friday July 10th. When did he post this Monday? wow

[just curious]

Good tune. Obtuse customer service staff.

[Check Pilot]

As of today - 2,600,126 views.

Dave Carroll also replies.

Well done for Dave and his gang and also I think it puts a positive spin on things.
Personally, I've never had anything damaged on the hundreds of trips I have taken except once when I was the Captain on the Citation and I busted my own suitcase when I dropped it from the rear baggage compartment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_X-Qoh__mw