United killed my vacation!!

[orfreediver]

I have posted this story over on Scubaboard but I am trying to get my story out there so that hopefully others can avoid my experience:
United killed my vacation!! - ScubaBoard
I hope its okay to post the link from another site!!!

"So my first "real" freediving vacation was a bust and it was just to Michigan. I did research on flying with longblade fins and thought I could pull off carry-on and purchased an H. Dessault Essential bag. Well the wonderful folks at United thought differently and I had to check it. Well lets just say that they added insult to injury. They charged me $25 (another $25 return trip) to check it and then lost it for almost THREE days and destroyed the bag. The customer service this company provided was some of the worst I have ever experienced, via India and in the US. I think that beside the obvious problems the thing that killed me was that while at DIA I counted 4 guitars that were allowed as carry-ons, WHAT?
For your future travel plans I do not recommed United Airlines and I would find a better way to bring your fins. I guess this is what corporations are bringing to the party, yeah. As for flying with fins, I saw a guy over on another forum using a hard side golf bag to check his stuff. I still think the guitar thing is BS but the squeeky wheel thing does work, break enough "famous" guitars and things change.

Good luck on your travels,
D"

Bag photos if you want:
Flickr: tanklessdiver's Photostream
United also informed me that handles and seam splits are not covered, even on a brand new bag. So basically they are not replacing the bag either. United Airlines 2, Derek 0 (2=vacation trashed and bag trashed)

My two cents are that you should not take a chance and show up hoping to carry-on longblades. I should have gone in the day before and checked to see if the bag would "pass" the airlines picky guidelines. And remember that one person says "it's okay", another may think differently and put you in a bad situation.

By the way great customer service over at Dessault America and Nautilus Spearfishing.

Thanks and good luck,
Derek

 

[blueface]

Nightmare!

 

[rxcnc2]

If it's any consolation, these things can happen with most airlines, and as you said sometimes what to allow as carry on and what to send as checked luggage can be an arbitrary decision of a person who has no clue.
You were really unlucky in that two bad things happened together: luggage lost AND damaged! (and on top not the best customer service... well yes this could be a United feature

I once had a similar experience: wrapped my long fins in what I thought was a well-padded bag, put "fragile" stickers everywhere, flew from Europe to Vanuatu (S. Pacific), at transit in Sydney I picked up the fins and they were totally bent. I mean, it must have taken a load of several hundred kgs to do that, so much for "fragile". Of course it was Sunday morning, the company's office in the airport was closed until the next flight the day after, and the office downtown was closed as well. I had no other choice than take pictures of my fins for a complaint later, and fly on with a totally depressed mood for what I thought was a ruined freediving holiday. Two days later, when I finally reopened the bag to take them out, the fins were totally restored to the normal shape: bless Cressi Gara!

 

[nostres]

Yep, sounds like United but then... it could happen with any other airlines, they all suffer from the same problems with fuel cost being biggest one but also not enough staff. Just look at the lines at the airports!

I took American/United flight to Hawaii last fall and believe me, United is not worst out there. Greyhound bus has more leg room than American Airlines Boeing.
I had a "styrofoam monofin sandwich" and check in was $20 each way. United didn't care too much about carry on size but American had this tiny metal crate
where everybody has to place their carry on. It was insanely tiny

flying today is no joy unless You take business class. Economy, 10 hour flight to HI gets choice of peanuts or pretzels.
My usual reply is:
- no, thank You. No dinner for me tonight
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[alastair]

I guess I've been lucky. So far both C4s and monos have always been accepted as carry-ons, although I had to open the bag, show the thin delicate weave of the carbon fiber, and mention the price of replacing a blade before I was allowed on.
I've always found that wrapping things too much dehumanizes the response from security. If it's wrapped it goes in the hold...

Al

 

[cdavis]

If you have to check stuff on any airline, your vacation is in serious danger. I just quit checking important stuff. Afraid you monofin guys are at the mercy of the airlnes.

I found the perfect carry on, a fold over "suit bag" that will fit in the "tiny metal crate" Also a slightly shorter than normal set of long fins (Specialfin Kelpies) that disassemble and fit in this bag along with all my other gear and a change of underwear, even holds the lead. Once I squish it into the box, there are no further problems. Its flown lots in North America and the Caribbean.

Connor

 

[monkeyhatfork]

im the biggest sucker yet, I just got back from a few weeks in bimini, used a large airlineproof hardshell case for my mono, mono did just fine but jet blue charged me 75$ there, and us airways charged me 100$ on the way back, Luckily bimini island air was cool and didnt charge me anything, at that rate I could have just picked up a pair of cressi fins in florida and givin them away in bimini and still been ahead $

 

[cdavis]

How did you like Bimini? Where were you diving?

Connor

 

[monkeyhatfork]

I did the dolphin expeditions liveaboard for two weeks, one of the most amazing trips i've ever taken, heres a pic and youtube, nothing hardcore just fun dives, the mono was not pratical for allot of rope towing stuff so I ended up using a barrowed pair of mares volos most the trip but they worked fine, unless you go out to the gulf stream max depth is only about 30-40ft anyway the video is small fraction of trip I lost my hero HD in rough water halfway through the trip we had some amazing encounters with bottlenose the second week plenty of shark as well, great trip, great people.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOKfZEMLgq8]YouTube - dolphins part 1.wmv[/ame]

 

[mystiach]

Sorry to hear that... Airlines are a complete disgrace and people who work then seem to have zero common sense. It is really unpleasant travelling with items of value.

I think that beside the obvious problems the thing that killed me was that while at DIA I counted 4 guitars that were allowed as carry-ons, WHAT?

Just as you know my guitar is worth over US$10,000 and the last time I flew it received $2,000 damage courtesy of Lufthansa. Musical instruments should never be stowed because as well as being very fragile, they are especially vulnerable to changes in humidity. Believe me... I would have been much happier if my case was broken and the guitar was fine. And people should realise that expensive instruments are handmade and one-offs - not even talking about money, there is no way to ever replace it with something exactly the same. I feel your pain, but please be aware that guitars can be worth a lot, both in monetary and sentimental terms.

Either people should be allowed to carry valuable items on or they should have a separate loading system for fragile items, and it should be a proper one.

As a general rule, if you stand and talk the three ps (persistently, politely and patiently) for long enough they will let you on, keep mentioning the fragile nature and the monetary value of the item and eventually they let you through. Oh, and they often use the excuse "but it won't fit in that aircraft" - if so, firmly reiterate the fact that you have been flying for years on that particular model of plane (A380 in Australia) and that the fins fit perfectly well in the overhead lockers. If you get to the plane and they don't - ask the cabin crew - once you're past check in, it's all good - there are stowage lockers on board that will be able to take them. But I can't imagine any airline lockers that wouldn't fit fins, unless it is a really tiny plane.

Oh - and as a last thing - I don't know what it's like in the US but if you can organise good insurance for your equipment it can really can make travelling a lot less stressful. But you have to be sure it is a good company that is easy to deal with and reliable (worth paying a little extra for peace of mind).

I will be sure to avoid United...

 

[blueface]

Continental allowed the whole spearfishing team to hand carry all of our carbon fiber free diving fins from Guam all the way to Hawaii and even on the short flight from Oahu to Big Island. I don't see why United would not allow it. It would have saved a lot of trouble for everyone.

Nice video!

 

[orfreediver]

So another update,
After going down to United about the bag I was told that they don't cover handles (so why do they use them?) and they don't cover seam breaks. I guess some of what they say is true, should a brand new bag blow out like it did? I have talked to Andrew at Nautilus in Miami and he spoke with Eric at Dessault. This is where I am not sure how to go forward. Eric, who via e-mail did recommend the bag for flying, has said that he would not cover the bag due to "inappropriate useage". I don't even know how to take that. I must say it makes me think I won't be buying any other Dessault gear, I guess the bag was enough business for them! Andrew has said that he would sell me another bag for half the cost, being $40, which makes for a $110 bag when all is said and done (not including airline fees). I sent the old bag to Andrew because I couldn't bring myself to throw it out. I am thinking it's time to just write this whole thing off; "bad" bag, bad airlines = lesson learned. Well I should say keep learning, because I am still not sure how to travel with the damn long blades. I have gotten great input from the two threads that I have going so hopefully these will help others in the future as well. At least my next trip, to PFI is just a driving trip.