Sorry to hear about your experience, juli. The industry sure has changed.

I have no idea if this is going to change now that Delta has bought Northwest... about 4 years ago, we traveled from ND to Alabama for a family reunion - with 14-month old twins and a 3-year-old. Northwest Airlines treated us very, very well, made sure we were all sitting together and that the kids were comfortable. Can't say enough good about them. Props to the TSA guys, too - they were a great help getting us through security without much more delay than you'd expect with a double stroller and all of the "kid stuff" that you lug about with babies (x2). I've flown recently, and things have changed, not always for the better.

Lo-o-o-o-o-o-ve my Steinberger - fits into the overhead!

For a few years back (seems a long time ago...) I worked internationaly and travelled and flew a lot with a guitar to keep me company. (Did almost all my flying with AA...almost none with United)

It was a 200.00 samick in a cheap hard shell....never got so much a scratch on it. If it had been my Martin it would have been crushed in Miami first flight I am sure.

JR

This is the oldest thread I've ever resurrected, but as it was Jeff's 2009 post that originally made me aware of this story it seemed fitting to append to it rather than starting a new one.
 
The story's still going strong, boosted by United's recent infamy. The song's author is now in demand as a speaker and has composed two more sequels to the original song. Here's his TED talk about it.
 

Case it like you're going to mail it. Insure it for the trip. Airline handlers are worse than mail handlers. Padded cases seem like a recipe for disaster.

julibee
I had to fly United on the way back from Ohio just the other week with my husband and our two-year old. Even though I'd made arrangements (and confirmed seats) over a month beforehand, when we got our boarding passes, none of us was even remotely near another one. This has happened before to us, on other airlines, and in all cases, Someone in charge has stepped up and helped us out - so that at least ONE of us was sitting with the baby. At United, however, No One wanted to help me at the ticket counter, telling me to ask the Flight Attendent. When we boarded the plane, I immediately asked the Attendent for help. He looked at me as if I were an alien and said, You'll have to ask the people around you if anyone would like to move." Then he picked up the mic and started making announcements, effectively ignoring me. First seat, one man ignored me, the other pointed to his ear, which I assume menat he was hearing impaired (or also ignoring me). I moved on to seat number two. Ignored again. Seat Number three, and finally a very nice German businessman took pity on us and took my original seat. All the while, another attendant was GLARING at me, presumably for holding up the line. Here's the crazy thing... as we were sitting there, waiting for the rest of the plane to load, the SAME THING happened to TWO MORE families with kids under 3!!!! How insane is that? The plane was old and uncomfortable, the worst I've flown on in several years - a 4 1-2 hour flight and we were offered only a CUP of soda. Pathetic, and I will Never Ever fly United again. It was shameful.

Whew. That feels better.

 
It's because they're union!  Fly southwest!

eph221
 
It's because they're union!  Fly southwest!

I expect it is more of an issue with the fact that the airlines (pretty much all of them) have a contract of carriage that limits their liability for damage or loss on pretty much everything they put on the plane. If they were routinely paying for damage of expensive items, there would be an incentive to supervise baggage handlers union or not. You can declare excess valuation on luggage and pay what is basically an insurance fee, but that option is limited.
 
United says: 
Except for certain International Carriage subject to the terms of the Montreal Convention, declaration of higher value shall not apply to sporting equipment, golfing equipment, bicycles, personal human transporters, musical instruments or musical instrument cases or strollers. United does say they will carry a properly packed large or fragile musical instrument as Cabin Baggage, if you reserve a seat next to you in advance and pay the applicable passenger fare for the seat. 
 
Southwest says it is not available for a bunch of things including "fragile items" which presumably would apply to guitars or anything else that gets broken. They will allow a guitar or other large and fragile instrument to be carried on a seat: A reservation must be made for the instrument or equipment at a charge no greater than the Child Fare for each seat used. 
 
There is little incentive for any carrier to provide special handling for items for which it can charge a passenger fare to properly protect. 
 
As someone who has had a guitar destroyed by "normal baggage handling" and someone who has worked as a member of a union with fellows who nonetheless take their work seriously and show due care, I submit that your snide remark is unfounded and misses the point. 
 
 

In a related story, passengers seated on one side of a plane looked down to see baggage handlers destroying some bagpipes.  There were no complaints.