Mr.Herron
Active member
So I just got back from a trip to Pikes Peak to film some rally racing up there this past weekend. I took the tripod as a carry on item and because of the ridiculous line at the TSA checkpoint, I missed my original flight (flight was actually at 6:00 am, but they decided to taxi out at 5:40 am) so I was forced to go standby for the next flight out to denver.
There were no open seats on that flight, so I waited for the next one. The lady at the counter told me that there would be no room for my tripod, so she would gate check it for me. I asked her if it was possible to have it put with the baby strollers and brought back to me once I arrived in Denver. She said "No that's not possible, I will just check it all the way to Colorado Springs for you" Reluctantly I said OK and she filled out a gate check tag and once I made it on the flight, I handed it off to the luggage handlers.
Biggest mistake I've ever made.
I make it to Colorado Springs and my tripod is missing from the baggage claim. I pay a visit to the baggage claim info desk and tell her what's missing and I head to the hotel in hopes that it will arrive soon.
2:00 am rolls around and we are heading off to the track to film. Then I find out my friend who was also out there shooting with me also had his tripod come up missing, and he was also flying with United. We decide to ask the front counter if the tripods had shown up, and sure enough they were sitting behind the desk.
I open the tripod bag to find lots and lots of broken bits of plastic. I pull the tripod out (which was also wrapped up in a blanket) to find that the mid spread had been destroyed, leaving one leg swinging completely free.
I've dropped my tripod a few times before and there hadn't been even so much as a scratch to show up on it, but yet I check my tripod and it comes back looking like it had been thrown 30 feet in the air....really?!?! Thankfully I thought that something like this "may" happen, so I pulled my tripod head out and put it in the middle of my suitcase surrounded in clothes. It was fine.
However, my friends tripod was also broken when it arrived at the hotel. Except his was the head that was destroyed.
Basically both tripods were unusable the entire weekend.
I spoke with a customer service rep once I got back to Vegas, and she had asked me if I had signed anything when they gate checked my tripod...which I didn't. She told me I might be in luck, and that if I had signed something I would have released United's liabilities for breaking the tripod. So as of now, I'm hoping I can get them to either refund me, or fix it.
Has this happened to anyone else? And is there any extra information which may be useful for getting them to remedy the situation?
I'm still kicking my own ass for letting them check it without putting my foot down more. I was just so tired and irritated from missing my first flight that I just wanted to get to Colorado and get some rest.
I've learned my lesson the hard way....and it's no fun at all.
There were no open seats on that flight, so I waited for the next one. The lady at the counter told me that there would be no room for my tripod, so she would gate check it for me. I asked her if it was possible to have it put with the baby strollers and brought back to me once I arrived in Denver. She said "No that's not possible, I will just check it all the way to Colorado Springs for you" Reluctantly I said OK and she filled out a gate check tag and once I made it on the flight, I handed it off to the luggage handlers.
Biggest mistake I've ever made.
I make it to Colorado Springs and my tripod is missing from the baggage claim. I pay a visit to the baggage claim info desk and tell her what's missing and I head to the hotel in hopes that it will arrive soon.
2:00 am rolls around and we are heading off to the track to film. Then I find out my friend who was also out there shooting with me also had his tripod come up missing, and he was also flying with United. We decide to ask the front counter if the tripods had shown up, and sure enough they were sitting behind the desk.
I open the tripod bag to find lots and lots of broken bits of plastic. I pull the tripod out (which was also wrapped up in a blanket) to find that the mid spread had been destroyed, leaving one leg swinging completely free.
I've dropped my tripod a few times before and there hadn't been even so much as a scratch to show up on it, but yet I check my tripod and it comes back looking like it had been thrown 30 feet in the air....really?!?! Thankfully I thought that something like this "may" happen, so I pulled my tripod head out and put it in the middle of my suitcase surrounded in clothes. It was fine.
However, my friends tripod was also broken when it arrived at the hotel. Except his was the head that was destroyed.
Basically both tripods were unusable the entire weekend.
I spoke with a customer service rep once I got back to Vegas, and she had asked me if I had signed anything when they gate checked my tripod...which I didn't. She told me I might be in luck, and that if I had signed something I would have released United's liabilities for breaking the tripod. So as of now, I'm hoping I can get them to either refund me, or fix it.
Has this happened to anyone else? And is there any extra information which may be useful for getting them to remedy the situation?
I'm still kicking my own ass for letting them check it without putting my foot down more. I was just so tired and irritated from missing my first flight that I just wanted to get to Colorado and get some rest.
I've learned my lesson the hard way....and it's no fun at all.
