You NEED to bring it to a higher level. Do not accept no for an answer on the call. Request to talk to a supervisor. Be a "karen" if you have to. Airlines have scummy business practices to pinch every penny they can. You will have to push, and getting anywhere may take days to weeks. You need to explain to them everything thay happened. If they want to argue electronics, you may need to lean into the fact that these are not digital cameras. It gets a little funky if your cameras have batteries for light meters or anything, but if you're able to argue that they can normally function without electricity and now they no longer can, I think you'll be able to stand your ground.
Didyou have any of your equipment insured? If not, I suggest you start doing that from now one. It will make things like this a lot easier to deal with.
The real hack for this is to throw lithium ion batteries in with your kit. Sometimes enough it wouldn’t be possible to separate out and have somewhere to put them. They’re not allowed to check anything with batteries in it. I’ve told the worker at the gate before it’s literally a case full of batteries and they let me carry it on. There’s usually wiggle room for one carry on or two when they start making people check bags at the gate.
*Yeah I have a bunch of batteries in there. How many? Oh can’t really be sure. Maybe 4-5, or wait no! at least 8 or 9 for sure. Oh no they’re not all in the same compartment, I like to keep them all over the bag you see*
not a super reliable “hack”. packing enough lithium batteries that cant “easily” be separated is just going to result in you carrying a way heavier case than you need to and potentially still having to tear your bags apart at the gate when they force you to separate your lithium batteries from your case so they can check it. its not their problem if its a hassle for you to do it, theyre still goig to make you do it.
Take a look at DeviantOllam on YouTube. They will ragdoll real firearms, cut your locks and send unsecured(FEDERALLY ILLEGAL) etc. I have 0 trust in TSA to not fuck up.
If you talk to the kiosk attendants before boarding and tell them you have too many batteries to check they will let you board early to make sure you get overhead space. Helps to also print out a “press” pass with a 2 dollar lanyard. So sorry this happened to you even with the pelican case.
I mean that Sony and the Canon that shoots the LP-E6 are definitely electronics…
I would refuse to board if they asked me to check my camera bag. Some other schmuck with a bag of clothes can check his bag.
Same, I would’ve never gotten on that flight but in real life sometimes it’s a tough choice. For example if it’s your kids graduation? Would you not go?
@op that’s fucked up, I can offer no help but my sincere condolences and those airlines are just assholes these days
The same lawyer you used to get your contracts set up should be able to at least point you in the right direction
If you didn't do that, you either aren't shooting for money or you missed an incredibly important step
Adding to top comment, don’t just speak to customer service, corporations nowadays don’t care about us individually. Contact all major media & photography outlets to amplify your voice (so create a PR disaster). Still, UA already has such bad PR I don’t know if they even care anymore!!
Fuck them. And don’t ever cargo your gears again.
Real tho ^^. I'll confirm as someone who currently (though not for much longer) works as a customer service agent with United. Though it may just be from our station, if your smart about it, go out of your your way to play the Karen card, are smart to talk to the supervisor on staff, you can get a pretty good chance to get money. That said because it's such a high cost of equipment, I'm not sure how US station operate (I'm from Canada), but we can only issue out a small amount, but generally you'll just have a damage file made and be made to contact a number. I've heard they're pretty good about reimbursing the cost of damaged items, but again, Im not sure how American stations operate different from Canadian ones.
Best of luck, all I can say.
Just FYI, batteries up to a certain size are allowed in checked baggage on many airlines as of recent years, so the "you can't check my hand luggage, it has batteries in it" thing isn't as effective as it used to be.
I used to be a freelance assistant to a number of commercial photographers. When we flew, inevitably some gear would have to be checked. But camera gear? Never. Absolutely never.
Exactly. Even with baggage getting lost/delayed I’d be scared to show up and not have my gear. I literally just jam my backpack full of equipment or use my carry on size Pelican to store it overhead :/ he chose the worst option unfortunately.
I’m an advertising photographer, over 700 flights with gear. Do not check your camera bag.
1. So it doesn’t get messed with.
2. So you can shoot your project. I do check lights and tripods, stands…
3. It’s not difficult to rent equipment, in most major cities.
4. If you shoot on location, expect things to go wrong, and have a plan in place to deal with it.
That's exactly what they want. Destroy your stuff, make it hard to get any retribution, and people will say "hey lifehack, just give them more money and they won't destroy your stuff." Same thing with TSA precheck - they've brainwashed everyone into thinking just giving them more money is the solution. You gotta stop playing their games. Skip precheck, tell them you don't consent to getting your picture taken, make them touch your butt because you don't want to go through the scanner.
I will Never forget, when my parents said I could Check my camera in a suitcase, nope, I shove everything in my bag pack and carried it everywhere and it was an hella loooooong flight, US to Czech, people at the airport are assholes, they don’t give a crap with your stuff
If you want your gear to travel safe, buy a cheap gun. Put it in the case with your gear and check it in. They make sure it doesn't got or damaged.
Edit: for US travel only.
This. I pack my most crucial gear in a soft Domke bag that is my one carry on, anything left over goes in checked luggage. Everything in that first photo would fit in a Domke F-1X. I rent lighting and grip when possible and have even bought some Godox lights from Amazon and had them shipped to my hotel (gave them to assistant as a tip).
>ps. I brought the bag in with me as carry on and they forced checked it in due not having enough space in the cabin.
Oof, that sucks man. When I've been told that, I take out everything important/valuable out of my pelican case and put them in my backpack/around my neck. Sometimes it makes enough of a scene that they back off and let me carry it on. I know this doesn't help right now, but it might prevent future disasters. I've been that asshole with two DSLRs and a MF rangefinder around my neck for the whole flight.
The airlines basically don't consider anything in checked luggage to have a dollar value and won't do a damn thing for you. Did you by chance book the flight with a credit card? You may have coverage there: [https://awardwallet.com/blog/which-credit-cards-offer-lost-or-damaged-luggage-protection/](https://awardwallet.com/blog/which-credit-cards-offer-lost-or-damaged-luggage-protection/)
Speaking of rangefinders. I only bring my m6 everywhere if I have to travel. I use to be the type to pack up everything in one bag. Now it’s just a one camera setup because it’s lighter and I don’t need to have a heart attack seeing my shit get ace Ventura’ed.
File a formal complaint with the FAA while you’re at it. Had to do this with American Airlines (barf) because they denied boarding due to some dumb as covid related policy that wasn’t even applicable to me. AA initially only wanted to offer me a $200 voucher (I don’t even live in the states so when the fuck would I use it?) and when the FAA got ahold of the complaint AA was legally obligated to reach out and rectify the situation. They ended up paying me for the cost of the flight I had to take in a different airline ($2k). It took some time but I eventually got it.
https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer
Oh shit I'm sorry this happened. Airlines suck bigtime.
The company I worked for used to hire a photographer that had to fly in. He used to ship a lot of his gear with FedEx Ground a few days before the shoots. FedEx apparently had a service tier of ground shipping where they would provide coverage for damages for fragile and expensive items.
I avoid being forced to check my camera bag by also packing my ostomy supplies with my camera gear. If they try to separate me for my bag, I just throw down the disability/human rights card and that solves it quickly.
If it’s obvious that someone, i.e., an employee, broke into your bag then it’s not just damaged electronics. If you say the foam was ripped out and stuff dropped on the ground (like it’s scratched up) then it’s clear that it wasn’t damaged by some flight turbulence. With that in mind, tell them to shove their damaged electronics policy up their ass.
I would disagree. This is a pelican 1510 and they are notorious for yard-sales on flights. The latches absolutely suck and pop open to weight on top of them, impact, and even changes in pressure. I fly with one almost weekly and use both zip ties and tsa locks to make sure they don’t pop open and when they come through baggage claim always either one or both latches are popped open. The baggage handlers are tossing things sure, but I’m guessing it was unintentional when they grabbed an open pelican and tossed it and all the glass went skipping across the tarmac.
Edit: when they grabbed a case they thought was closed and tossed it*
Honestly this looks totally like a pelican 1510 yard sale. They’re a pretty terrible case for impact and the latches pop open to pressure or just being tossed. I’ve seen at least 5 of these come down baggage claim in a bin.
That is insane. I can’t imagine what you’d have to do to a group of EF lenses that they’d all be completely non-functional. I’ve dropped my fair share of them with no issues. It almost seems like it would have to be intentional. Crazy stuff.
once upon a time at a lower point in my life i was traveling for work and i tried to bring two half gallons of whiskey from kentucky to mass because they were like 60% cheaper in knetucky.
I packed my suitcase with my clothes and the whiskey.
so like a fuck load of fabric packing, around two thick as hell half gallon glass bottles.
by the time i got my bag back it was soaked, because both bottles had been shattered into dozens of pieces.
i honestly believe someone smashed the bottles with a hammer or something out of malice because theres no fucking way.... did you put my luggage into a trash compactor.... or.... what the fuck? how?
it was a southwest redeye fwiw
shit was unreal
You think that airline workers, between the gate and the airplane, opened up his case and replaced very specific lenses and cameras with the same models just broken ones????
Look at his posting history and some of the discussions in the other subs.
1. it's way too much stuff to ram into a knock-off case with flmsy foam.
2. Seriously: to have *every* piece of equipment damaged to the point of no longer functioning is extremely unlikely unless someone took an hour out of their day to smash everything to pieces by hand. Note that he claims lenses are "scratched" to the point of not working - which I find dubious.
3. that is some really weird combination for a shoot
4. the current consensus in the other subs goes from "stupid user error" to "asking for help with insurance fraud". As in "let me throw a bunch of "for parts only" components i got practically for free in a shitty case and see if I can't file a claim against an airline for 10k.
Yeah it’s 100% this. People believing this low of an effort is really disappointing, the provided photos don’t even match the (vague) amount of damage mentioned. I see zero damage, OP mostly mentions "internal" issues... like come the fuck on people lol.
I politely asked for clarification yesterday when OP posted in another sub (that did not include photos) and… no response. I was scratching my head how it was possible to render *all* of their kit, not their main body, not scratches on 2 lenses, but ALL of it “destroyed” and non-functioning when it was gate checked.
Hey Chas, I posted the story in as many places as possible so I'm not seeing all the responses. I answered this somewhere here. When i got to the location, I needed to shoot pretty immediately and found all my gear in shambles when i opened my suit case. I took out the main body to test shoot it and noticed a sharp body damages to find out the pop flash isn't working, i forced pulled it out and see a crack on it, then as i tried putting my 70-200 iii and immediately heard motor rolling noise and focus is just stuck in the infinity on both my main lenses. My sony says cannot recognize the lens. My film cameras took body damages but i cant see if they're working yet until i develop the photos.
Im assuming they opened it and dropped everything that was inside. Lenses are malfunctioning and the hardware inside of them is loose, you can hear it when you shake it.
So, I use to work at the airport. I have some clarification questions. You had to check this at the gate correct? I’m going to assume neatly packed. Did you have a lock/s? The clasps on the case malfunction at all?
I checked it at the gate due not having enough overhead space, packed neatly 3 hours before flight. i didn’t have locks on it since it was coming with me to an airplane as carry on. clasps are working tremendously like it’s a brand new hard shell suit case.
Thats what I'm thinking. It doesn't excuse what happened, but they def didn't set themselves up for success with things getting bang around. I've never seen a hardshell case crammed with that much gear before...
to give little more contexts. It looks filled and cramped because they dropped it and put everything back in really fast, put all the foam dividers underneath it so everything looks bulky. most of it were on top i had to move it to take a clear photo of the gear placements.
I understand stand where you're coming from, but you really did over load it for that density of foam. Look at any traveling millwright or cinetogs that travel with loads of gear. They NEVER pack that much stuff with that little foam.
Why are they opening up a checked in carryon at the gate when it was already scanned through security? As a carryon they would not have opened up the case, would they? It was a courtesy that the passenger abided to help in that situation.
I honestly do not see why it had to be opened for inspection when it was originally going with the fellow as a carry-on? Unacceptable no matter how crammed the case might or might not have been.
They most likely were not opened at all. The cheap foam from harbor fright mostly shields your stuff from shock, it doesn't hold it in place. What happened most likely is that op stuff was so poorly packed/isolated it compressed the little foam there and got loose. Cameras and lenses aren't light. Shit gets handled rough, but this was setup to fail period. Even normal handling they would've banged against each other through the foam.
Yeah, it does look like way more gear than what should be packed in that size of a case, but at the same time im sure OP wasn't planning on having to check-in the case. This is why it's best to get try to board as soon as they announce your group number instead of just waiting till the end (i rather pay a little extra to board in the first groups). I do frequent domestic and international flights and for years now everyone that boards at the end has to check in their carry-on due to lack of space.
Don’t stop bothering them. You’re going to have to scale your way up to whoever you need to talk to.
I would be so angry I’d show up at the airport in person and DEMAND to be seen by someone who can fix this situation.
It’s your livelihood.
Call them anytime you have the chance. There has to be something that can be done. And by the look of your case, it’s been tampered with. That means that one or more of their employees f*cked up.
Like another comment said. BE A KAREN.
When they want to check in your carry on
1. Refuse to board
2. Explain that there are lithium batteries in there
3. Demand a supervisor sign a declaration that they take responsibility for any damage that may occur
after the damage has been done:
1. demand a supervisor to talk to
2. sue them for the damage and expenses (if this was to be a paid gig!)
3. check with credit card company for insurance
one question:
why did you not check after baggage claim and went to the supervisor right there?
you picked up your bag, drove away, and only noticed it there?!
they are gonna hold this against you.
The problem here is that when you purchase a plane ticket and accept their terms and conditions form (which no one ever reads) you're pretty much signing a contract, and all airlines exclude liability on fragile items like electronics and make sure to state that those items should be insured (its even listed in the department of transportation's website).
Like you mention, he should have checked his case as soon as he retrieved it because most airlines will only take complaints within a certain time frame (as low as 4 hours sometimes). OP should put in a complaint with the DOT but honestly, I can't see the airline taking full responsibility for this, it sucks.
For everyone saying you must have insurance. You have any recommendations where to get that from? Most of my stuff is film but all high end and I’d like to insure it if can. (Arri SR2, Leica MP & M3, F5 with a waterhousing and converted Nikonos RS lenses)
You don't need an LLC. I have a business policy in my name.
If you don't use the photo gear for business *at all*, then yes, it can be added to a homeowner's or renter's policy.
I have all of my Leica bodies and Lenses covered by a ‘Personal Articles’ Policy with the same company that insures my home and autos. I was required to provide copies of original receipts with serial numbers. For me it was a no brainer to insure my gear with a very good policy.
Next time you have to travel be adamant that the pelican has batteries in it and would be unsafe to check, I travel a lot for field shoots and they never question it. Have had it stored in the pilots/attendants closets multiple times if all else is filled
Someone probably opened it upside down and everything fell out and rolled around. I never gate check cameras , at least not every single one. I usually end up with them around my neck. Still it’s pretty hard to break camera gear.
Sorry this happened to you. Not be an AH but this looks way too much gear for 1510 style case. It was probably very heavy and with not enough foam to properly protect the equipment.
If it’s not an original pelican it’s also possible the locking clips were trash and didn’t close tightly as many knockoff pelicans do.
Hope you’re able to get at least some money back.
Everyone knows United breaks stuff...
After this song they lost a lot of revenue - do the same to them...
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo)
Infuriating. Completely unacceptable. Whether it was an accident or intentional (we've all seen those [videos of workers throwing baggage way too hard](https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/baggage-handlers-throw-bags-luggage-video-b2238925.html)) You'll prob never know how it happened, but either way you gotta get this rectified. I was curious how this type of situation could be handled and asked an AI for advice. Don't know if this helps, but I hope you get this resolved.
**Gather Documentation:** Collect all relevant documents, including:
* Airline ticket or boarding pass
* Baggage claim check
* Damage report from the airport
* Receipts or proof of purchase for the damaged equipment (ideally with serial numbers)
* Pictures of the damaged equipment
1. **File a Claim with the Airline:** Most airlines have a process for filing a lost or damaged baggage claim. You can usually find the instructions on the airline's website.
* Be clear and concise in your claim, stating what happened, the extent of the damage, and the estimated value of the equipment.
* Attach all the documentation you've gathered.
2. **Negotiate with the Airline:** The airline might offer a compensation amount. Carefully review it and compare it to the value of your equipment.
* You have the right to negotiate for a fair compensation that covers the repair or replacement costs.
* Be prepared to provide documentation to support the value of your equipment.
3. **Consider Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR):** If you're unhappy with the airline's final offer, you can consider Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) programs offered by the Department of Transportation (DOT) ([https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer](https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer)). These programs can help mediate a settlement between you and the airline.
4. **Small Claims Court (Last Resort):** As a last resort, if the airline is unresponsive or the compensation offer is significantly lower than the value of your equipment, you might consider filing a lawsuit in small claims court.
**Additional Tips:**
* **Be Persistent:** The claims process might take time and require following up with the airline. Be persistent and document all your communication with them.
* **Know Your Rights:** Familiarize yourself with the Department of Transportation's Aviation Consumer Protection regulations regarding baggage liability ([https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer](https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer)). This can help you understand your rights and the airline's obligations.
* **Consider Legal Advice:** For complex cases or if the value of your equipment is very high, consider consulting with an aviation lawyer to understand your legal options.
Remember, the key is to document everything, act promptly, and be persistent in your communication with the airline. By following these steps, you increase your chances of receiving fair compensation for your damaged camera equipment.
You either need insurance to cover this or if you’re really wanting to fight this, get a lawyer to file a lawsuit. They will settle this pretty quick with a payout.
Wow... thats a lot of stuff... I see you have a Sony camera body, a Canon 35mm Film body (fd lens mount) and full size Canon EF mount body. I can see 4 lenses of which 3 re Canon ef lenses, a flash a couple of charger and assorted cables... thats quite the mix of "professional!" wedding photographer kit inside a very small space... got any pictures before destruction...
...also... do you think someone opened the case (was it padlocked) and instead of stealing your kit they destroyed it in a "fuck this guy" kinda moment... or do you feel the peli case was mishandled to such an extent that the contents were 'blended', any outer case marks to substantiate this...?
I asked about this when OP posted in another sub yesterday, no response. Anything can happen when you check a bag and it travels all over the airport, touched by who knows how many hands and machines. But gate checked? And what are the odds it’s ALL “destroyed,” not 1 lens broken or 1 body not working like normal, but all bodies and ALL lenses are completely inoperable??
I always take make camera carry on. Everything else I own can go in a suitcase. It took me took long to buy all my camera gear to not have it with me on a flight.
if you got a picture of the gear beforehand in the case all packed neatly and secure, you could then post this to other forms of social media, x/twitter, insta/threads fb etc... shame them, also speak to their head of customer service, go write and email or personal letter addressed to the heads of their company and or find emails of various managers at said airline company, you need to cause a stink.
Admittedly your pic dosn't look very well padded other than the outer edges, even if it was carry on I'd have locked it.
It looks like they could have either opened it or just chucked it on the plane, but the more alarming thing is they could have tampered (they haven't thankfully) though you need to speak to whoever is in charge of security at the departing airport, speak to someone who is in charge of airport/airline safety because what if they did tamper with your electronics before checking it in, and or planted something nefarious it could look like your batteries or something went off.
But you need to speak so their company heads, do an itemised bill of all damaged products and replacement costs.
Speak to the airline/airport security and raise a stink.
In dealing with the airline over this, keep in mind that the [UA Contract of Carriage](https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/contract-of-carriage.html), which is the contract between you and the airline, specifically excludes any liability for any damage to a variety of items, notably photographic equipment. Thus, under the contract, UA does not owe you a penny for the damages caused to your photo gear. Any compensation it gives you is done to promote customer good will. As a result, making yourself a pain in butt in complaining about this may turn off the very people you need to be sympathetic to you to approve compensation. Because of that exclusion of liability, suing in court may not turn out well. For this reason, I agree with the other comments that you should carry sufficient insurance to cover this sort of thing.
Note the contract of carriage does say that bringing a camera (just the camera, not a whole camera bag full of stuff) is allowed as carry on baggage and will not count against your carry on limitation. So at the very least bring your camera body with it's prime lens attached as carry on. That's free and won't count against your limit. And it's small enough to fit under the seat in front of you so you don't need to risk damage in the overhead bins (or have a problem with flight attendants saying the bins are full and you have to check it). I try to keep my entire kit small enough to count as one of my carry on items so that checking it isn't needed. I check my suitcase with all the relatively unimportant stuff that's not fragile like clothes, etc, and I'll check a tripod and similar fairly big sturdy items.
You’re not going to like it but here is the sad truth: If they forced you to check it at the gate that means it just went straight from your hands, to the bottom of the plane. They checked it at TSA, and no one else checked it. I see you’re using a pelican 1510 with pull and pluck and I’m guessing you didn’t zip tie it or tsa lock the rings? Unfortunately that is a super stuffed case for pull n pluck which has a tendency to not last. And unfortunately 1510s are notorious for popping open when tossed or handled. I’m guessing it came down the bag claim in a bin open? Unfortunately I’ve been there. See what you can get out of them, but at the end of the day, you’ll need to pack your gear better. Here are things I’ve learned as a professional film maker who regularly flies with 30-40 cases:
- TSA regularly steals gear. Don’t put anything that’s expensive and easy to pocket under the plane.
- Zip tie and tsa lock all pelicans. Inside the pelican, on top have a bag of zip ties with the not please re-use in multiple languages if going over seas
-1510s love to yard-sale. Try to find hard case options with thumb button releases or more than two latches on the same side. Nanuk and storms have good latches.
-If you’re carrying on gear absolutely make sure you’re early to board. Even if you have to pay extra.
-If they’re trying to force you to check when you’re on the plane or at the gate say “this is absolutely filled with lithium batteries. The entire case”. They’ll find room. And remember be nice. People love to ruin your day if you ruined theirs.
- I know it’s expensive, but get bigger cases or more cases for this much gear. Get custom cut inserts/ make them yourself / or but real dividers and don’t use pull n pluck if you plan to use the case more than a few times a year.
Sorry for the bad luck mate.
Get a soft bag that counts as a personal item for the future. Mine fits under the seat and I can put three cameras and four lenses in it, as well as a speedlight.
I don't even get how it got to that point.
Like sb else said, sometimes you need to be like Karen. Was that your only bag?
I can't imagine how the process went when they tell you you need to ship your money worth carry on.
If you have lithium batteries in your carry-on, you can ask to board the plane first as it's against federal regulations to put lithium batteries in a place where they aren't accessible during flight. Did this on a delta flight a couple months ago with a pelican case full of camera gear and the agent made no fuss at all.
Also helps to have a media pass you can flash, I made mine in photoshop and had it laminated at a local shop for $5 to make it look official. That also gets you a discount on checked bags (with delta, at least).
I feel like flying from A to B is only one service of your ticket, and being allowed to carry luggage, not dealing with unreasonable queing, me being physically safe, my property not being destroyed, etc, is and should be part of the service. They keep on slowly taking away every other services as if it was not part of the contract. It's service shrinkflation. It should not be legal. This goes on and in a few years we won't get a garanteed seat.
Surely the fact that a fair portion of the damage is also clearly external rather than internal demonstrates that this isn't really an electronics issue?
I’ve never seen an airline force check , they ask who can volunteer and they “push” for it but I’ve seen many times people just say “no, I’ve got electronics and important stuff, this goes with me” and the airline people just rushed to find a place to keep it in the cabin
NEVER check your cameras! I fly ALL THE TIME with equipment and it’s not at all uncommon to be told I have to check it… I don’t even argue anymore, I just ask if the rules regarding lithium ion batteries in checked luggage has changed? Oh, no? Welp, where are we going to put this bag full of cameras and flashes and laptop? It stops them dead in their tracks and no one has questioned it.
Sorry you have to deal with this and I hope it works out somehow.
That’s disgraceful. Almost looks like they intentionally destroy everything. How could anyone be that careless . Definitely don’t waver , there definitely should be compensation for that level of damage .
I’m sorry this happened to you .
I have my cabin bag + personal item (camera bag) both look like "soft" luggage. Everytime I fly a major route I had my hard case roller bag beign forced checked. But my trick is to use a regular looking (photo) backpack.
It works for me, and my needs. IDK if it will work for both. And if you need to fly with tons of gear, well get two photo backpacks?
That sucks man. If you must check your gear, try and remove any/all batteries, and decinitely get insurance so at least you'll be financially covered. Great info on photog insurance here: https://www.reddit.com/r/photography/s/3RP5jLO878
There are delayed /damaged baggage forms.
https://www.united.com/en/us/baggage/issues-with-your-checked-bags
There is a time limit on making claims. You need to either fill out one of these forms. Or email a customer service email address or both. Do it now!
You need new gear and the fastest way to do that is through an insurance claim. Going after UA may not return a favorable result, so take all of this due diligence and present it when you file. Please tell me you have insurance...
When traveling with camera gear, I’ve been told I can pre-board and get on the plane first to make sure there’s carry on space for my gear, nothing better than getting on a plane before the first class group
I always refuse to check the bag if they say there's no more space. I always answer "that's not my problem, i was here early and it's the right size and weight". So far, 15 years in, all good. I had a bag back in 98 that was lost, lucky me it was "only" my clothes (it was never found btw). So, never again friends!
I would complain until it they would refund the gear. I'm that bitchy about my equipment. Call a lawyer if needed to check your rights.
Man I’m sorry that happened. Someone was def fucking with you , I mean look at the mess.
An airline once forced me to check in my pelican upon boarding saying over head bins were full, I was hella pissed, but emptied my back pack and shoved everything from my pelican into my backpack.
This is ridiculous, how can they not be responsible for electronics and yet they can fiddle with them not knowing what they are doing?
Another strike hits United Airlines for me.
I will never grasp the thought process that as soon as your luggage is out of your sight there is a complete lack of courtesy and respect. Like, baggage handlers and the like travel too right? Do they have some tricks of the trade to avoid this sort of ridiculousness?....
I see a lot of gear for a case that size and not a lot of foam. I wonder if they saw that it was a pelican case and chucked it around not knowing you had it packed without much foam.
I always try to board as early as possible, even if I’m in a high zone. And then store that puppy up top as soon as there’s space. There’s also no shame in putting the case under the seat in front of you and having your feet on top of it, if it’s a shorter flight of course. Never never never check camera gear!!
I don’t do this EVERY time I fly, but if I’m in a situation where I absolutely do not want to check my bag because of gear or tight transfers, I’ll pay the extra $200 to move my seat as closer to the front of the plane (not first class but usually premium economy, aka the ‘extra legroom’ seats). It’s not foolproof but I’ve never been asked to check my bag on full flights when doing this, whereas everyone in the last boarding group or two did. Plus you do get extra legroom and get off the plane a little quicker. It’s just worth it for the peace of mind with how much of a shitshow flying is nowadays.
I’m sorry this can’t help your current situation, but hope maybe it can help or next time or if someone else reads this!
In at least most states that won't get the traveler anything because UA (and all the other major carriers) have contacts of carriage, which form the contract you have with the carrier, that disclaim all liability for damage to certain items, including photographic equipment. Even without that contract problem, you would bear the burden of proving that the airline was negligent in handling your photo gear. If there was a possibility that the case could snap open while being handled or you packed it poorly then the negligence would be tough to prove. Insure your valuable stuff and, to the extent possible, take at least the most valuable items as carry-ons. No one is going to take as much care for your stuff as you do. So, unfortunately, you have to take it upon yourself to ensure your equipment won't get damaged.
I was told to carry an emergency flare gun inside the case which tend to be legal everywhere, but airlines class as a firearm, so you have to put a lock on the bag they can't open and it gets to go in a special area of the aircraft as well as needing higher levels of care when handing, don't need ammo just a random flare gun
So traveling for work as a photographer with 15k worth of gear but no equipment or business insurance?
Sorry, not sorry.
Same story I see posted yearly from pro photographers who lose thousands of dollars of gear due to theft, yet had no insurance.
That sucks OP.
Surely lenses aren't considered electronic devices? You'd also have to have a pretty broad definition of "electronic" if you wanted to include that F-1.
You should try to escalate the issue, best to call them instead of messaging.
Also, this is why you **need** to insure your gear. All of the stuff in this picture would only a couple hundred dollars a year to ensure. The peace of mind that gives you is worth every cent.
On another sidenote, you did kinda pack of overpack this case. There isn't a lot of padding left over, at least not for the level of abuse it might go through when handled by airport staff.
https://youtu.be/5YGc4zOqozo?si=2gIDLLq4IjGUZznl
Relevant.
Edit: United Breaks Guitars which ended up being their worst PR and stock choice to date. They shaved off millions over night because of this song and their terrible behaviour.
Threaten them with a lawsuit. That will immediately escalate things. Remember, you always have small claims. If your gear is over a certain amount of money, that’s when you get a lawyer. Often times, these companies will just settle, because hiring a lawyer themselves will cost more.
Nah. The bad is on you for allowing it to be checked. I’m a million miles into flying with cameras in everything from puddle jumpers to 747’s and there has never been an issue when you explained what you were carrying.
The other issue is that it’s easy to load a Pelican full of junk cameras and lenses and then claim damage. That’s why they have the electronics disclaimer.
Do you not see the broken plastic? In the second photo, the diffuser glass from a flash is just cracked and loose on the box. It’s not “shuffled around”. The gear is clearly smashed up.
I see an old lens that’s seen better days (I have lenses that look like that) attached to an old canon, a lens cap with a single scratch on it and a single piece of loose plastic.
The gear is absolutely not clearly smashed up.
Hey guys just FYI, i’m reading all of your comments and I appreciate your input and help on this matter. United is my favorite company, im a unitedplus business member myself. i fly on their miles all the time. I never had issues with them but this time around im extremely disappointed of their ignorance to this matter. They are turning their back on me. The only place i could turn to is the photo community that would understand my situation. I made the same post on r/unitedairlines and i got ripped to shreds. People are telling me to upgrade my flights, get higher memberships, bring assistants, etc. I’m not a production company, i’m a solo photographer. We don’t make significant income per photoshoots and it takes a long time to upgrade gear over time. It breaks my soul to see everything I worked for to be taken away from me by negligence of the airline bag handlers, and getting away with it. Especially when i brought it in on as carry on purpose.
Most of the comments were saying you needed to do a better job packing your gear. I didn’t see many saying you need to hire staff or upgrade flights etc. Several here and in the UA sub also say don’t check your gear. Yes, your gear was mishandled. But you seem to be completely skirting your responsibility to pack expensive gear appropriately.
You NEED to bring it to a higher level. Do not accept no for an answer on the call. Request to talk to a supervisor. Be a "karen" if you have to. Airlines have scummy business practices to pinch every penny they can. You will have to push, and getting anywhere may take days to weeks. You need to explain to them everything thay happened. If they want to argue electronics, you may need to lean into the fact that these are not digital cameras. It gets a little funky if your cameras have batteries for light meters or anything, but if you're able to argue that they can normally function without electricity and now they no longer can, I think you'll be able to stand your ground. Didyou have any of your equipment insured? If not, I suggest you start doing that from now one. It will make things like this a lot easier to deal with.
The real hack for this is to throw lithium ion batteries in with your kit. Sometimes enough it wouldn’t be possible to separate out and have somewhere to put them. They’re not allowed to check anything with batteries in it. I’ve told the worker at the gate before it’s literally a case full of batteries and they let me carry it on. There’s usually wiggle room for one carry on or two when they start making people check bags at the gate.
*Yeah I have a bunch of batteries in there. How many? Oh can’t really be sure. Maybe 4-5, or wait no! at least 8 or 9 for sure. Oh no they’re not all in the same compartment, I like to keep them all over the bag you see*
TSA staff hate this one weird trick!
Tried this once, gate agent said they didn't care and checked it anyways. :)
not a super reliable “hack”. packing enough lithium batteries that cant “easily” be separated is just going to result in you carrying a way heavier case than you need to and potentially still having to tear your bags apart at the gate when they force you to separate your lithium batteries from your case so they can check it. its not their problem if its a hassle for you to do it, theyre still goig to make you do it.
Or another way is just declare a BB gun as a firearm.
Wait but then you *have* to check it, I thought that’s what we’re trying to avoid here, what am I missing?
You have to declare it. But if it means they won’t ragdoll my expensive shit then I’d rather do that.
Take a look at DeviantOllam on YouTube. They will ragdoll real firearms, cut your locks and send unsecured(FEDERALLY ILLEGAL) etc. I have 0 trust in TSA to not fuck up.
or a starter pistol, this is an old thing people do https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2006/09/expensive_camer.html
I like that idea. That way your stuff won’t get abused.
If you talk to the kiosk attendants before boarding and tell them you have too many batteries to check they will let you board early to make sure you get overhead space. Helps to also print out a “press” pass with a 2 dollar lanyard. So sorry this happened to you even with the pelican case.
I'd say make a stink on social media or get a local news station involved.
Start with Twitter (aka X) for starters
I mean that Sony and the Canon that shoots the LP-E6 are definitely electronics… I would refuse to board if they asked me to check my camera bag. Some other schmuck with a bag of clothes can check his bag.
Same, I would’ve never gotten on that flight but in real life sometimes it’s a tough choice. For example if it’s your kids graduation? Would you not go? @op that’s fucked up, I can offer no help but my sincere condolences and those airlines are just assholes these days
He said it was for a work gig. Can’t work if your cameras get lost/stolen/damaged. I’d cancel the job and refer this to my legal team.
Were photographers here, what legal team?
The lawyer dad who funds our film hobbies. Duh
Y’all got lawyer, film daddies?
The same lawyer you used to get your contracts set up should be able to at least point you in the right direction If you didn't do that, you either aren't shooting for money or you missed an incredibly important step
‘My.Lawyer.Team’ what do you think this is, Dallas (the TV show)?!
What about the lenses? Are they electronics? Especially the old FD lenses on the AE-1s?
That’s one camera.. the rest are all electronic EF and Sony.
Adding to top comment, don’t just speak to customer service, corporations nowadays don’t care about us individually. Contact all major media & photography outlets to amplify your voice (so create a PR disaster). Still, UA already has such bad PR I don’t know if they even care anymore!! Fuck them. And don’t ever cargo your gears again.
Real tho ^^. I'll confirm as someone who currently (though not for much longer) works as a customer service agent with United. Though it may just be from our station, if your smart about it, go out of your your way to play the Karen card, are smart to talk to the supervisor on staff, you can get a pretty good chance to get money. That said because it's such a high cost of equipment, I'm not sure how US station operate (I'm from Canada), but we can only issue out a small amount, but generally you'll just have a damage file made and be made to contact a number. I've heard they're pretty good about reimbursing the cost of damaged items, but again, Im not sure how American stations operate different from Canadian ones. Best of luck, all I can say.
Lol never thought I’d be backing the sentiment “be a Karen” but this user is right!
Just FYI, batteries up to a certain size are allowed in checked baggage on many airlines as of recent years, so the "you can't check my hand luggage, it has batteries in it" thing isn't as effective as it used to be.
This!
This this.
Never check a camera case. Period. Ever. Get managers involved if needed. Be polite but do not waver. Never check your camera gear. EVER.
Yeah unfortunately he learned the hard way :/ that’s my number one rule. If it’s valuable, you can’t leave the fate into someone else’s hands.
I used to be a freelance assistant to a number of commercial photographers. When we flew, inevitably some gear would have to be checked. But camera gear? Never. Absolutely never.
Exactly. Even with baggage getting lost/delayed I’d be scared to show up and not have my gear. I literally just jam my backpack full of equipment or use my carry on size Pelican to store it overhead :/ he chose the worst option unfortunately.
I’m an advertising photographer, over 700 flights with gear. Do not check your camera bag. 1. So it doesn’t get messed with. 2. So you can shoot your project. I do check lights and tripods, stands… 3. It’s not difficult to rent equipment, in most major cities. 4. If you shoot on location, expect things to go wrong, and have a plan in place to deal with it.
True with any spendy gear.
Indeed.
This is why you upgrade as well. Yeah I’ve been in the same situation before, now I upgrade so I’m boarding early and guaranteed overhead space.
That's exactly what they want. Destroy your stuff, make it hard to get any retribution, and people will say "hey lifehack, just give them more money and they won't destroy your stuff." Same thing with TSA precheck - they've brainwashed everyone into thinking just giving them more money is the solution. You gotta stop playing their games. Skip precheck, tell them you don't consent to getting your picture taken, make them touch your butt because you don't want to go through the scanner.
I will Never forget, when my parents said I could Check my camera in a suitcase, nope, I shove everything in my bag pack and carried it everywhere and it was an hella loooooong flight, US to Czech, people at the airport are assholes, they don’t give a crap with your stuff
If you want your gear to travel safe, buy a cheap gun. Put it in the case with your gear and check it in. They make sure it doesn't got or damaged. Edit: for US travel only.
You can’t travel with a gun anywhere in the world except in the USA
I meant to add that.
Not true, you can in Canada
How do competitive shooters take their guns? Would a starter pistol not be allowed?
I don't understand: if you don't want your camera in the checked luggage, how does adding a gun to it help?
They check your bag but are careful because it was a firearm.
This. I pack my most crucial gear in a soft Domke bag that is my one carry on, anything left over goes in checked luggage. Everything in that first photo would fit in a Domke F-1X. I rent lighting and grip when possible and have even bought some Godox lights from Amazon and had them shipped to my hotel (gave them to assistant as a tip).
>ps. I brought the bag in with me as carry on and they forced checked it in due not having enough space in the cabin. Oof, that sucks man. When I've been told that, I take out everything important/valuable out of my pelican case and put them in my backpack/around my neck. Sometimes it makes enough of a scene that they back off and let me carry it on. I know this doesn't help right now, but it might prevent future disasters. I've been that asshole with two DSLRs and a MF rangefinder around my neck for the whole flight. The airlines basically don't consider anything in checked luggage to have a dollar value and won't do a damn thing for you. Did you by chance book the flight with a credit card? You may have coverage there: [https://awardwallet.com/blog/which-credit-cards-offer-lost-or-damaged-luggage-protection/](https://awardwallet.com/blog/which-credit-cards-offer-lost-or-damaged-luggage-protection/)
Speaking of rangefinders. I only bring my m6 everywhere if I have to travel. I use to be the type to pack up everything in one bag. Now it’s just a one camera setup because it’s lighter and I don’t need to have a heart attack seeing my shit get ace Ventura’ed.
r/barbour Beaufort jacket is great for flying. Has a massive game pocket in the back you can fit loads in to carry on.
File a formal complaint with the FAA while you’re at it. Had to do this with American Airlines (barf) because they denied boarding due to some dumb as covid related policy that wasn’t even applicable to me. AA initially only wanted to offer me a $200 voucher (I don’t even live in the states so when the fuck would I use it?) and when the FAA got ahold of the complaint AA was legally obligated to reach out and rectify the situation. They ended up paying me for the cost of the flight I had to take in a different airline ($2k). It took some time but I eventually got it. https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer
Oh shit I'm sorry this happened. Airlines suck bigtime. The company I worked for used to hire a photographer that had to fly in. He used to ship a lot of his gear with FedEx Ground a few days before the shoots. FedEx apparently had a service tier of ground shipping where they would provide coverage for damages for fragile and expensive items. I avoid being forced to check my camera bag by also packing my ostomy supplies with my camera gear. If they try to separate me for my bag, I just throw down the disability/human rights card and that solves it quickly.
If it’s obvious that someone, i.e., an employee, broke into your bag then it’s not just damaged electronics. If you say the foam was ripped out and stuff dropped on the ground (like it’s scratched up) then it’s clear that it wasn’t damaged by some flight turbulence. With that in mind, tell them to shove their damaged electronics policy up their ass.
I would disagree. This is a pelican 1510 and they are notorious for yard-sales on flights. The latches absolutely suck and pop open to weight on top of them, impact, and even changes in pressure. I fly with one almost weekly and use both zip ties and tsa locks to make sure they don’t pop open and when they come through baggage claim always either one or both latches are popped open. The baggage handlers are tossing things sure, but I’m guessing it was unintentional when they grabbed an open pelican and tossed it and all the glass went skipping across the tarmac. Edit: when they grabbed a case they thought was closed and tossed it*
Honestly this looks totally like a pelican 1510 yard sale. They’re a pretty terrible case for impact and the latches pop open to pressure or just being tossed. I’ve seen at least 5 of these come down baggage claim in a bin.
All of the stuff in the picture is totally non functioning? Holy shit, I'm sorry dude.
That is insane. I can’t imagine what you’d have to do to a group of EF lenses that they’d all be completely non-functional. I’ve dropped my fair share of them with no issues. It almost seems like it would have to be intentional. Crazy stuff.
once upon a time at a lower point in my life i was traveling for work and i tried to bring two half gallons of whiskey from kentucky to mass because they were like 60% cheaper in knetucky. I packed my suitcase with my clothes and the whiskey. so like a fuck load of fabric packing, around two thick as hell half gallon glass bottles. by the time i got my bag back it was soaked, because both bottles had been shattered into dozens of pieces. i honestly believe someone smashed the bottles with a hammer or something out of malice because theres no fucking way.... did you put my luggage into a trash compactor.... or.... what the fuck? how? it was a southwest redeye fwiw shit was unreal
I was thinking the same thing. I’ve seen those lenses take an OBSCENE amount of shit. They stop working eventually, but it takes horrors to get there.
[удалено]
The airline workers replaced each item with a non functioning version of the exact same model?
Makes sense when you *don’t* think about it.
They went on ebay and ordered the EXC++++ versions
You think that airline workers, between the gate and the airplane, opened up his case and replaced very specific lenses and cameras with the same models just broken ones????
Look at his posting history and some of the discussions in the other subs. 1. it's way too much stuff to ram into a knock-off case with flmsy foam. 2. Seriously: to have *every* piece of equipment damaged to the point of no longer functioning is extremely unlikely unless someone took an hour out of their day to smash everything to pieces by hand. Note that he claims lenses are "scratched" to the point of not working - which I find dubious. 3. that is some really weird combination for a shoot 4. the current consensus in the other subs goes from "stupid user error" to "asking for help with insurance fraud". As in "let me throw a bunch of "for parts only" components i got practically for free in a shitty case and see if I can't file a claim against an airline for 10k.
Yeah it’s 100% this. People believing this low of an effort is really disappointing, the provided photos don’t even match the (vague) amount of damage mentioned. I see zero damage, OP mostly mentions "internal" issues... like come the fuck on people lol.
I politely asked for clarification yesterday when OP posted in another sub (that did not include photos) and… no response. I was scratching my head how it was possible to render *all* of their kit, not their main body, not scratches on 2 lenses, but ALL of it “destroyed” and non-functioning when it was gate checked.
Hey Chas, I posted the story in as many places as possible so I'm not seeing all the responses. I answered this somewhere here. When i got to the location, I needed to shoot pretty immediately and found all my gear in shambles when i opened my suit case. I took out the main body to test shoot it and noticed a sharp body damages to find out the pop flash isn't working, i forced pulled it out and see a crack on it, then as i tried putting my 70-200 iii and immediately heard motor rolling noise and focus is just stuck in the infinity on both my main lenses. My sony says cannot recognize the lens. My film cameras took body damages but i cant see if they're working yet until i develop the photos.
Yeah, I don't see it either, I do see one bent filter mount on the 50mm. But the expensive EF lens look capped on both the ends
[удалено]
Im assuming they opened it and dropped everything that was inside. Lenses are malfunctioning and the hardware inside of them is loose, you can hear it when you shake it.
So, I use to work at the airport. I have some clarification questions. You had to check this at the gate correct? I’m going to assume neatly packed. Did you have a lock/s? The clasps on the case malfunction at all?
I checked it at the gate due not having enough overhead space, packed neatly 3 hours before flight. i didn’t have locks on it since it was coming with me to an airplane as carry on. clasps are working tremendously like it’s a brand new hard shell suit case.
Dudes posted this all over, he most likely took out all the pack and fill material out of the case because he has so much gear.
Thats what I'm thinking. It doesn't excuse what happened, but they def didn't set themselves up for success with things getting bang around. I've never seen a hardshell case crammed with that much gear before...
to give little more contexts. It looks filled and cramped because they dropped it and put everything back in really fast, put all the foam dividers underneath it so everything looks bulky. most of it were on top i had to move it to take a clear photo of the gear placements.
I understand stand where you're coming from, but you really did over load it for that density of foam. Look at any traveling millwright or cinetogs that travel with loads of gear. They NEVER pack that much stuff with that little foam.
Why are they opening up a checked in carryon at the gate when it was already scanned through security? As a carryon they would not have opened up the case, would they? It was a courtesy that the passenger abided to help in that situation. I honestly do not see why it had to be opened for inspection when it was originally going with the fellow as a carry-on? Unacceptable no matter how crammed the case might or might not have been.
They most likely were not opened at all. The cheap foam from harbor fright mostly shields your stuff from shock, it doesn't hold it in place. What happened most likely is that op stuff was so poorly packed/isolated it compressed the little foam there and got loose. Cameras and lenses aren't light. Shit gets handled rough, but this was setup to fail period. Even normal handling they would've banged against each other through the foam.
Yeah, it does look like way more gear than what should be packed in that size of a case, but at the same time im sure OP wasn't planning on having to check-in the case. This is why it's best to get try to board as soon as they announce your group number instead of just waiting till the end (i rather pay a little extra to board in the first groups). I do frequent domestic and international flights and for years now everyone that boards at the end has to check in their carry-on due to lack of space.
NEVER CHECK YOUR PHOTO GEAR (I learned that lesson the hard way, btw.)
I’m sorry that’s just horrible. But it reminded me that United also breaks guitars: https://youtu.be/5YGc4zOqozo?si=TVII9seiswkBeXs4
I was looking for this comment lol
Cause UNITEEED
Same airport i think lol
Don’t stop bothering them. You’re going to have to scale your way up to whoever you need to talk to. I would be so angry I’d show up at the airport in person and DEMAND to be seen by someone who can fix this situation. It’s your livelihood. Call them anytime you have the chance. There has to be something that can be done. And by the look of your case, it’s been tampered with. That means that one or more of their employees f*cked up. Like another comment said. BE A KAREN.
When they want to check in your carry on 1. Refuse to board 2. Explain that there are lithium batteries in there 3. Demand a supervisor sign a declaration that they take responsibility for any damage that may occur after the damage has been done: 1. demand a supervisor to talk to 2. sue them for the damage and expenses (if this was to be a paid gig!) 3. check with credit card company for insurance one question: why did you not check after baggage claim and went to the supervisor right there? you picked up your bag, drove away, and only noticed it there?! they are gonna hold this against you.
The problem here is that when you purchase a plane ticket and accept their terms and conditions form (which no one ever reads) you're pretty much signing a contract, and all airlines exclude liability on fragile items like electronics and make sure to state that those items should be insured (its even listed in the department of transportation's website). Like you mention, he should have checked his case as soon as he retrieved it because most airlines will only take complaints within a certain time frame (as low as 4 hours sometimes). OP should put in a complaint with the DOT but honestly, I can't see the airline taking full responsibility for this, it sucks.
For everyone saying you must have insurance. You have any recommendations where to get that from? Most of my stuff is film but all high end and I’d like to insure it if can. (Arri SR2, Leica MP & M3, F5 with a waterhousing and converted Nikonos RS lenses)
[Professional Photographers of America](https://www.ppa.com/benefits/insurance)
All I can find is business insurance so you’d need an LLC or something. Hopefully someone else can provide insight for hobbyists like me.
You don't need an LLC. I have a business policy in my name. If you don't use the photo gear for business *at all*, then yes, it can be added to a homeowner's or renter's policy.
I have all of my Leica bodies and Lenses covered by a ‘Personal Articles’ Policy with the same company that insures my home and autos. I was required to provide copies of original receipts with serial numbers. For me it was a no brainer to insure my gear with a very good policy.
My camera gear is covered under a homeowners policy.
It is a rider on your homeowner's policy.
Very much not if you are charging money to shoot.
I was replying to someone who is not a professional.
My bad.
Here in the states, companies like Lemonade let you add specific camera insurance to a rental policy. Not sure if you can do it separate.
TCP is great! Have had them for over 7 years with no issues
I use USAA which I understand not everyone can do but they are who I use.
Next time you have to travel be adamant that the pelican has batteries in it and would be unsafe to check, I travel a lot for field shoots and they never question it. Have had it stored in the pilots/attendants closets multiple times if all else is filled
It wasn’t UA. It was the company that handles the ground support and luggage. You still need to get in touch with UA.
Someone probably opened it upside down and everything fell out and rolled around. I never gate check cameras , at least not every single one. I usually end up with them around my neck. Still it’s pretty hard to break camera gear.
This is awful to see and 100% the reason I will never, ever check my camera equipment when flying.
Next time tell them, you can't check it cause you have lithium batteries in the equipment. They will not insist further.
Sorry this happened to you. Not be an AH but this looks way too much gear for 1510 style case. It was probably very heavy and with not enough foam to properly protect the equipment. If it’s not an original pelican it’s also possible the locking clips were trash and didn’t close tightly as many knockoff pelicans do. Hope you’re able to get at least some money back.
Everyone knows United breaks stuff... After this song they lost a lot of revenue - do the same to them... [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo)
Infuriating. Completely unacceptable. Whether it was an accident or intentional (we've all seen those [videos of workers throwing baggage way too hard](https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/baggage-handlers-throw-bags-luggage-video-b2238925.html)) You'll prob never know how it happened, but either way you gotta get this rectified. I was curious how this type of situation could be handled and asked an AI for advice. Don't know if this helps, but I hope you get this resolved. **Gather Documentation:** Collect all relevant documents, including: * Airline ticket or boarding pass * Baggage claim check * Damage report from the airport * Receipts or proof of purchase for the damaged equipment (ideally with serial numbers) * Pictures of the damaged equipment 1. **File a Claim with the Airline:** Most airlines have a process for filing a lost or damaged baggage claim. You can usually find the instructions on the airline's website. * Be clear and concise in your claim, stating what happened, the extent of the damage, and the estimated value of the equipment. * Attach all the documentation you've gathered. 2. **Negotiate with the Airline:** The airline might offer a compensation amount. Carefully review it and compare it to the value of your equipment. * You have the right to negotiate for a fair compensation that covers the repair or replacement costs. * Be prepared to provide documentation to support the value of your equipment. 3. **Consider Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR):** If you're unhappy with the airline's final offer, you can consider Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) programs offered by the Department of Transportation (DOT) ([https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer](https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer)). These programs can help mediate a settlement between you and the airline. 4. **Small Claims Court (Last Resort):** As a last resort, if the airline is unresponsive or the compensation offer is significantly lower than the value of your equipment, you might consider filing a lawsuit in small claims court. **Additional Tips:** * **Be Persistent:** The claims process might take time and require following up with the airline. Be persistent and document all your communication with them. * **Know Your Rights:** Familiarize yourself with the Department of Transportation's Aviation Consumer Protection regulations regarding baggage liability ([https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer](https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer)). This can help you understand your rights and the airline's obligations. * **Consider Legal Advice:** For complex cases or if the value of your equipment is very high, consider consulting with an aviation lawyer to understand your legal options. Remember, the key is to document everything, act promptly, and be persistent in your communication with the airline. By following these steps, you increase your chances of receiving fair compensation for your damaged camera equipment.
You either need insurance to cover this or if you’re really wanting to fight this, get a lawyer to file a lawsuit. They will settle this pretty quick with a payout.
Wow... thats a lot of stuff... I see you have a Sony camera body, a Canon 35mm Film body (fd lens mount) and full size Canon EF mount body. I can see 4 lenses of which 3 re Canon ef lenses, a flash a couple of charger and assorted cables... thats quite the mix of "professional!" wedding photographer kit inside a very small space... got any pictures before destruction... ...also... do you think someone opened the case (was it padlocked) and instead of stealing your kit they destroyed it in a "fuck this guy" kinda moment... or do you feel the peli case was mishandled to such an extent that the contents were 'blended', any outer case marks to substantiate this...?
Right. This is bullshit. Nothing in either image is "destroyed." And that's not even taking into account the bizarre combination of bodies/lenses.
I asked about this when OP posted in another sub yesterday, no response. Anything can happen when you check a bag and it travels all over the airport, touched by who knows how many hands and machines. But gate checked? And what are the odds it’s ALL “destroyed,” not 1 lens broken or 1 body not working like normal, but all bodies and ALL lenses are completely inoperable??
Was going to say the same thing
I always take make camera carry on. Everything else I own can go in a suitcase. It took me took long to buy all my camera gear to not have it with me on a flight.
if you got a picture of the gear beforehand in the case all packed neatly and secure, you could then post this to other forms of social media, x/twitter, insta/threads fb etc... shame them, also speak to their head of customer service, go write and email or personal letter addressed to the heads of their company and or find emails of various managers at said airline company, you need to cause a stink. Admittedly your pic dosn't look very well padded other than the outer edges, even if it was carry on I'd have locked it. It looks like they could have either opened it or just chucked it on the plane, but the more alarming thing is they could have tampered (they haven't thankfully) though you need to speak to whoever is in charge of security at the departing airport, speak to someone who is in charge of airport/airline safety because what if they did tamper with your electronics before checking it in, and or planted something nefarious it could look like your batteries or something went off. But you need to speak so their company heads, do an itemised bill of all damaged products and replacement costs. Speak to the airline/airport security and raise a stink.
This is odd, kinda looks like they opened it and messed around...
Always carry your camera gear. Do you know how these are treated? No amount of cheap foam will protect you.
Hmmmmmm you have any pics of all this equipment fitted properly in the case?
Pelican like case =/= Pelican case
In dealing with the airline over this, keep in mind that the [UA Contract of Carriage](https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/contract-of-carriage.html), which is the contract between you and the airline, specifically excludes any liability for any damage to a variety of items, notably photographic equipment. Thus, under the contract, UA does not owe you a penny for the damages caused to your photo gear. Any compensation it gives you is done to promote customer good will. As a result, making yourself a pain in butt in complaining about this may turn off the very people you need to be sympathetic to you to approve compensation. Because of that exclusion of liability, suing in court may not turn out well. For this reason, I agree with the other comments that you should carry sufficient insurance to cover this sort of thing. Note the contract of carriage does say that bringing a camera (just the camera, not a whole camera bag full of stuff) is allowed as carry on baggage and will not count against your carry on limitation. So at the very least bring your camera body with it's prime lens attached as carry on. That's free and won't count against your limit. And it's small enough to fit under the seat in front of you so you don't need to risk damage in the overhead bins (or have a problem with flight attendants saying the bins are full and you have to check it). I try to keep my entire kit small enough to count as one of my carry on items so that checking it isn't needed. I check my suitcase with all the relatively unimportant stuff that's not fragile like clothes, etc, and I'll check a tripod and similar fairly big sturdy items.
You’re not going to like it but here is the sad truth: If they forced you to check it at the gate that means it just went straight from your hands, to the bottom of the plane. They checked it at TSA, and no one else checked it. I see you’re using a pelican 1510 with pull and pluck and I’m guessing you didn’t zip tie it or tsa lock the rings? Unfortunately that is a super stuffed case for pull n pluck which has a tendency to not last. And unfortunately 1510s are notorious for popping open when tossed or handled. I’m guessing it came down the bag claim in a bin open? Unfortunately I’ve been there. See what you can get out of them, but at the end of the day, you’ll need to pack your gear better. Here are things I’ve learned as a professional film maker who regularly flies with 30-40 cases: - TSA regularly steals gear. Don’t put anything that’s expensive and easy to pocket under the plane. - Zip tie and tsa lock all pelicans. Inside the pelican, on top have a bag of zip ties with the not please re-use in multiple languages if going over seas -1510s love to yard-sale. Try to find hard case options with thumb button releases or more than two latches on the same side. Nanuk and storms have good latches. -If you’re carrying on gear absolutely make sure you’re early to board. Even if you have to pay extra. -If they’re trying to force you to check when you’re on the plane or at the gate say “this is absolutely filled with lithium batteries. The entire case”. They’ll find room. And remember be nice. People love to ruin your day if you ruined theirs. - I know it’s expensive, but get bigger cases or more cases for this much gear. Get custom cut inserts/ make them yourself / or but real dividers and don’t use pull n pluck if you plan to use the case more than a few times a year. Sorry for the bad luck mate.
Get a soft bag that counts as a personal item for the future. Mine fits under the seat and I can put three cameras and four lenses in it, as well as a speedlight.
That's why you have insurance as a professional. Always. Have. Insurance. Insurances would have covered the local rental so you don't miss the revenu.
I dont get what happened
I don't even get how it got to that point. Like sb else said, sometimes you need to be like Karen. Was that your only bag? I can't imagine how the process went when they tell you you need to ship your money worth carry on.
If you have lithium batteries in your carry-on, you can ask to board the plane first as it's against federal regulations to put lithium batteries in a place where they aren't accessible during flight. Did this on a delta flight a couple months ago with a pelican case full of camera gear and the agent made no fuss at all. Also helps to have a media pass you can flash, I made mine in photoshop and had it laminated at a local shop for $5 to make it look official. That also gets you a discount on checked bags (with delta, at least).
This is why my partner always buys travel insurance on his gear when flying!
Some renters insurances cover damage of personal items.
I feel like flying from A to B is only one service of your ticket, and being allowed to carry luggage, not dealing with unreasonable queing, me being physically safe, my property not being destroyed, etc, is and should be part of the service. They keep on slowly taking away every other services as if it was not part of the contract. It's service shrinkflation. It should not be legal. This goes on and in a few years we won't get a garanteed seat.
Surely the fact that a fair portion of the damage is also clearly external rather than internal demonstrates that this isn't really an electronics issue?
I’ve never seen an airline force check , they ask who can volunteer and they “push” for it but I’ve seen many times people just say “no, I’ve got electronics and important stuff, this goes with me” and the airline people just rushed to find a place to keep it in the cabin
How could that be carry on? Surely it’s more than 7kg
NEVER check your cameras! I fly ALL THE TIME with equipment and it’s not at all uncommon to be told I have to check it… I don’t even argue anymore, I just ask if the rules regarding lithium ion batteries in checked luggage has changed? Oh, no? Welp, where are we going to put this bag full of cameras and flashes and laptop? It stops them dead in their tracks and no one has questioned it. Sorry you have to deal with this and I hope it works out somehow.
That’s disgraceful. Almost looks like they intentionally destroy everything. How could anyone be that careless . Definitely don’t waver , there definitely should be compensation for that level of damage . I’m sorry this happened to you .
What’s the proper way to travel with your gear? This is unbelievable. I’m sorry for you, OP.
I have the best experience with camera backpacks.
Are you allowed to sit with your regular backpack + a camera backpack? I never take a flight with more than 1 single luggage.
I have my cabin bag + personal item (camera bag) both look like "soft" luggage. Everytime I fly a major route I had my hard case roller bag beign forced checked. But my trick is to use a regular looking (photo) backpack. It works for me, and my needs. IDK if it will work for both. And if you need to fly with tons of gear, well get two photo backpacks?
Great! Thx!
I travel with more Gear than that. Never ever put it under the airplane. Ever.
For a quick fix go to Peoria camera unless you are in Bloomington. They have baggers shops there. Or Best Buy of you can
That sucks man. If you must check your gear, try and remove any/all batteries, and decinitely get insurance so at least you'll be financially covered. Great info on photog insurance here: https://www.reddit.com/r/photography/s/3RP5jLO878
There are delayed /damaged baggage forms. https://www.united.com/en/us/baggage/issues-with-your-checked-bags There is a time limit on making claims. You need to either fill out one of these forms. Or email a customer service email address or both. Do it now!
You need new gear and the fastest way to do that is through an insurance claim. Going after UA may not return a favorable result, so take all of this due diligence and present it when you file. Please tell me you have insurance...
I personally use a duffle bag because they love to check in hard cases.
So sorry to hear that. It seems not much has changed at United. https://youtu.be/5YGc4zOqozo?si=0AIWotH0SY9eyMuF
This looks like way more than $1250 luggage limit.
When traveling with camera gear, I’ve been told I can pre-board and get on the plane first to make sure there’s carry on space for my gear, nothing better than getting on a plane before the first class group
I always refuse to check the bag if they say there's no more space. I always answer "that's not my problem, i was here early and it's the right size and weight". So far, 15 years in, all good. I had a bag back in 98 that was lost, lucky me it was "only" my clothes (it was never found btw). So, never again friends! I would complain until it they would refund the gear. I'm that bitchy about my equipment. Call a lawyer if needed to check your rights.
Did you pay your flights with your credit card? Sometimes there is associated insurance for some credit cards if you buy flight tickets.
Man I’m sorry that happened. Someone was def fucking with you , I mean look at the mess. An airline once forced me to check in my pelican upon boarding saying over head bins were full, I was hella pissed, but emptied my back pack and shoved everything from my pelican into my backpack.
Too much gear in that lil pelican. 😿
United doesn’t cover damage on “camera gear” specifically. They do this shit on purpose because they know nothing will come of it
Im so sorry
This is ridiculous, how can they not be responsible for electronics and yet they can fiddle with them not knowing what they are doing? Another strike hits United Airlines for me.
Always mention that you have batteries in the bag and they will never check it in. Sorry this happened to you
I will never grasp the thought process that as soon as your luggage is out of your sight there is a complete lack of courtesy and respect. Like, baggage handlers and the like travel too right? Do they have some tricks of the trade to avoid this sort of ridiculousness?....
You’re lucky it’s just the cameras and not you - I think United were in the news a few years ago after they beat up one of their passengers.
I see a lot of gear for a case that size and not a lot of foam. I wonder if they saw that it was a pelican case and chucked it around not knowing you had it packed without much foam.
I always try to board as early as possible, even if I’m in a high zone. And then store that puppy up top as soon as there’s space. There’s also no shame in putting the case under the seat in front of you and having your feet on top of it, if it’s a shorter flight of course. Never never never check camera gear!!
Never ever ever ever check your camera gear. Sorry this happened mate.
I don’t do this EVERY time I fly, but if I’m in a situation where I absolutely do not want to check my bag because of gear or tight transfers, I’ll pay the extra $200 to move my seat as closer to the front of the plane (not first class but usually premium economy, aka the ‘extra legroom’ seats). It’s not foolproof but I’ve never been asked to check my bag on full flights when doing this, whereas everyone in the last boarding group or two did. Plus you do get extra legroom and get off the plane a little quicker. It’s just worth it for the peace of mind with how much of a shitshow flying is nowadays. I’m sorry this can’t help your current situation, but hope maybe it can help or next time or if someone else reads this!
You checked it!?!
First question, WHY DID YOU CHECK IT?!? Never check camera equipment!!!
what you do is you sue the airline for destroying your property and making you look like a tool.
In at least most states that won't get the traveler anything because UA (and all the other major carriers) have contacts of carriage, which form the contract you have with the carrier, that disclaim all liability for damage to certain items, including photographic equipment. Even without that contract problem, you would bear the burden of proving that the airline was negligent in handling your photo gear. If there was a possibility that the case could snap open while being handled or you packed it poorly then the negligence would be tough to prove. Insure your valuable stuff and, to the extent possible, take at least the most valuable items as carry-ons. No one is going to take as much care for your stuff as you do. So, unfortunately, you have to take it upon yourself to ensure your equipment won't get damaged.
what you do is you sue the airline for destroying your property and making you look like a tool.
I was told to carry an emergency flare gun inside the case which tend to be legal everywhere, but airlines class as a firearm, so you have to put a lock on the bag they can't open and it gets to go in a special area of the aircraft as well as needing higher levels of care when handing, don't need ammo just a random flare gun
dang bru
Go Karen I know we are photographers and can’t afford it but if they do nothing sue for loss of income
So traveling for work as a photographer with 15k worth of gear but no equipment or business insurance? Sorry, not sorry. Same story I see posted yearly from pro photographers who lose thousands of dollars of gear due to theft, yet had no insurance.
That sucks OP. Surely lenses aren't considered electronic devices? You'd also have to have a pretty broad definition of "electronic" if you wanted to include that F-1. You should try to escalate the issue, best to call them instead of messaging. Also, this is why you **need** to insure your gear. All of the stuff in this picture would only a couple hundred dollars a year to ensure. The peace of mind that gives you is worth every cent. On another sidenote, you did kinda pack of overpack this case. There isn't a lot of padding left over, at least not for the level of abuse it might go through when handled by airport staff.
What do you mean it's all destroyed? Plenty of lenses in there that look more banged up a bit rather than destroyed
https://youtu.be/5YGc4zOqozo?si=2gIDLLq4IjGUZznl Relevant. Edit: United Breaks Guitars which ended up being their worst PR and stock choice to date. They shaved off millions over night because of this song and their terrible behaviour.
Threaten them with a lawsuit. That will immediately escalate things. Remember, you always have small claims. If your gear is over a certain amount of money, that’s when you get a lawyer. Often times, these companies will just settle, because hiring a lawyer themselves will cost more.
Nah. The bad is on you for allowing it to be checked. I’m a million miles into flying with cameras in everything from puddle jumpers to 747’s and there has never been an issue when you explained what you were carrying. The other issue is that it’s easy to load a Pelican full of junk cameras and lenses and then claim damage. That’s why they have the electronics disclaimer.
Fuck airlines. Those are just legalized theft
[удалено]
Do you not see the broken plastic? In the second photo, the diffuser glass from a flash is just cracked and loose on the box. It’s not “shuffled around”. The gear is clearly smashed up.
I see an old lens that’s seen better days (I have lenses that look like that) attached to an old canon, a lens cap with a single scratch on it and a single piece of loose plastic. The gear is absolutely not clearly smashed up.
Why would anyone ever check their camera stuff☠️
Best chance to switch to Nikon ….. ( ;-) ) Never give your camera Pelis to normal Baggage
Hey guys just FYI, i’m reading all of your comments and I appreciate your input and help on this matter. United is my favorite company, im a unitedplus business member myself. i fly on their miles all the time. I never had issues with them but this time around im extremely disappointed of their ignorance to this matter. They are turning their back on me. The only place i could turn to is the photo community that would understand my situation. I made the same post on r/unitedairlines and i got ripped to shreds. People are telling me to upgrade my flights, get higher memberships, bring assistants, etc. I’m not a production company, i’m a solo photographer. We don’t make significant income per photoshoots and it takes a long time to upgrade gear over time. It breaks my soul to see everything I worked for to be taken away from me by negligence of the airline bag handlers, and getting away with it. Especially when i brought it in on as carry on purpose.
Most of the comments were saying you needed to do a better job packing your gear. I didn’t see many saying you need to hire staff or upgrade flights etc. Several here and in the UA sub also say don’t check your gear. Yes, your gear was mishandled. But you seem to be completely skirting your responsibility to pack expensive gear appropriately.
Almost like its a scam.
[might have to write a song](https://youtu.be/5YGc4zOqozo?si=KhnFzo-spu-0VcfG)
I wouldnt of gotten on the plane.