As you’ll see if you read most of the other staff’s blogs, we had a great time in the Outer Banks at ESA Easterns. I flew in after everyone, on wednesday, though I got stuck in Nag’s Head for a night on the way down because the storm had forced the closure of highway 12 in Rodanthe. But, I finally got there, amped to get a few of Buxton’s famous brown barrels. Well, I didn’t get any, but had fun getting smashed by some thumping Outer Banks surf. And my boards survived the sandbar dredgers, which is more than i can say for some other people. I saw at least ten broken boards on Saturday alone, and actually watched Shon Lassiter from Rusty snap his board right in front of me on a meaty one.
Aaaanyways, my boards lived through it all …. so I thought. Just before checking in for the flight home, I re-packed my two boards, and they were in tip-top shape. Anyone who knows me is well aware that I’m a meticulous little bastard, so believe me, they were well packed; bubble wrap around the fins (one board had glass-ons), towel in between the two, a wetsuit wrapped around the noses of the boards, and the whole thing sheathed in bubble wrap for an added layer of extra protection.
When I got off the plane and picked up my boardbag, there weren’t any big scratches or trauma to the outside of the bag, so I didn’t tear into it for a status check. Not until two days later did I unzip my bag, when is when the cussing and yelling a started. My fresh 6′0″ Xandadu was destroyed; two of the three fins snapped, the tail broken in half between the fins, and a giant divot out of the tail. “FUCKERS!!!!” I screamed. Well, at least my Lee Stacey 6’2” step up is fine, I thought. On further inspection, it had a big wound too, looked like someone had swung it on to the corner of a sharp table. That board will live with a trip to the ER, but the Xanadu is a total loss. It’d cost about the same to fix it as I paid for the board, which ironically is about what United charged me for bringing it. I’ve been traveling with surfboards for more than twenty years, and I’ve had some little dings here and there, but this is the first time I’ve ever had boards get this f—ked up. Something needs to be done.
So I’m going to be making a claim with United Airlines today, I’ll let you guys know how it works out and if I learn any pointers that I might be able to pass on in case anyone else has this happen. And if anyone reading this had made a successful claim against an airline for board damage, hit me with your winning strategy in the comments section below.
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October 11th, 2008 at 2:47 am
Sucks big time! Calling the airline is a “catch 22″ though. You want to be reimbursed for the damage and you deserve to be, but they’ll look at it as another reason to jack up the prices even more for surfboards because their so “fragile”. My friends board got some tail damage after returning from Costa Rica back in ‘01 on Continental and he got a travel voucher for the cost of the damage. I’m sure those bastards have changed their policies since then. Good Luck.
October 11th, 2008 at 2:52 am
Oh yeah…when you call the airline the reps will all tell you they won’t cover the damage or they’ll low ball you. Be persistent and ask to speak with a supervisor. When he/she gives you a little more then ask to speak with THEIR supervisor. Keep moving up the ladder until your content with the outcome. Be prepared to be on the phone for a llllooooonnnnnnggggg time.
October 14th, 2008 at 3:17 am
Holy fuck dude I flew back home with United on August 1st and they lost my bag with 2 boards in it. I’ve been constantly on their ass about it too. I’ve contacted them over 20 times via e-mail, phone, and registered letters about my claim and it’s almost been 3 months now. I still haven’t received shit from them as far as compensation. I was civil in my communication until the past few days and now I just slander them. I’ve been e-mailing editors of surf magazines just to tell them never to fly with United and everyone I meet now I tell never to fly with them. That airline has the worst customer service EVER. I’m out almost $2000 worth of shit and they haven’t done jack to fix it. Good luck with your endeavor though man.
October 18th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Jet Blue dinged the nose of a longboard I was taking to my son in Daytona. They had told me up front that since it was in a ’soft’ bag they would assume liability for any damage. I too meticulously wrapped/encased my son’s board in a bubble wrap (BIG bubbles)/heavy cardboard/wetsuit sandwich. When I got to MCO, I found the nose split and cracked. This was during the nice swell on 9/25/08. They told me that they would not pay for the damage. I was very nice and understanding with them, and it paid off. They eventually gave me some money for the inconvenience. Local stations probably have a small pot of money for contingencies to be used at the local station’s discretion. They used some of it on me, and I am very happy because it covered the ding repair kits I bought to make the board watertite. Their great customer service in my case will ensure that I fly them, and pay them hundred’s of dollars, again. Next time, I’ll use a hard case.
October 29th, 2008 at 10:57 am
I THINK I HEAR VIOLINS PLAYING…POOR POOR LITTLE GIR’S BOARDS GOT BUSTED?!?! WHAAAAAAA…MAN GOOD THING YOU HAVE THIS BLOG, SO MUCH GOOD INFO ON HERE!
October 29th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Who cares about the board, who’s the hottie holding it so seductively?