casey -- Thanks! I've never heard Carroll before, but he's great and so is the 'lament'. Talk about taking it public!

That's funny...

Some guitar cases are too flimsy for travel on an airplane. Wonder about what he used for his case. I would want it padded inside and strong on the outside.

Good for him! Sometimes this kind of thing is the ONLY thing you can do when you get screwed over by a company.

Outstanding! (And I'm sure a professional musician isn't going to be carrying a Taylor around in a cheap case)

I started wondering about this. I think airlines state right on the ticket that they are only liable for something like $300 per checked bag. I suppose it's their position that the guitar should have been insured separately.

What do other musicians do when flying with their instruments? (You can't put a bass in the overhead.)

I know from experience that airlines make exceptions for their "important" (read: wealthy frequent flyer) customers. A friend of mine had luggage badly damaged (looked like it was slashed through with a box cutter), which include ruining several Italian suits, a tuxedo, etc. Many thousands in damage. They compensated him for every penny after they received a letter documenting what happened.

Musicians are known to book a seat for their instruments. But I don't imagine that is something an average musician can afford to do.

That was a good one. I think ALL airlines are bad today.
Clare