737's also have winglets.

I read the first couple pages of this and didn't make it that far, but I just thought about it again and wondered if anyone had mentioned contacting Christopher Elliott the "travel ombudsman"? He fights airlines and hotels on behalf of people who are getting screwed. Might be worth a try to email him and see what he thinks. Hi website is www.elliott.org
Just ignore me if this has already been mentioned/done!

ckhagen wrote:
I read the first couple pages of this and didn't make it that far, but I just thought about it again and wondered if anyone had mentioned contacting Christopher Elliott the "travel ombudsman"? He fights airlines and hotels on behalf of people who are getting screwed. Might be worth a try to email him and see what he thinks. Hi website is www.elliott.org
Just ignore me if this has already been mentioned/done!

Good point. I'm not sure if the OP is watching this thread anymore.

Inku Yo wrote:
737's also have winglets.

You're right Inku it is the 737-800 which goes from CLE to CUN

I need to learn my planes

My call.......If I had that much gear to move from Point A to B I would have overnighted it on one of the carriers; UPS, USPS with insurance. It's the cost of doing business.

I learned a long time ago that loosing my temper in a customer satisfaction situation is the worst way to handle anything. Ask for their manager and keep moving up the food chain until you get some satisfaction. Maybe I misread your rant with the CS Agents but it sounds like you lost it. Your right, The $12 per hour employees could care less to begin with let alone an irate customer having tantrums in their face so why even bother dealing with them anyway.

Yes, I'm still on U'S. Airways about my stuff. The CS has been weak. Every time I call it's someone different. I've also received 4 or 5 brand new calls from them responding to my original claim as if they are just getting to it.

mccaf wrote:
My call.......If I had that much gear to move from Point A to B I would have overnighted it on one of the carriers; UPS, USPS with insurance. It's the cost of doing business.





No offense, that's about the worst advise I've seen yet. Sounds as if you don't travel often.


Gear should be with you at all times whenever possible. If gear can't be with you it needs to be cased in a waterproof pelican. Try and have your most impotartant gear as carry on, (enough to shoot your gig with a bare minimum). Mailing systems fail more often then Airlines bar none. Showing up to a destination wedding and the gear doesn't arrive. Yeah, no thanks.

Sam Hassas wrote:Gear should be with you at all times whenever possible. If gear can't be with you it needs to be cased in a waterproof pelican. Try and have your most impotartant gear as carry on, (enough to shoot your gig with a bare minimum). Mailing systems fail more often then Airlines bar none. Showing up to a destination wedding and the gear doesn't arrive. Yeah, no thanks.


I concur with this, with bitter experience to back it up. All the common carriers I've used... from UPS, to Fed Ex, to USPS, to Yellow Freight, to DHL, at all levels of service they offer (air ground boat) have at one time or another failed to deliver on time or in tact or both.

And sometimes, for the traveling photographer, plans can change midstream. I've been asked to stay a day longer on shoots, and at times I've been told I'd be provided a hotel, but haven't known the hotel until I arrived in town. In that case, where would I have shipped my gear to? I prefer it with me.

Winglets are being retrofitted to planes that didn't used to have them. Even commuter jets have winglets. The incidence of winglet retrofits has dramatically increased since the fuel price spike of 2006, as they are intended to improve fuel economy. I"ve flown 737's with winglets and without winglets. I've seen old 747's now sporting winglets. Winglets may help reduce lift-induced drag, but they are entirely immaterial to my preflight preparation. That's something for the pilot to notice, not me. Winglets do not help me in plane identification, as so many different aircraft have them nowadays.

And something further... the aircraft manuacturer (ie Boeing) and model number (ie 757) do not conclusively determine the interior dimensions for stowing carryons either. That isn't enough information. The same airline (ie Delta) can uses different models of 757s in their fleet, each with different seating configurations. It can have to do with whether the airline ordered the plane themselves, or acquired the aircraft from an out of business carrier (ie TWA), or combined their fleet with another carrier (ie Northwest).

To continue with the example of the 757, I've seen 757's with short overheads where rollerboards have to be run sideways, and 757's with extended overheads where rollerboards can go in handles or wheels first. I've seen underseats that have life vest holders that interfere with a hard case from sliding under, and underseats that have a clean flat bottom.

So, to post a picture of merely a wing, without knowing the airline, and the specific plane (757-200? 757-200B? 757-200 International? 757-300?) it is hard to guess at the specifics of the space you'll be working your carryons into. It is best to contact the airline. That is what I do. Believe it or not, they have the info.

mccaf wrote:
My call.......If I had that much gear to move from Point A to B I would have overnighted it on one of the carriers; UPS, USPS with insurance.




FAIL!!!

Good call focus.

I would have sworn that it was the 757, but it's a moot point... either way I am calling continental to find out what I will be flying on. The is no guarantee that it will be the same...

The pic of the winglet was meant more for a chuckle than for a serious discussion.... (it was right after I stuck my proverbial foot in my mouth asking Focus whether he had any bad experiences flying...

All I know is that I will be traveling with 2 boys under the age of three, a pregnant wife (right on the border of being able to travel while pregnant), my mother-in-law, and her boyfriend (who will be my salvation ) I intend to get there with as much of my gear as I left with, and if it means my little ones helping lug a little of the load... then so be it

and FWIW... I have had stuff stolen out of my checked bag before.... a BRAND NEW bottle of Jean Paul Gautier colgne was swiped. I was upset, but it was a cheap lesson to learn for $50.. right?

that stinks!



(couldn't resist)

Want the simplest solution?

http://www.marquisjet.com As another poster said, it's the cost of doing business.

Not only will they let you carry your gear onboard, you can even buckle it into a seat of its own should you wish.

saw this today seemed appropriate:
"US Airways struggles with customer satisfaction"
http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2009/12/21/daily3.html

This is a cell phone shot I got of Melissa just before boarding.

^^^ dude you are killing me with this........LMAO

Nice cell phone shot man, very nice.

OP, any update? I'm curious as to what US Airlines did or didn't do.

I am in the airport about to board US Airlines.... Headed to a wedding...

I'm flying US Air to Italy today. Keeping my fingers crossed.

jcolman wrote:
I'm flying US Air to Italy today. Keeping my fingers crossed.

safe travels, guys!