A Canadian band is calling out Air Canada after they say the airline broke one of their instruments and lost another.
In a Facebook and Instagram post shared on Monday, Rum Ragged, a Canadian folk music group from Newfoundland and Labrador, wrote about their experience with the airline.
The Juno-nominated band said they made the discovery after a recent flight from London, England, to St. John’s, Newfoundland.
Upon landing in Toronto for a layover, they noticed that their guitar had been destroyed, and their bouzouki (a Greek stringed instrument) had been lost.
The band noted that they “always” gate-check their instruments to ensure they won’t get lost, based on the airline’s recommendations.
Rum Ragged claimed they had previously experienced trouble with Air Canada when the company damaged their bouzouki (the same one that got lost during this recent flight) three months ago.
They said at the time, the airline advised them to fill out an online form to make a claim about the incident, but they have yet to receive “any answers or compensation.”
Rum Ragged’s post included a picture of the broken guitar, showing the instrument’s headstock completely broken off along with its strings.
“We hope this gets your attention, and maybe you can try to make this right somehow. Please do the right thing and take responsibility for your brutal handling of these instruments. Do better,” they stated.
Fans say airline’s actions “not acceptable”
The callout post was flooded with comments from the band’s fans and fellow musicians who shared their disappointment with Air Canada.
“This is not acceptable at all. Even if they did pay you out, you can’t replace an instrument that you connect to. I only travel with my fiddle and have purposely rented guitars on tour because of this disaster. I hope they do something and do something soon,” said one musician in the comments.
“This is devastating! It’s about so much more than repairing or replacing something tangible; it’s the years of stories, songs written and played, times shared, places visited, etc.,” wrote another person.
Another commenter added, “Broken suitcases are one thing, but these instruments are people’s everything.”
Several suggested Rum Ragged take action by writing a song about the incident, similar to fellow Canadian musicians Don and Dave Carroll of the band Sons of Maxwell.
In 2009, the duo’s clever song “United Breaks Guitars” went viral after the US airline damaged their expensive guitar.
Other comments criticized the band for the type of case they used for their guitar.
“Why not use hard cases? Seriously though? If you’re travelling by plane, it would make sense,” said one person.
On the band’s Instagram post, Canadian musician Dan Mangan said the alleged incident was awful, but the guitar needed to be in a hard case.
“Nothing in a soft shell should go under the plane, gate-checked or not. Heartbreaking still,” he wrote.
The band addressed this in an updated comment, noting that the type of cover they used for the guitar is a MONO M80 case, which is “allowed to go through the gate-check process with the possibility of being a carry-on and was likely to be handled with more care this way.”
“MONO cases are used throughout the industry by many touring artists whom we cross paths with on a consistent [basis] in airports all over,” stated Rum Ragged.
“All airlines gate checked the MONO case and placed the guitar under with baggage, and not once was there damage done.”
The band stated that they previously used a hardshell case, which was “punctured and destroyed along with another bouzouki of [theirs] in 2018.”
Rum Ragged also clarified that the guitar’s strings were loosened before the flight, a common practice to reduce any damage caused by temperature and pressure changes during travel.
Past damaged bag incidents with Air Canada
This isn’t the first time Air Canada has been called out for damaging bags and items.
In April, one TikToker posted a video of her suitcase, which she said looked burnt and “chewed” up after her flight.
@ilovesarabeth @Air Canada ♬ original sound – Sarabeth 🦈
In 2022, marketing coordinator Casey Dubyk dealt with delayed luggage while flying with the carrier.
When her bag finally arrived, she realized it had a large hole and that her clothes were shredded.
@thecaseefacee can we get a BIG shout out to @aircanada for delivering my lost luggage to my hotel room. A call or note would have been nice but I guess this is okay too 🫠 #aircanadasucks #lostluggage #damagedluggage #aircanada #flightdrama #vancouver #yyccalgary #canada #flight #baggagecheck ♬ original sound – Casey Dubyk
That same year, another Air Canada customer flying from Vancouver to Miami shared images of her silver luggage on Instagram.
Carly Chadwick
Realtor Carly Chadwick’s expensive Rimowa suitcase was dropped in Miami, and she didn’t see it again until she got to the Vancouver Airport luggage carousel. Thankfully, nothing inside appeared to be damaged.
“I think that’s because the shell of the baggage, although severely damaged, is also quite strong. So YAY Rimowa!”
Report damage ASAP
Air Canada doesn’t have specific online guidance about damaged musical instruments. Still, it does note that they should “always be properly packed in a rigid and/or hard shell container specifically designed for shipping such items.”
The airline says that if customers notice their baggage has been damaged, they should report the incident immediately at the airport.
“The important thing to remember is that you’ll need to advise us of the damage within seven days of receiving your bags,” Air Canada’s help page reads.
The airline will then create a file with your information, and you’ll be asked to submit pictures and descriptions of the bag, along with any receipts.
Air Canada’s policy states that after this, the airline will “ensure your satisfaction by either replacing your bag or seeing to its repair.”
It notes that customers should not dispose of their damaged bag until their claim has been finalized.
“You’ll have 60 days to have your damaged baggage assessed, repaired, or replaced,” reads the airline’s statement.
Daily Hive is in touch with Rum Ragged and Air Canada. We will update this story when the parties respond.
With files from Daily Hive’s Amir Ali, Isabelle Docto, and Imaan Sheikh