Airlines DESTROYED My SURFBOARD BAG! | How I Pack Surfboards

[@brettbarley]

What is YOUR WORST Airline Boardbag Damage STORY?!

[@tr786]

Scorpions from el Salvador. not damage but surprising when you open it up back home!

[@brettbarley]

Yikes!

[@apr7606]

I once saw a guy check in his fiberglass board in no board bag and the airline staff just whacked the sticker straight onto the deck. made it back home with absolutely no damage to it whatsoever.

[@noahcamburn4471]

Brett Barley never had an airline damage story but boardvag got run over by a lawn mower

[@APGLOBAL]

drone link in description down. fyi

[@tomsantaniello6630]

I work for the airlines in Orlando on the ramp..as a fellow surfer, I’m anal when handling board bags and take EXTRA care to assure that they are placed separately away from other baggage...

[@brettbarley]

Legend status!

[@scottsprinkel3914]

I worked for ups for 13 years... that is definitely conveyer damage.. items that have straps like that will eventually get pulled in where conveyor belts meet and just sit there and shred it.. If you have seen how package jams are handled there you would never ship anything irreplaceable lol! Very cool they took care of your stuff without question.

[@blackyyz125]

So coming home from CA, find out in Chicago my wife's Grandma had just passed, so we were very upset. Awaiting on my board bag I see the nose area was sort of rough looking. I bought a brand new-bought in Channel Islands Fred Stubble and board back while I was there, had pool noodles around the rails, bubble wrapped with an entire roll of bubble wrap, changing towels and another beach towel in the bag. Just one board so it wasn't heavy. The nose of the board front 10" was crushed to bits, looked like baby powder and fiberglass shards. Anyway I happened to have the receipt from the shop where I bought the board and Southwest Airlines cut a check for me on the spot for the board and traction pad. They felt worse they added to what was a really bad day already

[@hawaiianpunchoner]

You JUST scored in Hawaii...monster barrels at Pipe....rides that most of us only dream about... you're blessed,brother.... shredded stuff cones & goes...that's all I'm saying.✌keep up the great VLOGS

[@brettbarley]

100%. I wasn’t complaining. It is what it is, it’s part of the gamble when you travel. If all my boards were smashed, that would be a different story. No sweat here, haven’t thought about it since. 🤙🏼

[@nicelydone8017]

Good advice on customer service. It’s not their fault, and freaking out on them only makes it less likely your situation will be resolved quickly.

[@romanizaboss6641]

Best “CLAIM “ of the year....so far! 😂

[@brettbarley]

😂😂😂

[@patefutch6168]

At 8:39 you confirmed my Theory lol it was on the golf cart tram it slid off to the side and was drug lol again speculation and possibly not what happened but that’s what it keeps seeming like to me. Super stoked y’all made it home safe and there’s not really anything too badly damaged. You got lucky that’s for sure lol

[@jeansii1985]

thumb nail legit made me chuckle out loud lol well played !

[@AageV]

Well this is comforting to see the night before your flight... *Fingers crossed*

[@brettbarley]

🙈 haha whoops. Youll be fine... damage is rare

[@AageV]

@@brettbarley Not a scratch!

[@roberthall140]

Love the wize words and diplomacy my experience also even though you're pissed your not going to solve the problem by venting frustration at the airline rep love the vlogs from all legends

[@DanOMallsVideo]

Great advice at the end about how to treat the customer service people! Thanks for sharing.

[@petermyers479]

Holy Smoke! It looks like the airline required special tools and effort to create that much damage. Actually, the bags job is not just to consolidate boards for carry but to protect them. It looks as though it did it’s primary job of protecting the boards very well. You were lucky.

[@eben1975]

1996. American snapped 2 of my boards I just got into Honolulu and they start telling me that I put them in my bag broken. They stiffed me!!! Haven’t flown with them since!!! So I flew from Raleigh to Chicago and into HI. Oh how times have changed.

[@daveys2546]

Flew out to ocean side California. Bought a sick JS. Flew home to Norfolk with it. Two holes in each rail. Paid to get them patched. Flew to BSR with the same board. Busted tail. Patched real fast just so I could surf. Flight home back to Norfolk they smashed the nose off and burnt a hole in it like yours but smaller. I feel i May have over packed it too. Paid to patch it again cause I love the board. Out in California again as i type. Hopefully flight home will go smooth.

[@boutote]

You and your family arrived safely…that was the most important cargo🤙🏼😀

[@tannergauge9374]

I’m glad I found your channel. I come down to Hatteras several times a year when it’s going off. Those Hawaiian guys are cool, but they don’t understand anything below 75 degrees. 🌊🥶🤙🏽lets go!

[@patefutch6168]

It looks like it was on one of the golf cart trams and it slid off the side and was dragged on the run way until they finally stopped to unload the luggage. That’s what my initial thought was and what it looks like. I could and might be wrong but that’s what it looks like

[@GlennRiccobono]

Gotta abandon the bacon scented wax, maybe the security dogs went crazy... ;) jk Seriously though, that sucks but glad they tried to make it right...

[@Smithsurfboards]

I’ve only traveled a few times with boards and never had a problem. I use pool noodles and bubble wrap. I’ve recently gotten more into longboarding and really want to take a trip somewhere so I can surf a point break instead of the beach breaks in NC. That being said I’m terrified or traveling with my longboards. Just so large and expensive

[@teamstrider6834]

Loving the video so he can check this out so traveling like yourself for a long long time I'm 37 but surfing since I was six so yeah but went overseas to Asia board bag at lost forever to seem like had to buy a board broke broke it kind of sat around waiting for the board that showed up last day of course LOL life of a surfer great stories and even better trips

[@timberrr1126]

LUGGAGE TIPS 1, 2, 3 Tie two or three colored ribbons of different lengths around the handle to your luggage to warn others that this is not their luggage. People grab luggage at the turnstile and take it home before you ever see it. Anywhere you put your bag, it could be grabbed in error. Example: overhead compartment, unloaded from the bus, at the hotel lobby, at the turnstile... Use 1” wide ribbons 14” long. Cut the ends at 45 degrees then seal the end with one drop of Super Glue to prevent fraying. If each ribbon is slightly a different length by 1/2” or so, they will all show up no matter how they drape. Tie the 3 ribbons as a sandwich, as if they were one ribbon. Use a man’s tie, a half Windsor knot for the best look. After it is tied on, the total length of the ribbons will be about 6” from the handle. A longer ribbon shows up better. You can see it from 40 feet away. Perhaps tie TWO handles or RINGS top and side of the case. This way, it won’t slide around. Put your phone number on one ribbon using a permanent Sharpie. Example: “Owner 454-333-7878” Choose one ribbon with an unusual pattern or fabric to really make it unique. Stand by the output hole port of the turnstile to reduce the chance of someone else grabbing the piece. Tie your skiies, duffel bag, and what ever with matching ribbons-even your computer case. If you are a Travel Agent, you could hot gold stamp one ribbon with your name and phone number. Send them a set of ribbons, red and blue and BLACK to your customer as a gift. Record this gift in your database so you don’t duplicate yourself. Buy a gold hot embossing machine. Gold emboss your business name on the BLACK ribbon. Put the customer’s name on it if possible. Pleasant color combinations: Red and blue Chartreuse and purple Orange and light blue Orange and yellow Gray and pink Green and yellow Red and Green Red and Gold Light blue and light green The third ribbon could be white, gray, black, tan Tip #2 Take a cell phone picture of the ribbon tied on. Then another picture of the full luggage piece. You now have a way to communicate “what it looks like”. Tip #3 Place a strip of colored duct tape on the inside lining to your case. Put your name and phone number on this tape. If all identity is stripped from your case, you have this to show. If someone steals it and rips off identity tags, you can show the police officer the inside tape.

[@jessepipia619]

I don’t have a board bag story, but I once took off from the airport with someone else’s bag that looked just like mine... didn’t realize it until half way down to the OBX from Norfolk, had to rush back in a panic attack...lol

[@surfcamppacifica2527]

How did u pack your fishing gear? I usually travel with a 9'0'' surf rod in my board bag but they've gotten eyes broken before.

[@justsurf185]

Thanks for the vid BB

[@whosjohn_jon]

Brett been watching you since I was like 12 now 24 in a surfing rut. How do you cope with not being able to surf because of other obligations or it’s flat (haha Virginia Beach life)

[@brettbarley]

I go fishing! Or hang with my family, or go fishing WITH my family haha. I kinda look forward to no waves... but i also spend so much time surfing, and editing surfing, and whatnot, it’s definitely different for me. But finding a love for other things is crucial. More to life than just surfing :)

[@aydenpainter6762]

Hey man thanks for the video me and my brother are going to Puerto Rico this wendsay

[@bheaton]

Pool noodles, I wrap the entirety of my boards rails in pool noodles, not only does it protect the rails but it puts a small gap between the boards the put clothes and wetties and avoid the Chinese wax job

[@surfdetective]

Best traveling tip yet........pillow...

[@krusher74]

Yeah, they get stuck on a conveyor belt, and for the minute or so before a handler gets to the blockage the belt just runs under it like a sanding belt. That's why some airlines put all the oversized bags on a trolly and they then take longer to get to baggage claim. It would be cool for top-end bag to have kevlar woven in. Or more hard cases.

[@jackquarantillo5192]

I was thinking the same. Something this big can't go in a conveyor. This is why.

[@andresgonzalezperez1893]

Bro I love your vídeos, it will be very nice if you make a video about your best waves ever or better a turorial about airs (full rotations , alley oops ...)

[@benwunderly3320]

So my theory is not completely debunked, but due to the lack of turtle blood stains, shark teeth bite marks and/or dislodged shark teeth, it is no where near the possibility of being confirmed. I guess trolling a board bag from a plane over the Pacific for sharks is pretty far fetched though. i would have been more bummed if the kiddos wetties were thrashed. They are probably so stoked to dawn neoprene and surf with dad!

[@jessepipia619]

At least you and your family landed safely...

[@brettbarley]

Well of course. Board bags are no huge deal.

[@martinbonniciphotography]

Love your Vlogs man. Travel nightmare story with Qatar Airlines. So I have been an international photography/photojournalist for 28 years. Most of the time the airlines have been pretty good. I try to travel as light as I can and take the equipment in cabin with me. I can't risk camera gear on the hold. I'm Australian/Maltese I was bourn and raised in Australia but these days I live in Malta (Europe). The last time I went to visit Australia. On the way to Australia Qatar Airlines lost our bags for a few days. On the way back to Malta an airline rep said they were over booked would we consider taking another flight. They would pick up any extra costs and give us $500 "cash" Australian to assist with other expenses, I said so long as it is cash and nothing funny we could do it. They assured us that we would 100% give us cash and taxi fairs because we were helping them out. I thought ok that's great and that way I could spend another few days visiting family, with the $500 they would give us could mostly compensate, we would still be out of pocket but not to bad. They asked us to wait for the plane to leave, once it left they said so here is a voucher for 500 to use in our store. I said no wait, that wasn't the deal. The guy blatantly lied to my face and denied he said we would be compensated, I said we have witnesses. To cut a long story short, they point black refused to follow though. I ended up down way more than the 500. The airline was Qatar, they are 100% untrustworthy, I couldn't believe it. The air crew were 10 out of 10 they couldn't have been more friendly, the ground crew and sales staff are some of the worst shysters I have ever come across in any business in 28 years of travel.

[@williamjoyner3768]

🙃why is the bag the same cost of a board 🤦🏾 looks like I’m getting a rental 😭

[@Singlefinsurfingforlife]

Had American airline smash the tail and break two fins out of fin box on two of my boards

[@davidmcleod9275]

Kinda looks like a wild animal like a tiger or panther savagely attacked the end of your bag!! Or got caught up in some kind of chewing machine???? wow! crazy

[@oliverstewart2387]

Yew

[@brettbarley]

Oliver Stewart first!

[@joeljung9135]

What's your favorite airlines to fly with?

[@brettbarley]

American Air

[@StarWarsAndMoreArt]

They better pay for that

[@billyclark8745]

That sucks

[@turfnsurf]

Sounds as though American Airlines are far better than United Airlines, in this situation. United snapped my boards and refused to take any responsibility whatsoever.

[@shagggggy]

Claim bro they don’t care about your stuff