Yes, buying a Tri All 3 sports case or similar soon...

I've been using a Pika on a couple of flights a year for the past 4 or 5 years and I'd never had an issue until last Christmas. When I unpacked my bike after returning home I immediately discovered that my front shifter was destroyed. That was annoying but I was willing to eat it as the price of doing business. A day or two later I noticed a gouge in the left chainstay and when I poked it I discovered that the stay was smashed. Honestly, I can't imagine the amount of force it would have taken to do the damage that was done, especially on the part of the bike where the damage occurred. I don't like to think the worst but it's very difficult to view it as anything other than completely deliberate. I love that bag but I'll be making the switch to a hard case for airline travel.

My experience was similar to Kiley's and I was using a hard case that the airline actually broke a wheel off. Inside they managed to bend the hanger of my Fuji SL and bend the RD (which wasn't attached). They didn't compensate me until I had a lawyer write them a letter threatening litigation not only for my broken bike but also emotional distress. Attached to a letter was an invoice for the cost of replacing my hard case, the hanger, the RD, and my attorney's bill for writing the letter. All told, about $1,500 which they paid promptly.

I know about the ticket on the cc

I wondered why you thought paying for the bike on the cc was important. Are you saying that if the bike is bought on the cc. That its insured for damage caused by something completely unrelated to the purchase? That if you bought a bike on a cc then got hit by an uninsured motorist the cc company would cover the loss?

It's called "accidental damage"
A lot of credit cards offer this type of coverage. There is always fine print, etc... but yeah that's what "accidental" means.

Well, now I cannot say that I haven't read of damage in a Pika, bummer. But a hard case will not prevent damage since the number one reason is TSA inspection and forcing the bag closed without reinserting everything back in place. See the post below yours for an example.

BTW, I have always packed my Pika w corrugated plastic boards inserted on the outside of the wheel slots, steel fork locks in place of the skewers, rear derailleur always removed, and all empty space filled with a roll of bubble wrap.

I posted that just to pee on your parade! ;)

I appreciate the posts in this thread. I've considered taking the Propel with me on work trips to Denmark or Europe in general. But, after seeing this, I may just pay more and rent on arrival. Especially since it is only a hobby for me and any loss such as this would be too great.

Again, thanks for sharing!

This... but I stopped short of the attorney. Good to know for next time.

The run-around I got was pretty remarkable. And yeah, if you're traveling with a Scicon bag, pad the shit out of every tube on your bike.

Update: Filed claim with DOT after airline has declined three separate appeals I've made when they've asked to provide proof of ownership, sales receipts, etc. Hopefully, DOT contacts them soon. Thanks for the advice everyone.

Good luck, keep us in the loop!

Any updates?