sprimack wrote:
Good question, but the AA rule states: "We will only be liable for any damage to sports equipment if: The outside of the case is visibly damaged."
How often is the outside of a hard case damaged? I'd hazard to guess not that many times. What does handling something as a "fragile" item mean?
i don't know. i only know what i wrote, and that if you use a soft shell case you're giving the airline a get out of jail free card. therefore, if a hard shell case is no more costly than a soft shell case, why onboard that kind of liability on yourself if you don't need to? if you do everything you're asked to do, and your bike is damaged, you at least have a fighting chance.
and btw, i snap pics of my bike when i pack it, as it sits in the case, before i close up the case. whenever i ship a bike, whether by parcel delivery or in a bike case, whether by airline or by fedex or UPS, i snap pics on my iphone before i close up the case or box. i can easily delete the pics later, if all arrives okay and in good shape.
Dan Empfield
aka Slowman