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DETROIT — Dave Schneider said he heard a horrible screeching of metal on metal as the freight elevator carrying his guitar brought up luggage and the band's equipment. It was his "worst nightmare." His $10,000 guitar jammed into the elevator and being smashed.
Schneider, guitarist for The LeeVees, had requested that Delta allow him to carry on the vintage 1965 Gibson ES-335 during his flight from Buffalo to Detroit while on tour with the band. But the flight attendants refused.
Schneider said he even offered to purchase an extra ticket for the guitar so could travel in an empty seat. But Delta officials again refused.
"I've always carried it on," Schneider told Yahoo News. "Never been a problem before."
Nevertheless, he was made to check the guitar, though he said he asked them to be very careful in handling it.
Upon landing Schneider said he "had a bad feeling." He started filming what he saw as the luggage came up the elevator, which turned out to be his guitar jammed in a small gap in the elevator and being dragged across metal.
It took workers two hours to unpin the guitar from the elevator and the rail on the loading dock. The guitar was so wedged in that it actually bent a steel beam, according to Yahoo News
Schneider said that Delta officials offered to cut him a check for $1,000 then and there, but he refused because he did not know how costly repairs would be. Estimates he received put the damages at about $2,000.
"This instance is certainly not indicative of the high regard we hold for our customers' property when they travel with us, and for that, we apologize," Delta spokesman Morgan Durrant said in a statement. "We look forward to making a direct and sincere apology to the customer as we work with him to rectify what happened."
"Musicians worst nightmare came true," Schneider said on Facebook. "Delta Airlines, next time I beg you not to make me check my 1965 Gibson ES335, please do so."
