United Airlines breaks Guitar

A little-known Canadian country and western singer claimed that his Taylor acoustic guitar had been damaged by baggage handlers at Chicago's O'Hare airport in 2008. United Breaks Guitars has become a YouTube sensation and provided Dave Carroll with the biggest hit of his career.

The song - which chronicles his vain year-long attempt to win compensation from United – has had almost 4 Million hits on YouTube and fans have been clamouring for the song at gigs where his band, Sons of Maxwell, has performed. Once the video appeared and became a YouTube hit, United Airlines sat up and took notice.

It offered to pay the cost of repairing his guitar and flight vouchers worth USD 1200 but he told the airline to donate the sum to charity. Other airlines have offered him free trips to experience their customer service and Taylor Guitars hs telephoned, offering two guitars of Carroll's choice and props to use in a second video.

United, which has seen its share price tumble, could have spared itself this public relations humiliation if it had followed its own policy on customer service