While the song is sometimes misremembered by different titles, the true anthem of this rebellion was “United Breaks Guitars,” a protest song that became synonymous with consumer empowerment in the digital age. Authored by: Samannay BiswasUpdated Jan 12, 2026, 11:28 ISTShareIn the history of customer service disasters and viral internet lore, few tales capture the spirit of underdog triumph quite like the saga of Dave Carroll and his ill-fated Taylor guitar. What began as a routine flight in 2008 escalated into a modern-day David-and-Goliath confrontation, where a humble musician armed with nothing but his wit, a camera, and a catchy tune brought a corporate giant to its knees. This is the detailed story of how a broken instrument sparked a “battle” that cost United Airlines dearly—not just in reputation, but in cold, hard stock market value. While the song is sometimes misremembered by different titles, the true anthem of this rebellion was “United Breaks Guitars,” a protest song that became synonymous with consumer empowerment in the digital age. The Inciting Incident: A Flight to Nowhere GoodIt all started on March 31, 2008, when Dave Carroll, a Canadian singer-songwriter and frontman of the folk band Sons of Maxwell, boarded a United Airlines flight from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Omaha, Nebraska, with a layover in Chicago.
