TubeNet

Greetings.

I am in the throws of both planning another European tour, as well as purchasing a new flight case. While doing some research I ran across something interesting in the print of the TSA website.

This is something I have written about before -- it's a tip that a kind TSA officer once gave me (this was right after the TSA demolished someone else's tuba) ...and I finally found the tip IN writing.

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/ ... _1235.shtm

We encourage you to stay with your instrument while security officers screen it to make sure it is repacked properly.

Owners should be present when an instrument is removed from its case for screening. For this reason, musicians are advised to add at least 30 minutes to the airline's recommended arrival window when checking their instrument.

Keep in mind that airline employees are trained to discourage this type of thing, but it is your legal RIGHT to be present. You usually have to press the airline employee pretty hard, but eventually they will give in to the actual legal procedure (which usually takes a supervisory intervention), which is in your favor.

I encourage people who fly to print this and bring it with them, AS WELL AS a copy of your particular airline's current policies (as they can change often)...
As I was leaving Europe this last spring and the people at the counter had outdated paper copy as to their current policies (dated 2008), and no adequate computer access to research the current policy, I was at the mercy of the enforcement of their outdated procedures in hand. It cost me extra €€ to get my tuba home. Next time I'll know to bring a copy myself...

tubajoe wrote:Greetings.

I am in the throws of both planning another European tour, as well as purchasing a new flight case. While doing some research I ran across something interesting in the print of the TSA website.

This is something I have written about before -- it's a tip that a kind TSA officer once gave me (this was right after the TSA demolished someone else's tuba) ...and I finally found the tip IN writing.

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/ ... _1235.shtm

We encourage you to stay with your instrument while security officers screen it to make sure it is repacked properly.

Owners should be present when an instrument is removed from its case for screening. For this reason, musicians are advised to add at least 30 minutes to the airline's recommended arrival window when checking their instrument.

Keep in mind that airline employees are trained to discourage this type of thing, but it is your legal RIGHT to be present. You usually have to press the airline employee pretty hard, but eventually they will give in to the actual legal procedure (which usually takes a supervisory intervention), which is in your favor.

I encourage people who fly to print this and bring it with them, AS WELL AS a copy of your particular airline's current policies (as they can change often)...
As I was leaving Europe this last spring and the people at the counter had outdated paper copy as to their current policies (dated 2008), and no adequate computer access to research the current policy, I was at the mercy of the enforcement of their outdated procedures in hand. It cost me extra €€ to get my tuba home. Next time I'll know to bring a copy myself...

There's an easy way to do this: have a way of locking the case. Then, inform the airline rep, or the TSA rep (whoever is taking the bags - it's different at different airports) that you want to lock the case AFTER it is inspected by TSA. As long as you show up EARLY - this *always* works.

The airport is always a fun process. I accompanied a bunch of teenage musicians to europe last year and getting the larger instruments through inspection was a blast. The TSA opened a new inspection line and some kids had to accompany the instruments to repack them correctly just like an earlier poster said. The tuba was, of course too big to fit through any xray machine (who knows how many bombs we might have packed in all those twists and turns of tubing) so after a hand inspection and a toot on the horn to prove it actually worked, it was accepted. Hand inspection of percussion (tympani & bass drum) was also a treat. And this was for instruments going into the cargo hold. But there was no damage to anything when we picked them up at the other end of the flight.

bloke wrote: I'm not going anywhere near 'em, PARTICULARLY with the equipment on which I depend to make my living.

I'm drivin'.

I don't have a boat.

sloan wrote:

tubajoe wrote:Greetings.

I am in the throws of both planning another (quote shortened by me ....)

There's an easy way to do this: have a way of locking the case. Then, inform the airline rep, or the TSA rep (whoever is taking the bags - it's different at different airports) that you want to lock the case AFTER it is inspected by TSA. As long as you show up EARLY - this *always* works.

I don't believe there is an "always" when it comes to the TSA. I am a very experienced and frequent traveler and have practically given up on the idea of anything bigger than an electric bass, and even now I have 2 electric basses and an amp in storage in Munich. I did come across this recently, http://www.britishairways.com/travel/ba ... blic/en_gb" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank if a string bass is allowable, a tuba case may be smaller although getting it to fit into that weight class may be a challenge.

Peace.
ASG

Is a "TSA policy" considered to be a law? I'm thinking it is not, so I'm not so sure that the term "legal" is even applicable.

However, the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (an actual law, http://www.tsa.gov/assets/pdf/Aviation_ ... 7_1771.pdf" target="_blank ) says this:

It is the sense of the House of Representatives that—
(1) the Under Secretary of Transportation for Security
should develop security procedures to allow passengers transporting
a musical instrument on a flight of an air carrier
to transport the instrument in the passenger cabin of the
aircraft, notwithstanding any size or other restriction on carryon
baggage but subject to such other reasonable security procedures,
terms, and conditions as may be established by the
Under Secretary or the air carrier, including imposing additional
charges by the air carrier; and
(2) an air carrier that transports mail under a contract
with the United States Postal Service should transport any
animal that the Postal Service allows to be shipped through
the mail.