Flying with your horn

[tubajoe]

I know this is a rehashed subject, but the rules keep on changing.

It seems that now the allowed size requirements for some airlines are down to 80 inches (L+W+H) and the flight case I use is about 86.

Are there any thoughts without having to:
1.) drop another $1K on a new flight case (and would it be much smaller?)
2.) ship my horn by alternate means which would mean being without it for a long period of time
3.) buying another ticket for the horn


Help!

[tubajoe]

Upon further research ...thanks to an AFM link, SOME airlines will waive this restriction for musical instruments.

Still, flying with tubas is a big deal (maybe I could suggest an ITEA article on it?) Perhaps someone who flys a LOT (Oystein, Pat?) would care to comment??

The following (so far) is what I am finding:

In GENERAL, unless otherwise noted, the limit is 80 inches.

Jet Blue - no additional allowances at all (musical instruments are listed as having to fall under their normal requriements)
Delta - allows up to 120 inches
American - does have an exception, but does not list it (other exceptions are 115 inches, so I am guessing it is similar)
United - allows 115 inches for oversize in general
Southwest - no allowance listed
Midwest - allows up to 115 inches in general
Continental - up to 90 inches NOT subject to oversize fee, 116 inches max oversize limit
ATA - no provision listed (other than stating they are not responsible if they break it)
US Airways - no provision listed

I am going to keep updating this post as I research.

Here is AFM's very helpful page
http://www.afm.org/public/departments/airline_links.php

[UTTuba_09]

Last summer I flew out to Arizona with my horn as "luggage." It was my first time flying and I really didn't know what I was doing. On my return trip, my bell was badly creased. I'm heading up to Chicago this July and I'm making plans to have my horn either two-day or overnighted to the airport. Has anyone done this before? Does it work?

[LoyalTubist]

Note that these rules only apply to travel within the United States. In most of the world, luggage is luggage, no matter how endearing it is to you.

[Tom]

I know this is a rehashed subject, but the rules keep on changing.

-SNIP-
3.) buying another ticket for the horn

Ok...

Just about every time a "flying with a tuba" thread comes up this gets mentioned, but I have yet to see a testimonial from someone that has actually been able to do this post 9/11 (if I've missed it, please direct me to it).

So, has anyone out there actually bought a seat for their tuba, showed up at the airport with it only packed in a gig bag, and actually gotten it through security and on to the plane?

[ASTuba]

Ok...

Just about every time a "flying with a tuba" thread comes up this gets mentioned, but I have yet to see a testimonial from someone that has actually been able to do this post 9/11 (if I've missed it, please direct me to it).

So, has anyone out there actually bought a seat for their tuba, showed up at the airport with it only packed in a gig bag, and actually gotten it through security and on to the plane?

I did this, I flew from Syracuse, NY to Houston, TX on Northwest. I bought an extra seat, and had no problems with security at any point. I had more of a problem with trying to get the darn thing to fit in a seat.

Otherwise, I had no problems at all.

[LARSONTUBA]

Last summer I flew to Finland for the Lieksa Brass Week International Tuba Competition. My experience was this:

I bought a UNITEC generic case for my Willson F tuba. I pack it in its gig bag, in the case, with a pillow between the bell and the case.

The week before leaving to Finland, I flew from Milwaukee to Asheville, NC for a wedding. I wanted to practice, so I flew my tuba with me. I flew NW, and paid $100 each way for oversize fees.

Flying to Europe, I flew from Milwaukee to Detroit to Amsterdam to Helsinki to Joensuu. I had a friendly lady at the desk who measured the small sides of the case instead of the large ones and I paid $125 for the flight to Europe. She was checking whether or not I had to pay oversize AND overweight fees. This would have added up to over $300!!!

Upon arrival in Helsinki, I had to collect my luggage and walk to the domestic terminal to get to my flight to Joensuu. Upon check-in for that flight, there was no oversize fee. When I checked in for my flight from Joensuu to Helsinki, no oversize fee. I had to collect the luggage and walk to the international terminal to catch the flight to Amsterdam. When I checked into that flight, there was no charge.

It seemed that anywhere other than the U.S., it didn't matter that it was oversize or weight. I wish that the U.S. airlines would realize that travel with our instruments is a way of life for us, and the extra fees are truly crippling for some of us.

I have to fly in 2 months to Michigan for Falcone and I am debating renting a car so that I don't have to go through the stress of flying with the instrument. I am interested to see what other experiences people have with flying.

[EQueg]

Tom wrote:

Ok...

Just about every time a "flying with a tuba" thread comes up this gets mentioned, but I have yet to see a testimonial from someone that has actually been able to do this post 9/11 (if I've missed it, please direct me to it).

So, has anyone out there actually bought a seat for their tuba, showed up at the airport with it only packed in a gig bag, and actually gotten it through security and on to the plane?

ASTuba wrote:

I did this, I flew from Syracuse, NY to Houston, TX on Northwest. I bought an extra seat, and had no problems with security at any point. I had more of a problem with trying to get the darn thing to fit in a seat.

Otherwise, I had no problems at all.

I did the same thing from Seattle to Washington D.C. a few months ago and aside from a few strange looks from passengers had no problems with security, only fitting my 6/4 beast into the tiny little seat. However if you, like me, have had airports loose your horns while traveling to an audition then the piece of mind gained by having the horn with you the whole time you are traveling is well worth the slight discomfort. Also if you do book an extra seat be sure and call an actuall person to book the flight, don't try doing it over the internet things will just get jacked up. A booking agent can notate your specifc needs and make sure that the airline knows that you are traveling with an instrument. Another suggestion would be that unless you are traveling first class try to get the seat next to the wall behind first class, it has more leg room and no people to move thier seats back and crush your horn. Oh yeah, you will also want to pre-board.

[Getzeng50s]

Ive flown from Pittsburgh to Boston with my horn in the seat next to me in a gig bag. My PT-6 actually. it fit quite well in the seat. at no point did I have any problems with securitythey made me put it through the carry on xray machine. it went through no problem, and i got on the plane with no problem. I needed to sit in the bulk head (first row) or very last row, and needed seat belt extentions to belt the horn into the seat. Its easy, and way less expensive then buying a flight case for a one time trip.

[pgiampi1]

if you've chosen to, has anyone had a problem with having their horn checked and stowed under the plane but with strollers and wheelchairs and the like? i play euphonium and have a sturdy enough case that i think this will work, but i wanted to see if anyone had some experience with that.

[LoyalTubist]

Never forget...

if you buy a seat for your tuba on an airplane...

YOU ARE ENTITLED TO ITS MEAL...

you paid for it!

I always take advantage of this rule!

[pgiampi1]

i'll have the fish, my tuba will have the chicken.

[thedeep42]

i play euphonium and have a sturdy enough case that i think this will work, but i wanted to see if anyone had some experience with that.

i flew my euph in it's yamaha case all over the place and never had the horn damaged. (all over north america and to europe). i pack every possible cubic inch (inside bell as well) with socks and underwear, wrap the whole thing in a T shirt, and make sure nothing has any room to move in the luggage compartment. this is fine unless you are travelling under tightened security and the whole thing has to be searched. this usually provides for some laughs at security, make sure the clothes are clean haha. the case eventually had to have holes patched with fiberglass and covered with duct tape and lost all the little nubby "feet", but it protected the horn well. I am very fortunate, others have not been so lucky. To top it all off i wrap it in packing tape over the buckles or more recently use cling wrap. it's groovey.

however, checking a bag small enough to be thrown on top of the luggage carts is legitimately unnerving. i've watched my horn fall 5 feet or so to the tarmac right outside the jet.

i've flown in canada only with my big horn in flight case... it weighs nearly 100 lbs and i with new restrictions, i am worried. i am shipping it with british airways cargo across to britain for school. a little nervous but hopefully it turns out ok. Out of edmonton they charged me around $75 USD on westjet and in toronto they didn't even look at it when i flew back. drew lots of sniggering at the checkin in edmonton though.

for flying in canada... ZOOM airlines allows you to check one musical instrument, no matter the size without have to count it towards your luggage level... to quote the guy "whether it's a flute or a drumset" and then you can check your one bag of 20KG or less. food for thought for you people going to the UK from the Torontoish area. cheers.