How much did you pay last time you flew with horns?

[Dan Castillo]

I apologize in advance if this has been brought up recently. I haven't visited the forums in a while.

I'm going to be flying in the near future with horns. I know that a lot of airlines have changed their rules regarding checked baggage in the past few years, so I thought I would ask around and see if anybody out there has had any good or bad experiences with specific airlines. Specifically, I'm trying to find out what airlines are charging these days per checked tuba.

From my personal experience, American Airlines and United are not good choices and can charge around $200 per horn. Southwest seems to be highly recommended and last time I flew with them and a horn (Summer 2010), I was only charged $50, or $100 round trip. What have you guys and girls seen in your travels? Any experience with the following:

AirTran?
Frontier?
Jet Blue?

Thanks!
Dan C.

[Charlie Goodman]

I flew Southwest this summer with both horns (each just about 72 pounds in flight cases) and paid $50 per horn, both ways. Absolutely no hassle with this.

I've also flown United, where I was gleefully charged $225 one way ("Oh, wow, that's odd size AND overweight!") for one horn and nothing on the return leg of the same trip, and Northwest (now-defunct?) for $100 for one horn each way.

It really seems like it's all about catching someone on a good day, because most of the time the employee checking me in didn't seem very confident about what the right charge was.

[Biggs]

I flew Southwest last week and paid $50 each way. Everyone I dealt with at Southwest and with the TSA was very helpful and accommodating. On both of my flights, there was an also an upright bass in the hold and, both times, it emerged unharmed.

[mdc2d]

$50 each way on Southwest.

[rascaljim]

United cost me $300 one way for both oversize and overweight.

I was pissed when I payed it, but, if you would plan to have the airline actually pay for any damage that may occur in flight, I would recommend on asking to pay the full fee. At claim office, the first thing they do is see if you've paid for the proper size and weight. If that's in order and you can prove the condition of the horn before the flight, you have a chance.

[katietes]

I flew a few weeks ago and didn't get charged anything going either way on Air Canada, which was pretty cool. I've been charged between $50-75 flying with them in the past, though. ...and then there was the time the agent thought the tuba was a bicycle.........(???!)

[Doug Elliott]

Southwest may be the only airline that has specific written rules about oversize instruments - $50, and 100 lbs max. My wife's a bass player and sometimes flies with her trunk which is just about exactly 100 lbs.

[tubbba]

I flew from Oregon to Florida - Southwest, I think - and paid oversize on the way there - somewhere around $75.

On the way back, the agent told me: "You're not paying oversize while I'm here."

[Aaron Tindall]

Hey Dan! I flew alot in 2010, and my best experiences flying here in the USA were def.with Southwest. The most I paid for checking either of my horns was $100 (and I think that was out of DIA too). On the international trips over to Europe I stuck with United. They never charged me a penny.

The worst airline was Delta...they charged me $150, lost my F tuba, and when it did finally make it the case was completely split in two, with the horn hanging out the backside! You seriously have to throw a case pretty hard for all of the hinges to break off of it. Luckily, and I don't know how, the tuba was ok w/out a scratch on it. Delta sent the case off to be fixed, but called 3 weeks later to say it was irreparable and that they would replace it for me. I have yet to hear back from them, and they have not returned my calls this past week.

IMHO fly Southwest...they always seem to be kind w/ my luggage! See you in CO soon!