Ok, now what do I do??

[Davidrn1]

As some of you may have read, I have a gig in OKC in July. I need my tuba of course. I have a Marzan Bb. The bell is just a tick under 19, the length is 37 and the total width is 24. That adds up to 80 inches. That is the max that an airline will take before they will not let it on. I was hoping to have about 2 inches on all sides for foam. According to the TSA, I have to comply with airline size restrictions as there is no accomodation for instrument size. So, what do I do? What have you guys that have cases that big done with airlines?

Driving is an option but not a total solution as I found out today I have a studio date next February in Orlando. I am now on the West Coast.

I thought about making a tapered case but, again, the airlines measure the widest part, so a taper, although it would look smaller, would measure the same at all the widest points.

I have looked at 5 airlines and they all have the same restrictions for size and weight max at 100. Considering the horn, 30 pounds of hardware for the case (I totalled the published weight of each piece) and 50 for the MDF, I may not even make that! And that was 1/4 MDF!

Please help!!!

[imperialbari]

I don’t remember your specific Marzan tuba, but some of them came with one or two detachable bells. If yours is one of them, then you might use two separate flight cases that would each be quite a bit under the allowed max size.

Klaus

[Davidrn1]

I don’t remember your specific Marzan tuba, but some of them came with one or two detachable bells. If yours is one of them, then you might use two separate flight cases that would each be quite a bit under the allowed max size.

Klaus

Thanks for the reply, nope, not detachable bell.

[imperialbari]

I am kind of interested in your problem. My own Marzan is a euphonium, but my York Master BBb shares stack, bow, and several branches with the B&M-made Marzan CC tubas. It is a fairly big tuba, but no way near the big Yorkbrunners, Holtons, or other BAT’s. And people bring these biggies on airplanes. Are you using a smaller commuter plane with stricter restrictions, sizewise?

Klaus

[Nick Pierce]

Fly Southwest.

I have flown with a tuba via Southwest on two separate occasions. The first time, they realized that it was oversize and overweight, and too much weight even over that, and weren't going to let me fly at all. I then said, "Please sir, it's a music instrument, I need it for an audition," "Wait, it's a musical instrument?" "Yes sir." "Let me check with a supervisor." Supervisor: "You say it's a musical instrument?" Attendant: "Yes sir." Supervisor thinks for a moment: "Let him through." And so I was charged the total fine of $50 for both oversize and overweight (as opposed to too one fine for oversize and a second fine for overweight, like other airlines), and arrived at my destination without incident. My tuba was fine; my bass guitar case, however, was smashed, while the bass guitar inside was unharmed. Upon reporting the damage, I was told to buy a new bass guitar case, for which I was fully reimbursed without incident or complaint.

The second time the story was much simpler. I arrived at the baggage check gate, where they looked at the tuba (same horn, different case) and said "That looks like it's overweight and/or oversize." I said "It is." They said "Ok," and charged me the fifty dollar fine, and I was able to proceed without incident.

It may depend on which airport you fly out of and any number of other factors, but I personally have had only good experiences flying Southwest with my Kalison D.S. (out of DIA, LAX, and Lovefield). And $50 is not a terrible amount to pay for the shipment of an item so large, heavy, fragile and valuable (monetarily and intrinsically) as a tuba. As usual, your mileage, pardon the pun, may vary.

P.S. Couldn't resist telling a story. On the first occasion described, I arrived at the airport on a cool winter day, with snow and colder weather being possible at my point of deparature and my point of arrival; as such I was wearing a long black overcoat and a black pinstripe fedora. As I'm unloading my horn from my vehicle, an airport employee moves forward to help. He stops as he sees me, in my black coat and hat, pulling a big, long, mysterious, rectangular black case out of the car. His eyes move back and forth between myself and the case, until finally, voice filled with awe, he says, "Wow, are you a Magician?!?!"

Too which I replied, "No, I'm a tuba player!"

[imperialbari]

From your description you could have been a contract killer bringing home his trophy.

K

[Davidrn1]

Fly Southwest.

I have flown with a tuba via Southwest on two separate occasions. The first time, they realized that it was oversize and overweight, and too much weight even over that, and weren't going to let me fly at all. I then said, "Please sir, it's a music instrument, I need it for an audition," "Wait, it's a musical instrument?" "Yes sir." "Let me check with a supervisor." Supervisor: "You say it's a musical instrument?" Attendant: "Yes sir." Supervisor thinks for a moment: "Let him through." And so I was charged the total fine of $50 for both oversize and overweight (as opposed to too one fine for oversize and a second fine for overweight, like other airlines), and arrived at my destination without incident. My tuba was fine; my bass guitar case, however, was smashed, while the bass guitar inside was unharmed. Upon reporting the damage, I was told to buy a new bass guitar case, for which I was fully reimbursed without incident or complaint.

The second time the story was much simpler. I arrived at the baggage check gate, where they looked at the tuba (same horn, different case) and said "That looks like it's overweight and/or oversize." I said "It is." They said "Ok," and charged me the fifty dollar fine, and I was able to proceed without incident.

It may depend on which airport you fly out of and any number of other factors, but I personally have had only good experiences flying Southwest with my Kalison D.S. (out of DIA, LAX, and Lovefield). And $50 is not a terrible amount to pay for the shipment of an item so large, heavy, fragile and valuable (monetarily and intrinsically) as a tuba. As usual, your mileage, pardon the pun, may vary.

P.S. Couldn't resist telling a story. On the first occasion described, I arrived at the airport on a cool winter day, with snow and colder weather being possible at my point of deparature and my point of arrival; as such I was wearing a long black overcoat and a black pinstripe fedora. As I'm unloading my horn from my vehicle, an airport employee moves forward to help. He stops as he sees me, in my black coat and hat, pulling a big, long, mysterious, rectangular black case out of the car. His eyes move back and forth between myself and the case, until finally, voice filled with awe, he says, "Wow, are you a Magician?!?!"

Too which I replied, "No, I'm a tuba player!"

Great story. I do plan to fly SWA. Plus they have 5k liability. But, I will carry my own insurance too.

[tclements]

Did you try Amtrak?

[Davidrn1]

Dear David,
I'm posting my reply to your e mail. Others might want to hear about it.
I asked my expert and she said that it's the X-Ray machine that would be the only problem from TSA's stand point, but
that it's always up the airline and ultimately the individual plane's pilot to decide what they will and will not carry. (What a cop out).
If you can get the airline to allow it, the TSA will hand search your tuba and all's well.

Last time I flew, excuse me, the next to the last time I flew, I took my Kaiser tuba in my coffin case to Ft. Lauderdale to board a cruse ship.
You need to consider this because this is what can go wrong. "That's my tuba I'm in a band" OK no problem no charge, from San Francisco to
Atlanta. I had a three day lay over. I was hoping to meet Lee Stofer, but He was in Texas. I went to the Atlanta airport and the Lady said," I don't
know how they do things in San Francisco, but we do things right here in Atlanta that will be $300.00. I wrote American Airlines a letter suggesting
that that lady whose name I did of course include, be given a commendation for her excellent customer service skills.........NOT !!

My case is 25 1/2 x 22 1/2 x 42 1/2 and yes, you can borrow it. However, you might want to do more homework first !
Most likely, you can fly with a tuba as long as you ask for a hand search and stand by while they do so. That's what I did.
BTW; My last trip was to China. They used different machines then here. They let me watch them X-ray it on three different domestic flights.

OK now very confused. the total of your case is 90.5 did they measure it before? Or do they just look at it? Every airline I have looked at says 80 is the max before they will not allow it on. How did you get away with that? PLease explain

[Davidrn1]

OK, BUt I could get out of the xray deal all together if I ask to have a TSA person inspect the horn right? I did talk with SWA and AAL, they all said they measure. AAL has a 126" limit as most are 80. Have you flown other than American with the horn?

It looks like I have 2 options. Drive or don't go.

[Dan Schultz]

... It looks like I have 2 options. Drive or don't go.

Airline policy seems to be based on whatever mood that prevails at the time you board your initial flight. Once you are on a set of flights, you can be pretty much assured that the horn will be checked through to the final destination. The return trip might be different due to ignorance/policy differences between one end and the other.

I think if I was faced with a similar situation.... I would just put the horn on a Greyhound a couple of days ahead of time and return it the same way.

In any case... it might be good insurance to have a 'loaner' scoped out.

[Davidrn1]

Hi Dan,

I thought about Greyhound as that is how you sent me the Marzan. IT would cost 101 and change each way. Not too bad. BUt, I would have to have someone go pick it up for me. That could be a problem as I do notthink I would want to let it sit at a bus depot for a day before I could get it.

[Dan Schultz]

Hi Dan,

I thought about Greyhound as that is how you sent me the Marzan. IT would cost 101 and change each way. Not too bad. BUt, I would have to have someone go pick it up for me. That could be a problem as I do notthink I would want to let it sit at a bus depot for a day before I could get it.

Greyhound is pretty secure about handling freight. They don't mind holding an item for a couple of days. If you do have someone else pick it up for you... you need to let them know as they might not release freight to someone other than the intended receiver.

[Tom]

I've used Greyhound several times without trouble for tubas and cases, but one must be aware that Greyhound has absolutely no package tracking and that they reserve the right to bump your shipment off the bus if space is needed for passenger baggage. They also have liability limits that are virtually zero (this is not unusual with shipping companies) if something happens to your item. They make no promise of delivery time and probably will NOT call you when your package arrives at the destination station. You save some money with Greyhound, but you've got to be willing to accept the risks and do the leg work to find your package.

It is also your responsibility to know the shipping situation at the station of origin and destination...it could very well be just a "stop" at a McDonalds restaurant where there is no Greyhound attendant working or station, per se, in which case your package either never makes it off the bus, or sits at the McDonalds until someone can figure out what they're supposed to do with it.

If I needed something on a hard deadline, I would NOT opt for Greyhound. Amtrak would be a much safter bet in that situation, I think.

Flying with tubas is absolutely awful and I wish you the best if that's what you end up doing.

[imperialbari]

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[kontrabass]

Every tuba case is going to be "oversize" because they are bulky and awkward. My hunch is that airlines give that maximum size so they have the right to deny something if they have to. AND - if you call someone and ask, they are going to tell you a response that's "by the book" every time. The people you get on the phones - what do they know? They're customer service reps who are paid $8 an hour who've been trained to give responses according to a flowchart, they don't work in the airport and they don't have any understanding of how the actual day-to-day works.

For my part, I've flown with tubas and sousaphones in large flight cases - which are over the stated maximum LxWxH restrictions - about a dozen times, and NEVER had it denied for being oversize. I sometimes have to pay a fee for it being overweight - and, very rarely, for being oversize, but I've never been turned away at the gate. (Caveat: I fly out of Toronto, the airlines I've flown with a tuba - off the top of my head - are Air Canada, Westjet, Porter, American Airlines, British Airways, Air France, Singapore Airlines). There's an oversize baggage x-ray machine that the cases fit through fairly easily, if they don't I'm sure they would just open it up and inspect it by hand.

I think you just show up and play it cool, like there's no problem, don't say a word about size unless they ask. If they give you a hard time, be prepared to talk your way through and be prepared to pay extra fees. ("I've flown with this before and it's never been a problem". "Please, my job depends on my getting my horn there." "Can I talk with your supervisor" etc.)

If I had a choice between driving up to 2 days and flying with tubas, though, I would drive. Better to have the instrument in your control the whole time, you just never know. Flying is always a bit of a gamble, the price we pay for being modern jetsetters...

[tubatooter1940]

I shipped my tuba to Seattle a week ahead of my gigs via U.P.S. ground. I let U.P.S. store help me package it. It got there fine for $200.
I shipped it back Fedex ground for $250. Tuba was fine. Box was rumpled.