American Airlines

rascaljim · Post by **rascaljim** » Thu May 19, 2005 6:50 pm

What do you think about American Airlines as far as carrying tubas
Thanks
Jim

brianf · Post by **brianf** » Fri May 20, 2005 10:04 am

American is one of the few airlines that have not filed Chapter 11. You must be thinking of United or US Air or Delta or ???

Sean Greene · Post by **Sean Greene** » Fri May 20, 2005 10:26 am

I flew AA this week with my horn and I thought they were great. Fifty pounds and under is free, over fifty pounds is $25. My horn, bagged and in the plastic-molded case was 55 lbs. They apologised up and down about having to charge me at the counter, but as I was going in expecting the worst, $25 was nothing.

David Zerkel · Post by **David Zerkel** » Fri May 20, 2005 10:32 am

Delta is also a very good way to go. They are free up to 70 lbs.! I flew with two horns this weekend and was not hassled a bit.

Good luck!

MartyNeilan · Post by **MartyNeilan** » Fri May 20, 2005 12:06 pm

For international travel, I wold like to give Kudos to KLM. About 30 members of the Lee University Symphonic Band flew from Atlanta to Amman, Jordan with a stopover in Amsterdam. The first trombone player and baritone (euphonium

) player only had GIGBAGS and checked their horns. The baritone sustained barely noticeable cosmetic damage, and the slide on the trombone worked exactly the same as it had when it left the states! On any other airline, this would have instrument suicide. Nothing was lost, and the only real damage to anything was a seam split on a prehistoric bari sax case that had already been put back together several times before. Needless to say I was very impressed. Plus, the food on the planes was even pretty good, excellent by airline standards. Luckily for me, I just brought a mouthpiece (brass one checked and kelleyberg in carryon as a backup) and played on an older 4/4 Holton (looked just like a Conn monster) that one of the schools in Amman had.

tubajoe · Post by **tubajoe** » Fri May 20, 2005 8:12 pm

I flew AA a several times with my tuba over the last year and it worked out ok.

My tuba was in a HUGE anvil coffin type case. They dealt with it pretty well (the TSA did not, the first time around)

AA is not consistent on the overages they charge -- I was supposed to be charged $80 EACH WAY for over size and ANOTHER $80 EACH WAY for over weight. They charge this at the baggage counter. The second time I took AA this last year (NYC to Denver) they took pity on me and only charged me one charge of $80 instead of two -- then on the return the counterperson realized the deal I had recieved before and decided to be nice and do the same (actually I think they were just replicating the previous actions) Which worked out well. So I guess the lesson here is that it the charges are indeed up to the discretion of the counterperson -- so haggle and bargain if you can.

-- and they have a cutoff of 100lbs (my coffin was only 98!) Weigh your stuff at home if possible, in case you have to lighten it up.

On the other hand I have had issues with AA in the past -- they once lost my horn for an entire week coming back from Milan (this was pre 9/11) and they had no idea where it was, when it just strangely appeared at their cargo depot 7 or 8 days later, unharmed.