Flying with instruments - my guide

[Bassjon]

I recently flew my Fender jazz to Geneva for A gig. Put it through oversize baggage in its hard case wrapped in gaffa and had no problems. It was easier than I thought it'd be

[davegriffiths91]

The SKB bass safe is the only choice for me. I can't imagine taking a bass in a softcase and having to check it in, too risky!

[spencer.b]

I know gtr players that still take them on as hand luggage but it's too risky these days , I've done tons of flights with a hiscox in the hold and touch wood it's always been fine, I don't take my vintage fenders though

[davegriffiths91]

Flew again last week with BA. Used the SKB bass safe with no issues. My guitarist was flying with his guitar in his fender fitted hardcase and they wouldn't let him take it in on board so it went in the hold. It survived with no issues!

[Tubster]

November 2017 update. British Airways London to Seville. No way to get bass on as hand luggage . Guitarist ahead of me said BA is strictly enforcing their new ‘must travel in hold’ policy. Very aggressive lady at boarding said it’s “you or the bass in the seat”

hand checked it at boarding and was lucky it came out alive.

so watch out for BA

[jposega]

I flew from Minneapolis to Detroit to Providence to Dublin, and then bussed from Dublin with two basses.

Taking advice from Sheldon Dingwall, I bought a golf club travel bag that fits almost every airlines size restrictions for musical instruments that you’re buying a seat for.

The bag fit my two basses in their individual gigbags, two pairs of shoes, two cables, strap, and Pedaltrain Nano in its bag. It was far more cost effective to do this rather than throw money into a flight case that wouldn’t guarantee absolute protection of my gear.

The only downside is that it was awkward to wrangle in and out of the seat.

[dand666]

Recently flew to a gig in Paris from Gatwick using Easyjet, and had no problems getting my bass on. In a mono case with also the mono tick attached.

 

I found that as long as you're first in the queue you're fine. Myself and the guitarist had no problems and had them both in the overhead lockers. 

[BigRedX]

I certainly wouldn't want to be putting anything in the overhead lockers if it didn't have something like a Mono case as the minimum protection.

[dand666]

No one would dare put anything on top of it, with the mono tick attached there just is not room. Had mine at the back of the locker and a guitar in front. 

Edited December 18, 2017 by dand666

[BigRedX]

7 minutes ago, dand666 said:

No one would dare put anything on top of it, with the mono tick attached there just is not room. Had mine at the back of the locker and a guitar in front. 

You'd be surprised by what people try to cram into the lockers on budget flights. Just because there doesn't look as though there is any room in the locker won't stop someone having a go to get their bag in using the door to force it into place.

[dand666]

5 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

You'd be surprised by what people try to cram into the lockers on budget flights. Just because there doesn't look as though there is any room in the locker won't stop someone having a go to get their bag in using the door to force it into place.

 

That's fair enough, but like you mentioned, you need to have a pretty good case and it'll be fine :-)

[Lozz196]

We`ve got our first flying gigs coming up next year, and all advice from others who regularly do this has been book them into the hold in hard-cases, but to bubble-wrap the necks as an extra precaution. Plus, to make sure that you only fly with your backup guitars, just in case.

Must admit I`d rather Mono/Cabin mine, but am reluctant to chance it in case it has to go into the hold. Plus, as a skinhead punk band I`m aware that some might like to try and "get one over" on us and prove how hard they are by making sure our gig-bagged guitars are put in the hold even though there`s room in the cabin. Without realising we`re as hard & threatening as new-born lambs, we just happen to look like thugs.

[Dad3353]

If you want to be really hard, you go in the hold and give your seat to your instruments. 

[Lozz196]

31 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

If you want to be really hard, you go in the hold and give your seat to your instruments. 

Don`t tell that to the airlines, they might just try and put it into practice................

[josie]

See this: note that guitars count as "larger musical instruments" let alone basses! :-(

https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/baggage-essentials/sporting-goods-and-musical-instruments
 

Quote

 

Guitars are not accepted in the cabin as hand baggage as they are too big for the available stowage space.

You can take your guitar packed into a hard guitar case as checked baggage which will travel in the hold. It will count as one item of your checked baggage allowance. We cannot accept any guitar in a soft case as we want to ensure your instrument arrives safely.

You can buy an extra seat, depending on availability, to ensure that your guitar travels on the seat next to you. As it is not possible to do this online, please contact us or your travel agent at least 24 hours before your flight departs. If you purchase an extra seat, please come forward at the start of boarding to secure your guitar in the cabin.

On short haul flights or connecting journeys your guitar will always travel in the hold, unless you have bought an extra seat for it on each of your flights.

On some long haul flights, we may be able to accept your guitar in the cabin if there is safe stowage space available on the day, but this will be an exception and we cannot guarantee it.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 24, 2017 by josie

[mybass]

On 30/11/2017 at 20:53, jposega said:

I flew from Minneapolis to Detroit to Providence to Dublin, and then bussed from Dublin with two basses.

Taking advice from Sheldon Dingwall, I bought a golf club travel bag that fits almost every airlines size restrictions for musical instruments that you’re buying a seat for.

The bag fit my two basses in their individual gigbags, two pairs of shoes, two cables, strap, and Pedaltrain Nano in its bag. It was far more cost effective to do this rather than throw money into a flight case that wouldn’t guarantee absolute protection of my gear.

The only downside is that it was awkward to wrangle in and out of the seat.

Are you saying you bough5 an extra seat for the basses? In an old Rufus Reid double bass tutor book, he shows pictures of how to situate a double bass on a seat, upside down/ neck to the floor and strapped in. 

[jposega]

4 hours ago, mybass said:

Are you saying you bough5 an extra seat for the basses? In an old Rufus Reid double bass tutor book, he shows pictures of how to situate a double bass on a seat, upside down/ neck to the floor and strapped in. 

Yes, I paid for a seat that the basses sat in, guess that wasn’t super clear in my post.

 

 I could see how inverting a double bass would work, but I’d be worried about the neck though!

[ambient]

On 18/12/2017 at 15:02, dand666 said:

Recently flew to a gig in Paris from Gatwick using Easyjet, and had no problems getting my bass on. In a mono case with also the mono tick attached.

 

I found that as long as you're first in the queue you're fine. Myself and the guitarist had no problems and had them both in the overhead lockers. 

I gigged in Paris earlier this year, and went by Eurostar, absolutely no problem at all. My bass went on the luggage rack just like a regular train.

[mybass]

2 hours ago, jposega said:

Yes, I paid for a seat that the basses sat in, guess that wasn’t super clear in my post.

 

 I could see how inverting a double bass would work, but I’d be worried about the neck though!

The picture looked worrying enough of a double bass upside down but he seemed quite happy to do this. I guess the cost of buying a real heavy duty flight case and cost of hauling it around makes buying another seat cheap by comparison.

[jposega]

1 hour ago, mybass said:

The picture looked worrying enough of a double bass upside down but he seemed quite happy to do this. I guess the cost of buying a real heavy duty flight case and cost of hauling it around makes buying another seat cheap by comparison.

Absolutely. I couldn’t fathom letting baggage handle two basses worth over $2500USD each new with an 18 month wait from the shop, even in a couple hundred dollar case.

[Lozz196]

19 hours ago, josie said:

See this: note that guitars count as "larger musical instruments" let alone basses! :-(

https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/baggage-essentials/sporting-goods-and-musical-instruments
 

 

 

 

Easyjet now display this. I suppose it is possible to get guitars/basses on depending on staff willingness, but too much of a risk in a gig-bag.

[mybass]

14 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

Easyjet now display this. I suppose it is possible to get guitars/basses on depending on staff willingness, but too much of a risk in a gig-bag.

Yes it’s down to staff of the day. The check in  staff at the ticket desk usually meet you at the gate too for boarding. If there is a difficult staff person, this is where they will finally get ya!

[dand666]

On 24/12/2017 at 21:07, Lozz196 said:

Easyjet now display this. I suppose it is possible to get guitars/basses on depending on staff willingness, but too much of a risk in a gig-bag.

I fly with easyJet all the time and gig overseas regularly and haven’t had any problems getting my bass on. 

 

Just be first in that queue. If they moan (which they won’t)they’ll put it in the hold. If you’ve got a mono case you’ll have no problem either way. 

[ambient]

10 minutes ago, dand666 said:

I fly with easyJet all the time and gig overseas regularly and haven’t had any problems getting my bass on. 

 

Just be first in that queue. If they moan (which they won’t)they’ll put it in the hold. If you’ve got a mono case you’ll have no problem either way. 

You can have the best and most expensive case in the world. If it's opened and the instrument is damaged then, that's the problem. Patitucci's bass was damaged after it's case was opened, possibly by security people. Steve Lawson's one Modulus bass was irreparably damaged about 6 or 7 years ago, again possibly after the case was opened by security people, his case was undamaged.

I've got a Mono bag, personally I wouldn't want someone's heavy suitcase being stuck on top of it in a luggage hold. It's a great gig bag, and extremely well padded, but it's not robust enough in my opinion to protect an instrument during transit in a luggage hold of an aircraft.

A far better idea is to phone the airline beforehand and ask. 

Edited December 26, 2017 by ambient

[FinnDave]

I flew back from Finland with a guitar a few years ago, unbolted the neck, and the whole thing, wrapped in bubble wrap, travelled in a suitcase with my clothes. Should be possible to do the same with a bass, I'd have thought.