<p>How are things going this spring with carrying instruments on board an aircraft? </p>
<p>My dd will make a domestic trip this week with one stop- thus somewhat smaller aircraft, I fear. She plans to carry her violin on board with her. The last time she flew with her violin was an international trip in 2006. Though she came home the same week all the issues with liquids arose, she had no trouble carrying on her violin. Her plan is to check her other luggage and fit her items for on board use in her rectangular case, making her violin her only carry-on item. Does this sound like a good plan?</p>
<p>She shouldn't have a problem with a violin if it's her only carryon. Make sure she doesn't have any liquids or has them in the quart bag. Don't forget stuff like hand sanitizer and chapstick that might be in her purse. </p>
<p>S flew alone to Europe with alto sax as carryon. It was fine on 2 flights originating in US until he arrived in Amsterdam. On last flight, they made him check it I guess because of small overhead space. Scary moment when he arrived in France. Fortunately, we were there to meet him, but we were all waiting in the customs area for his checked suitcase which had to clear customs when I suddenly realized the sax would probably show up on the other carrousel since it had been checked in Europe. Fortunately, H stayed with him and I went to retrieve the sax. Otherwise it would have sat there a while waiting for us.</p>
<p>Oh, dear, that's a bit scary! Actually, my biggest worry is that the airline will tell her to check her violin. She does not have a case that is strong enough to withstand checked luggage. I'm trying to figure out a strategy for her if she tries to board a flight and they won't let her take it in the cabin. I already told her that under no circumstances is she to allow her violin to be out of her sight, except in an overhead bin. What if she is stuck hundreds of miles from home and they say, "Tough beans, you won't fly then."</p>
<p>This will be her first experience flying alone and she is not a highly assertive person (though she's learning!)</p>
<p>FiddleMom,
Will her violin case fit inside a roller bag? If so, it's within the size limits that are accepted for carryon baggage. The only problem would be if she's flying on a very small plane (your itinerary should list the type of plane). On a plane that is less than 50 passengers or so, the overhead bin space is very small. A roller bag wouldn't fit, but I would think a violin case would (for instance, a regular sized computer bag will fit). If it's a larger plane, there really should be no problem.</p>
<p>I travel regularly with a computer & sometimes a video projector. I have a heavily padded rollerbag that accommodates them both, and usually can carry them with me on the plane and they will fit in the overhead bin. I have occasionally had to gate check them when I didn't check beforehand and realize it was a small plane (like people do with baby strollers). I don't like to do this, but sometimes there is no alternative. They are usually a lot gentler with gatechecked bags than with regular checked baggage. This spring I had to fly on a plane that I knew was too small to accept my rollerbag, so I put the computer & projector in a soft-sided duffle bag wrapped in a fleece sweatshirt. That would squash down enough to fit in the overhead bin. </p>
<p>There are a number of threads I've seen here about traveling with instruments if you do a search. Most of them involve larger instruments, but there are some violin stories. Mostly they are good for learning from others' mistakes / problems. But they might give you some ideas for envisioning possible scenarios so D is prepared. </p>
<p>You didn't say what airline. Read their web site and see what they say about carry on baggage and/or musical instruments. Read the TSA Website also for carry on restrictions. Remember if you prepare for all the possible problem scenarios, she will sail through easily.</p>
<p>D has never had a problem flying with her violin. Only time it was even questioned was in Paris, changing flights (Delta/Air France) - And then they just had us go to the ticket booth and receive a form indicating that it had been approved as a carryon. </p>
<p>Violin cases are technically larger than approved carryons (longer), but everyone seems to know what a violin is, so we haven't encountered any problems. Some of the less common instruments seem to be challenged more.</p>
<p>S's horn case fits within carryon dimensions, but he still gets challenged occasionally. He always stays polite, and if necessary, asks to speak to a manager. The closest it came was when they finally allowed him to go to the gate with it, with the warning that the gate attendants would make the final decision. However, the gate attendants never looked twice at him.</p>
<p>We just flew home from NYC on Saturday with a horn, on Air Tran. We were amazed at the size of the carryons people had, and my H was fully prepared to fight mightily if anyone challenged the horn, which was quite a bit smaller than some of the cases people were packing. Now that airlines are charging for extra checked bags, I expect to see a lot of overloaded carryons.</p>
<p>I think it's a good plan to travel with only one carryon, to make things simpler. But S & D often have both instrument and laptop, and so far have been okay.</p>
<p>The case will not fit into the overhead of a 50 or less passanger plane. We avoid airports where this is the only option. (Relatives live in a small city only served by these smaller planes - we fly to another city and take an airport bus to their city when the violin comes along.) The airlines is likely to DEMAND gatechecking at the last minute outside a small plane - be prepared!!</p>
<p>I'd be prepared for anything these days, despite other people's experiences. Very odd things happen depending on who the airline personnel is!</p>
<p>Good luck - this headache and uncertainty is awful.</p>
<p>Oh, dear. We might have a problem. 3 of 4 planes on the itinerary are ok- the 1st three. The last plane is a CRJ-100, which is billed as a 50 seater. When I was booking flights I had hoped to avoid extra stops, but we weren't booking way ahead and I couldn't get any direct flights using our frequent flyer miles.</p>
<p>Also look at the seating. Is the flight less than full? I find that in some small jets the under seat does not have a barrier and the larger bags can fit under the seat if there is no one next to you on the 2 seat side. Violin may fit there. Otherwise, if it does not fit, you don't have a choice. They won't let it in. You may want to try to get exact dimensions of everything in that last plane.</p>
<p>D will be flying in a puddle jumper in August. It will be her first time in a small plane. When S flew in one, he had to give the airline attendant his horn, but I don't believe it went in with the rest of the cargo, but rather "up front" or some such place. I don't think he retrieved it via luggage carousel, but it was returned to him when he deboarded. I can't ask him now (he's in China), but does this sound familiar to anyone else? I'm thinking there is some place special on these planes for more fragile items.</p>
<p>DS's instrument case doesn't fit into the overhead bins but it DOES fit under the seat as a carryon. He has only had a problem one time...and his case can take being checked. He had to give it to a flight attendant as he was boarding...and she handed it to him when he got off. He was upset.</p>
<p>Re: your D...don't let her carry ANYTHING else...not even a purse. Have her put her other "stuff" in her pockets and pack that lightly...carrying only what she needs.</p>
<p>The small jets do not have the front storage closet that larger jets have. Do not count on that option. Check the configuration since different airlines configure a little differently, but the Delta I looked at did not have a closet shown. If there is no closet and if they gate check into cargo it will go down below. They return it when you deboard , not through the luggage claim, so it gets special handling, but it is still carried in cargo..</p>
<p>Fiddlemom, I hope the flights work out for your D. </p>
<p>I was on a CRJ-200 two weeks ago (sans violin). That's a 50 seater, but I don't know how it compares to a CRJ-100. I looked very carefully at the whole set-up to see if there was any way to assure getting a violin on for future trips. The case would not have fit into the overhead and I did not see any closets of the type that are often available for flight attendants,etc. There would be room under the two-seat set-up if the person "next door" had no floor luggage. Even if I had been travelling with family members who would have shared their floor space, I don't know if the flight attendants would have allowed the case on board. They were very diligent and unrelenting as they grabbed various shapes and sizes of legal carry-on luggage. </p>
<p>The flight I was on was absolutely full. I couldn't even have purchased a last minute "violin seat" if I'd needed to.</p>
<p>This most recent trip confirmed what I've experienced for the last several years on this particular "run". I couldn't figure out a way to assure a last minute inclusion of the violin. The end result for my personal journey was that I couldn't play for my father's funeral service...</p>
<p>I hope someone can share a more positive outcome with these puddlejumpers.... As a family with violins and violas frequently in tow, we long ago subsitituted long drives for air travel with instruments whenever possible.</p>
<p>DS has flown numerous times w/ his violin out of our regional airport on small jets and prop planes. He has never had a problem taking his violin as a carryon, along with a backpack (so two carryons!). He either puts it overhead, under his seat, or if really lucky and uncrowded plane, an empty seat. I think one time the stewardess kept it for him and promptly gave it to him when they landed. When he attended ARIA a few years ago, he had to travel with his violin and a viola -- no problem carrying both instruments on with him.</p>
<p>He has flown Alaska, Horizon, United. United Express, Delta and USAir. One funny thing happened while going through security...he had his tuning fork in his violin case and the security officer didn't know what it was and almost confiscated it, thinking it could be a possible weapon.</p>
<p>I think the key is the particular model of the plane in question.... They aren't all built alike.</p>
<p>S inadvertantly turned on a metronome once as we were boarding. (It was in the outer pocket of the violin case he was carrying - he bumped it and hit the "on" button). We got a lot of attention for the sudden, very audible rhythmic ticking... Of course, he was on his way to college auditions - our nerves were high enough without help!</p>
<p>When my son flew on the very small commuter plane, and had to give his instrument case to the flight attendant, he doesn't KNOW where they put it. Likely it went under the plane (he has a Wiseman case...very sturdy) but the flight attendant placed it, and returned it to him. It did NOT get loaded with the rest of the luggage and he did not retrieve it off the carousel.</p>
<p>DD, OTOH, had an experience with a connecting flight that was HER fault. She had her computer case, her oboe/English horn case, and a purse. She got on the first plane with no problem. BUT when she went to get onto her connecting flight, the boarding person refused to let her board with all three items. She could not fit her purse into any of the other cases (and the purse had her wallet, checkbook, ID's, medications, etc in it). She weighed the options...check a $1500 computer or check $15,000 in instruments. She checked the computer. Boy did she sputter. BUT she has never carried a purse on a plane since.</p>
<p>Fiddlemom, I tried to do some checking on the CRJ planes since I have a long standing interest in beating the system re this plane when visiting family! The info I saw said the CRJ 100 was a 40 passenger plane.(?) </p>
<p>The CRJ 200 I flew 2 weeks ago is a 50 person plane. These are small planes. You have to enter the plane from ground level via stairs. On the return flight, the flight attendent asked for volunteers to change seats from front to back and side to side to "balance the weight of the plane". It was operated by United Express/Skywest. I live in a major metro area and fly out of a major international airport. My sister has the same experience flying to "mom's" from a different major metro area/airport. </p>
<p>The problem with the overhead bins for carry-on was that they are too narrow to allow for the height of a violin case or small rolling "carry-on" bag. For the last 5 years, I have ALWAYS had my smaller-than-standard, rolling carry-on taken from me by the flight attendent as I tried to board for this flight. Similarly, my husband has his non-rolling, oversized backpack taken from him. (Both items are no problem on larger planes/other routes.) The items are checked plane-side in CARGO and returned plane-side on arrival. No luggage carousel, but I doubt that the cargo area was pressurized and I wouldn't bet much on the care given to items shoved into the hold. The items are definitely NOT in an interior storage compartment. </p>
<p>I don't know about all the possible over-head bin arrangements on planes of this size that might be made depending on the carrier. Maybe your D's plane won't be a problem - I certainly hope so! I do know that I'd want my kid to be prepared for anything these days! </p>
<p>BTW, I have many professional colleagues who regularly fly with violins and violas. Having difficulties - generally just unpleasantness, they eventually make it on with instrument - is not unnusual at all. It also seems to be almost random - not necessarily airline or departure/destination specific - whether they are given problems or not.</p>
<p>Well, I've been on the phone with Delta. Word from the Delta rep. is that the overhead bins on the plane that services her flight are 43"x16"x8". Her violin case measures 31.5"x10.5"x6.5" so it should be ok. </p>
<p>Delta does require that computers be carried on, not checked, so she'll need to decide how she wants to handle that.</p>