<p>Doesn't the musicians union still have that letter regarding carrying instruments on planes? My son carried it with him regularly. Apparently the musician's union has dealt with this. Anyone know?</p>
<p>If you are thinking of the same letter I am, it will help you at the security checkpoint but will not do anything for you if an airline employee decides that you cannot carry the instrument on board. The version I know about is at <a href="http://www.local802afm.org/about/TSALetter.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.local802afm.org/about/TSALetter.pdf</a></p>
<p>Here is Delta's policy on musical instruments: Musical</a> Instruments</p>
<p>Oddly enough, they also have an official policy for antlers: Special</a> Baggage Allowance information about carrying Antlers onboard</p>
<p>Although you folks who play smaller instruments may think air travel is a pain, consider the plight of those who play instruments like double basses or harps. There is a very good blog that starts at Jason</a> Heath’s Double Bass Blog Basses, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles Part 1 - Cabs
which will give you a taste of what they go through. Make sure to read parts 3 and 4 concerning air travel (and view the YouTube segment linked to in the part 3 addendum at Jason</a> Heath’s Double Bass Blog Bass on a Plane - Addendum to Basses, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles Part 3 - Planes for a musical explanation.)</p>
<p>Yes, Bassdad, that is the letter. But still...having a flight attendant hand place your instrument and give it back is, in my son's opinion, better than handing it over at the ticket counter as checked baggage. </p>
<p>Maybe we should just all get a set of antlers.</p>
<p>Bassdad, I DO have great sympathy for you, your D and Cosmos! (Cosmos, any bass travel stories to share??) I've heard real bass horror stories - kids returning from camp that weren't allowed to board with instrument leaving them stranded, adults having similar problems tracking bass progress, etc.</p>
<p>I also have sympathy for cellists who must "play the certainty game" by purchasing an extra seat.</p>
<p>I think what bothers me about the whole air travel enterprise is the uncertainty. I find air travel - airports, weather, crowds, lack of control, etc - disconcerting enough without adding the question of violin/viola treatment. The "rules", to the extent they even exist, don't apply equally depending on airline personnel, airplane, airport, etc. I find that uncertainty adds (perhaps too much) to my overall anxiety.</p>
<p>Fiddlemom, thanks for the update. Best to your D!</p>
<p>One other thought when travelling with instruments internationally - especially foreign made/labelled instruments. Consider carrying a copy of the instrument's insurance clearly marked with your name as owner. I know both string and wind players who have been given trouble by foreign officials over ownership or the need to pay duty.</p>
<p>S was on his first solo plane flight with his large instrument for which we had purchased a ticket. Made it through the first leg (I had accompanied him to the gate) with no problem. On second flight, they did not scan both boarding passes when he got on although they took the passes (apparently didn't see there were 2). So it looked to them like they had an extra seat which they sold to someone. </p>
<p>Flight attendant came & said he had to check the instrument. Of course, he had no documentation on him because he had given both boarding passes to be scanned. He insisted that he had paid for a ticket and had given 2 bps. They checked, and of course he was right, but there was a passenger to whom the airline had sold the seat who now wanted it. </p>
<p>End result, the instrument rode in the cockpit jumpseat! They even let S go and strap it in himself. Ever since, I have always made sure he had copies of his itinerary on him (it was in his checked baggage) for such an incident which will probably never happen again. </p>
<p>It is true that it is very much up to the airline personnel (we have only traveled with one airline) as to how they treat the instrument. S has been told he has to preboard, he can't preboard, he must sit in the bulkhead row, he can't sit in the bulkhead row. The only thing that has really been consistent is that the instrument has to have a window seat so that it is not blocking anyone from exiting.</p>
<p>Musicianmom really hit it on the head about the uncertainty and the arbitrariness of airline personnel's decisions. I personally experienced it while traveling internationally with babies and toddlers back in the '90s. And that was at a time when airlines were doing fairly well with on time performance & baggage handling. One time I was castigated for checking the baby's carseat and not having it on board. The next time I flew, on the same airline & route, I had a carseat, a stroller, a diaper bag, and a backpack for myself. I was perfectly within my limits, having purchased a seat for the little one. I got chewed out for having too much stuff. No matter what I did, I couldn't win.</p>
<p>Anyway, daughter is in the air, apparently having gotten through fine on this set of flights. We'll see how the return, including the flight of concern, goes!</p>
<p>I'm glad to hear that all - so far - goes well!</p>
<p>S leaves in several weeks for his summer program - I guess I thought your D was leaving later, not the day after you started posting. I hope I didn't panic you with all my concerns and experiences! Just wish it was easier for all of us who take to the skies with or without instrument...</p>
<p>If you haven’t already----go to youtube and search on “united breaks guitars”.
Hilarious. Hope none of your kids go through this.</p>
<p>Thanks, musicamusica, I loved it!</p>
<p>Can’t post youtube videos here but you might enjoy looking it up on your own</p>
<p>“United breaks guitars”</p>
<p>hope you enjoy it…was passed on to me by a friend!</p>
<p>Just a word of caution for those who may be flying through or into either of the 3 airports in the NYC region (Newark, LaGuardia, JFK), make SURE that you have plenty of time alloted for your connections. A little known edict from the last administration, which is set to expire in October of this year, allows for major delays and out-right cancellations of flights in that area if the FAA officials feel that the airspace has become too crowded. Doesn’t sound terribly awful, but let me illustrate with this scenario:
My eldest son was caught in this during June when he flew east from Seattle for his sister’s graduation. To save $, he was to go from SeaTac to JFK and then to Rochester. Delays began to cascade and flights were held on the tarmac for hours, although the end result was quite funny. He was originally slated to get to ROC at 11:30, but he called while waiting at his starting point to say that the airline had just announced that the plane would be quite late. OK, he was late getting in to JFK, but he had built time into his itinerary. We get to the airport, trying to decipher , in total darkness, the mess that is an airport parking lot under major renovation! D and I hoof it into the terminal and just as we get in the door my cell phone rings; it’s eldest son, telling me that his plane is stuck at JFK and that they are now slated to get to ROC at 1:40- ugh. We sit down to wait in an airport which locks everything up at 11PM. Hadn’t even brought books because my last look on line had said all was on time- wrong!.We wait- the board still keeps saying that the flight will be in at 1:40. Then it’s 12:35 and my phone rings again. My son is telling me that they have landed and are taxing to the terminal! Can’t be, I mutter, in my sleep-deprived haze, the board still says that the flight is scheduled to be in at 1:40!! And it was still saying it when he had retrieved his luggage from the carousel!! I hate leaving anyone at the airport but had to get D to work, so dropped my son at the airport when he left, because, the flight was on-time and he would be boarding right after he checked in. Nope, that flight turned out to be going nowhere, again due to the cancellation of all flights going to and around NYC! He did make it home because he pressured the airline to reroute him through Chicago because he didn’t relish spending the night sitting in the JFK airport.
The moral in all of this is 1) don’t trust what you see on-line regarding flight times
2) an airline who delays/cancels flights due to an FAA regulation does NOT have to pay for a hotel, food, or anything else 3) that same loophole also makes it so, if you have already paid to check your 1 bag (or anything else), are held up and change to another carrier, they do not have to refund your money, nor do they have to get your bag to the other airline. If they are feeling kind, your baggage may be taken to the new carrier, but you will have to pay to check it again, if the carrier charges. Make sure your S/D has extra money with them and something to keep them occupied/company and that they are aware that they can request to be rebooked on an alternate carrier if space is available.
I just can’t imagin going through that hassle with a cello- or,even worse, a double-bass!!</p>
<p>Looks like info in my previous post was same info given by another on previous page…SORRY!</p>
<p>Yeah guys all this is exactly why I decided to asked my festival to rent a bass for me this year. I also went with a rental for the NSO program I did last year and with the program I did in Switzerland in Sept… there are just too many opportunities for issues when trying to fly with a bass! Luckily I was able to get a rental for all my programs thus far. </p>
<p>I’ve been hearing more and more stories of peoples’ instruments getting damaged or totally destroyed when flying or shipping. Just yesterday a bassist friend at Aspen told me that he shipped his bass there ahead of time and opened the case to find it completely destroyed. A few days ago, a cellist friend overseas opened her case after flying with her cello in cargo from Rome to Geneva to find that the neck of her cello had broken. </p>
<p>I don’t want to risk that with my instrument, and I strongly suggest that others don’t risk it either! If you can find a rental, use it. I bet that in the coming years festivals will set up rental programs for students with large instruments…</p>
<p>Slightly off topic - please forgive me for taking advantage of this thread for a personal question, but I know there are those out there who can answer!</p>
<p>Is TSA no longer doing the baggie thing for liquid and semi-liquid carry-ons???</p>
<p>I’m wondering because I’ve made several airport runs recently and not seen any reminder signs nor noticed passengers carrying their baggies. The TSA website still indicates the requirements - don’t know what to do! I’m planning a completely carry-on trip soon - would love not to bother with this. Instruments are enough!</p>
<p>Any advice or very recent experience??? Thank you all.</p>
<p>I would not trust getting away without 3-1-1 until the TSA website changes. Each screener can do their own thing in the rules. I traveled for a long time with my 3.5oz contact lens cleaner and then suddenly it was not allowed thorugh on my return trip home one time. Stuff is expensive to have throw away.</p>
<p>Kids flew last month. Both had the quart size baggies with the smaller containers of gels/liquids. There was a sign at OUR airport right before the security check in.</p>
<p>We flew at the end of May and had to do the baggie thing, although it did seem less emphasized than previously. Maybe they just figure people are aware of it now?</p>
<p>Thank you all! As I thought, it appears that there is variability between airports. I’ve been in 3 major international airports in the midwest and south and 1 midwest regional in the past month. No one that I observed was asked for 3-1-1. </p>
<p>I like the suggestion that it’s not safe to assume anything until the TSA website changes officially. Better prepared than unprepared and having to give up the “illicit” toiletries. I’ll “bag up” for my next flight!</p>