<p>I will be flying Air Canada this July from Newark to Calgary for the Banff Festival. </p>
<p>I have arranged to borrow a flight case from a friend in the Met Opera Orchestra, but have gotten no definitive response from anyone I've called at Air Canada as to whether they'll certainly be able to take my bass as checked baggage. </p>
<p>Their website says that they do take double basses as checked baggage, but one should call Air Canada Cargo to find out about additional policies. </p>
<p>Does anyone have any advice about flying with a large instrument? Or, better yet, any advice about how to get a definitive answer from Air Canada about my flight?</p>
<p>Airlines seem to alter their regs at the drop of a hat, so I think that it’s a good idea to consult the carrier.
Speaking of that, since you are borrowing a case from a friend in a high-profile orchestra, ask him/her! At the very least, your friend should be able to ask another colleague,etc, so I would think that would be your best source.</p>
<p>First find out if the trunk you are borrowing is one of the old style Gage cases that requires a butterfly key to open and close the latches. If the security folks can’t open it with their bare hands, they will very likely not allow it on the plane. This is not at all unreasonable these days. If the case you do use is equipped with a padlock hasp, you should use a TSA-approved padlock for which the security agents will have a key.</p>
<p>If you have not yet scheduled your flights, try to fly at off-peak times between mid-sized airports on flights that generally do not operate at full capacity, even if you have to wake up at an odd hour or drive an extra 50-100 miles at each end of the trip.</p>
<p>Plan on arriving at the airport at least three hours early, more if you are flying at a busy time through a large airport. Plan on hearing more than the usual number of stupid comments from both the airline employees and casual bystanders. Prepare to be asked at least four times if you would not have rather played the flute. If the person behind the counter asks whether the instrument is a cello, do not correct them because cellos in a hard case are generally taken aboard without question. “Well, yes, it is very much like a cello” emphasizing the “yes” and mumbling the “like” is the way to go there. Be prepared to pay extra baggage and oversize/overweight baggage fees. Do not under any circumstances allow them to try to put the instrument through the automatic baggage handling system. Request that it be wheeled around the conveyor belts by hand and be prepared to tip the baggage handler who gets the job $10 to $20 each time. That will almost always get it treated more gently. </p>
<p>It is essential that you remain completely calm and uniformly pleasant when dealing with the airline employees, no matter how many times they ask the same questions or express doubts. If they refuse to let the instrument on the plane, do not get angry with them, but politely ask to speak to their supervisor. Repeat as necessary. Know in advance what you will do should they ultimately refuse to accept the bass on the plane.</p>
<p>I do not think there is any way whatsoever of getting a definitive answer from an airline about flying with a bass. It all depends on the person who happens to be behind the counter when you arrive and whether or not they feel like helping you or hindering you. Airline policies are intentionally vague and give the final decision to the employees. The only decision you are guaranteed to be able to make is whether or not you board the aircraft.</p>
<p>Addendum to the above: I meant to say that the only decision you are guaranteed to be able to make is whether to refuse to board the aircraft once the airline has agreed to let you do so. Obviously, the airlines can prohibit you from boarding if they wish.</p>
<p>I am planning on getting there 4 hrs early, and my flight is at 8am so hopefully it will not be too full - Newark to Calgary can’t be that popular of a trip anyway. I made sure that the aircraft is a big one that would be able to handle the extra weight of a bass. </p>
<p>The case I’m borrowing is a Stephenson, it’s one of the best out there. </p>
<p>What I plan on doing next is visiting the Air Canada office in NYC when I get back there in June to see if they can give me any definitive information…</p>
<p>Cosmos, if nothing else, read posts 79-102 (approx) in the thread Zep linked. SimpleLife offers some perspective from the standpoint of an airline employee, and raises some good points and offers some tips, tricks and caveats.</p>
<p>Zep, the horse ain’t dead yet. Like Lazurus, it rises repeatedly from the grave. Not divine intervention, but I do suspect a demonic intent when it comes to the airlines.</p>
<p>To make a long story short, I decided to switch airlines because I was having trouble with Air Canada. </p>
<p>I have heard that Northwest is good, but will charge me $175 to check the bass. </p>
<p>For the return trip, I can’t take Northwest for a long list of reasons (most notably being the time of day that the only flight from Calgary to NY is scheduled for), so I need to pick among Delta, American, and United. </p>
<p>I heard that United is ok. Any info on the others? </p>
<p>Delta seems to get mixed reviews, and I know it was on the AFM “musician unfriendly” airline list for a long time but was recently removed…</p>
<p>Son was never happy each time on Delta, he tends now to stay away. United has been “ok”, only flew once on American (neither good nor bad, his rating is “eh”), and his Northwestern flights have been “ok”. His current favorite is Jet Blue. But again, it seems like any flight he has taken with the instrument is an adventure. </p>
<p>I assume your instrument insurance is current. ;)</p>
<p>If Cosmos’ instrument insurance is current, I would like to know with whom she is insured. Every carrier I contacted, including the main professional musical instrument insurers that I know about, flat out refused to insure my daughter’s bass until she turned 21. Since she recently turned 22, this is more out of curiosity than necessity.</p>
<p>Clarion insures our large and growing collection of instruments. We had no trouble getting coverage for the electric bass guitar that my daughter also took to college at age 18. They and several others that we called treat double basses differently and would not insure that until she was 21. I guess I must not have tried Anderson.</p>
<p>Ah, opera-mom, we do have to worry about the dryness in the cabin, the A/C that seatmates insist upon blowing full blast into faces, making sure that they’re well-hydrated, and then there’s that little matter of jet-lag!!!</p>
<p>had been ignoring this thread (Clarinets are thankfully easy) but just decided to see what was going on. Cosmos, maybe this is a dumb question, but did you look into the possibility of shipping your bass separately? Or would this be way riskier/more expensive?</p>
<p>This whole thing reminds me of when D was an infant, and the airlines could never agree on what type of infant seat was allowed, which seat (middle/aisle) was allowed, which direction for her to face etc. We would use the same airline multiple times and get different answers depending on who was on duty. Based on your stories, I suspect things are no different now, 16 years later.</p>