<p>This email came today from the American Federation of Musicians. Hopefully, relief is on the way.</p>
<p>AFM Legislative Alert
Dear member,
For years, AFM members have had problems bringing musical instruments aboard planes as carry-on luggage. Recently, discussions with the airlines trade association and Congress have picked up to the point where an acceptable solution to the problem is possible. However, we need to show that there is urgency to the problem. We would appreciate it if you would describe your recent experiences when traveling with instruments to us so we can show the seriousness of the situation for musicians. Please send your recent airline experience to me at <a href="mailto:tperetti@afm.org">tperetti@afm.org</a>. Thank you.</p>
<p>DS has been very lucky in most cases. The only time he has had a problem was when flying a small commuter plane where there the overhead storage bins were simply too small for his $450 custom trumpet case...bought specifically so it could carry three trumpets and go ON the plane with him. The good news is that it is also built with the strenght to be in the luggage hold!</p>
<p>My trumpet-playing son has also been lucky. He often flies with two trumpet cases, and the airlines have always been accomodating. Last time he flew, the plane was totally booked, so he asked if he could go on early to make sure he could fit both cases into the overhead storage. The check-in person not only let him board with first class, but gave him a seat with extra room. He was quite pleased.</p>
<p>My son carried his triple trumpet case ON the plane from London to Boston. This, however, was before the restrictions put into place last fall. However, he has never had any difficulty carrying that triple case onto a plane...except for those small commuter planes where the overhead stowage is simply too small. In those cases, he carries the instruments to the gate, the flight crew takes them and stows them during the flight, and he picks them up right next to the plane when he gets off. And he worries the whole time.</p>
<p>International flights are tricky. Each country or airline makes their own rules. Lufthansa, for instance, flies through Frankfurt. At the Frankfurt airport, anyone changing flights has to put their carry-on baggage in a backet-type "size-wise" checker to make sure it's not oversized. They do make exceptions, but are not willing to commit to anything in writing, so you take your chances. We could not fly with them with either d's violin or s's horn because they did not fit in the Size-wise basket, and they would not guarantee us anything.</p>
<p>Airfrance made d go to a special check-in desk (glad we were there early!) and get a written letter stating that she was carrying a violin and that it had been approved as carry-on. No problems; just time consuming. The guy behind us with a tennis racket was denied and was really mad they let us on with a violin.</p>
<p>Thanks, Binx...my son's trumpet case did not make it onto Lufthansa either. He's traveling again this summer, and before he spends $600 on a special case, I wanted to see whether it was airline dependent. I think he has to be prepared to check it. The airlines lost it once....not an experience I would like to repeat (my son was calm...I was not:)</p>
<p>When my son bought his case (he's the kid with the $600 case), it was purchased knowing that there might be times when the horns needed to be checked. The case is a hard case...very durable, and the horns are well padded inside it. While he hates checking his instruments, at least he knows his case is designed for a certain amount of abuse that will protect his instruments.</p>