bass carry on (american airlines)

[antiochbass]

hey all,
just thought i'd share a bit of encouraging news. i'm flying to washington, dc this weekend so i contacted american airlines about carrying my bass onboard. they said that even on their regional jets it should fit in an overhead compartment. i thought i was gonna have to get a bass safe or something but it looks like its gonna work out!

[rokkitt]

you can also do a gate check


you carry your bass down the jetway


you hand it to someone before you get on the plane

it gets loaded in the underbelly of the plane

you fly

you land

you get your bass right at the airplane door as you walk onto the extension jetway thing


so, your bass is the last into the luggage area, and the first one out, and is carried by hand and is handed to you


that is what they do with wheelchairs and baby strollers

and you have a ticket on the bass, and a claim check in your hand...


worked---very well and easy-- for me


big al

[Bob Lee (QSC)]

I've never had any hassle carrying a bass in a padded gig bag on board.

I don't think you'll get it into an overhead on an RJ. Depending on the plane, there may be room to stash it behind the seats in the last row. You can do a plane-side check, too, where they stash it in the hold right as you get on the plane at departure and hand it to you as you get off at arrival.

[StanFan]

I'm flying tomorrow to be with my family for Christmas, and I would have thought bringing my bass would be too much hassle. It's actually going to be my first time on an airplane anyways so I don't want to have too much to worry about. I've got my 4-string at home anyways (an a beaten up Ibanez 5 string) so that should be good enough.