CAN MY BASS FLY???

gotsoul77 said:

Hello.

I am trying desperatly to figure out if and how i can carry on my bg for my flight from PA to CA. I am flying delta...

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I really advise you do a TB search--this has been pretty well documented.

There are lot's of choices.

Here is my .02:

1) If your instrument is not insured, don't fly with it OR ship it.

2) FORGET CARRY-ON! It rarely works these days, no matter what you hear, especially on Delta, who have earned a (now quasi-lifted) musicians union ban for their terrible treatment of professional musicians in the last couple of years.

3) A regular bass case is not up to being checked.

4) A roadcase (ATA) needs to be a really good road case with all recessed hardware, ball corners, etc.

5) Shipping Fed-Ex is not cheap, but avoids the TSA/airline baggage problems (don't get me started).

6) TSA WILL break any lock for which they do not have a TSA masterkey, so any road case goes out of your hands into theirs UNLOCKED.

7) Some people like those rolling plastic golf-club style carriers, some of which are for bass and some are actually for golf-clubs.

8) Gate checking a gig bag with a good bass in it is so scarey that it has made me cry...

9) Nothing anyone from the airlines tells you is true.

10) Being nice or being smart, slick, charming, bossy, threatening, or pathetic add up to nothing if the person at the gate determines that "the safety" of the passengers demands you check your gig bag. They have the final say, and all of their managers will back them up forever and a day in their pig-headedness.

Have a nice flight!

The first thing I thought when I saw the thread title was "How far can you throw it?"

In all seriousness, Jim gave you great advice. Trust no one and spend the extra to get it where you need it.

I once heard someone say that you can put a little starter pistol (just shoots blanks, not bullets) in your bass case and inform them when you check your luggage. Apparently, they take extra special care of firearms, so your bass is a lot less likely to get lost or smashed. Not 100% on that one, someone check behind me on this.

if i need to take my bass anywhere, they will usually put it in the first class coat area. i've flown to thailand with instruments before, and they were never damaged (not a bass, though.) you could always do what victor wooten says he does, and if it comes down to it buy an extra seat for your bass. that does cost alot, though...

As with all of these "flying with my bass" threads, you will hear a variety of experiences. There is one common point: YOU CAN NEVER ANTICIPATE HOW THEY WILL PERMIT YOU TO BRING THE BASS, whether inside the plane, gate checked, or checked with baggage. YOU WILL NEVER KNOW FOR SURE until you get there, and their prior assurances mean nothing.

Because of this, its best to use a full "ATA-spec" case, an SKB Bass Safe, or a golf club case. Anything less is just a gamble. Not very wise to just roll the dice when your prized instrument is concerned.

One solution would be to ring Delta airlines and ask them instead. You'll find that the reps are generally parrots reciting the rulebook, and that the head office is more likely to help you, particularly when they could be potentially losing out on your business.
You could also do what some bassists do nowadays. Buy a cheap but good quality bass, and make that your travelling bass, and leave any expensive ones at home.


Hope you get sorted either way!

To quote christle,

Jim gave you great advice

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. My only other question and suggestion is, how long are you planning on being there, and are you gigging, or just taking it along to keep practicing while you're there? If you know someone there that can check it out for you, maybe it would be a better option to rent one while you're out there and keep yours safe at home... Good luck!

Just got back to Austin from a gig in Wash.D.C. The band flew 2 basses and 3 guitars(one was an acoustic), all in regular hard-shell cases. All were checked baggage. All were just fine.
You can never know what you'll be allowed to do with you bass; depends on who's working that day, what kinda mood they're in, etc. My advice: get the best case you can and hope for the best. If you show up with a gigbag what guarantee do you have that you'll be allowed to carry it on every time you board a plane? None.