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bass on a plane?

R

rawrOOO

Jul 12, 2006
279
26
Brooklyn, NY
#1
i'll be doing some shows soon overseas in italy (i live in nyc). havent brought a bass on a plane with me like this before. the airline told me the overhead bin is 45 inches long, im pretty sure my hard case is 46.5 :hmm: damn.

i use an skb case. it's about a year old, no TSA latches but it's not the economy one they sell now. i guess they dont make it anymore. rectangular shaped, not molded to the bass' shape.

if it does have to be checked as baggage, in anyone's experienced opinion, am i just totally asking for something bad to happen????


thanks everyone
 
#2
Oh Dude, you better research carefully, I went to Europe and Russia last year and I could not bring my bass, Air Canada would take it to Europe with a fee of about 200.00 then each time I change planes I would have to pay 130.00 so at the end of my trip I would have paid something like a 1000.00 I went to Sweeden, Switzerland, Germany, and Russia.

Call the airline and find out exactly what you need to do, but nobdy will let you take it on the plane.Only in luggage.
 
#12
Traveled a lot with a bass and in my experience it really does vary by airline, airport, time of year, whether you're in economy or first class, etc. Even if you can fit it in the overhead or closet they may still ask you to check it. Get a good case and hope for the best. I've never had damage from checking it on a flight but know lots of people that have.

I use musicpro for insurance. Had to use them for some amp damage (leak to tour trailer during a storm) and they were responsive. Covered rental gear and replacement costs. Prices are reasonable. I no longer tour but still use them for studio and instrument coverage.
 
#16
There's a lot of restriction on international flight. The chances of allowing it to be a carry on item is slim. Besides, international flights are always over booked. So finding a place to put your bass is gonna be difficult if not impossible. I've flown twice with my bass. Once from Ky, to Chicago, then a long international flight connected to Hong Kong. The other time is when I traveled back from HK, to SF, to Chicago, then back to Ky. Twice without an ATA approved flight case, and it came out fine. Always remember to cushion any empty areas inside the case. They're more than likely gonna throw your luggages around, and you don't want your bass to move inside your case. The greatest fear besides having your bass crushed during transport is having a TSA inspect your case, and do a poor job closing it.
 

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