Hey good morning!
I just recently moved from the US to Iceland and read up a lot on here about how to go about flying with your bass and how to pack it to not be destroyed in transit. Anyways, after cross referencing a lot of threads here, I also watched a video on youtube from Scott's bass lessons. I took his advice and put some thicker socks around the top of the headstock and strap pin in the standard fender case for my 01 mia jazz, no bubble wrap or anything else. Then wrapped the outside of the case in 4 different places with "extreme" strapping tape I found at home depot, just in case TSA wanted to get in there they could just cut the tape and nothing would have to be smashed. Side note: I did not detune my bass at all.
I went to the check in counter and did just like the video said, where you should get the checked baggage label but ask to carry it all the way to the gate to avoid the "conveyor belt of death." Had no issues getting through TSA, even with the active preamp (which objectively could've looked the most suspicious).
My bass is fairly old and probably worth more sentimentally than I could place an actual dollar amount on, but I went ahead and took the perceivable risk to be able to have it with me abroad. I was glad to see it standing upright in the "oversize" bag drop at the airport when we arrived. When I got home to open the case, the bass was intact and even still in tune!
Not sure if this thread is more aimed at praising WOW air for taking good care of my instrument or dispelling some of the paranoia that certain threads could induce. This was my first time flying with my bass, and I'm really glad I did.
-Tyler
ALSO: Instead of paying thousands to a sea freight shipping company, I loaded up our belongings in 4 Heavy Duty home depot moving boxes as extra checked baggage items, and they also came out almost completely unscathed (save the box handles). Vastly cheaper
I just recently moved from the US to Iceland and read up a lot on here about how to go about flying with your bass and how to pack it to not be destroyed in transit. Anyways, after cross referencing a lot of threads here, I also watched a video on youtube from Scott's bass lessons. I took his advice and put some thicker socks around the top of the headstock and strap pin in the standard fender case for my 01 mia jazz, no bubble wrap or anything else. Then wrapped the outside of the case in 4 different places with "extreme" strapping tape I found at home depot, just in case TSA wanted to get in there they could just cut the tape and nothing would have to be smashed. Side note: I did not detune my bass at all.
I went to the check in counter and did just like the video said, where you should get the checked baggage label but ask to carry it all the way to the gate to avoid the "conveyor belt of death." Had no issues getting through TSA, even with the active preamp (which objectively could've looked the most suspicious).
My bass is fairly old and probably worth more sentimentally than I could place an actual dollar amount on, but I went ahead and took the perceivable risk to be able to have it with me abroad. I was glad to see it standing upright in the "oversize" bag drop at the airport when we arrived. When I got home to open the case, the bass was intact and even still in tune!
Not sure if this thread is more aimed at praising WOW air for taking good care of my instrument or dispelling some of the paranoia that certain threads could induce. This was my first time flying with my bass, and I'm really glad I did.
-Tyler
ALSO: Instead of paying thousands to a sea freight shipping company, I loaded up our belongings in 4 Heavy Duty home depot moving boxes as extra checked baggage items, and they also came out almost completely unscathed (save the box handles). Vastly cheaper
