Flying with bass

[Steve 1100]

When the subject of flying with an insturment comes up, there is always someone in the conversation who claims that "they always take their (bass, guitar, whatever) on the plane as a carry on bag". Othen times, talk of "they hang it up in the captians coat closet" comes up.

Every plane I have been on in the past couple of years has been oversold, with most of the passengers carrying on more bags than they probably should (in an attempt to not pay checked baggage fees, EVEN ON SOUTHWEST, which lets you check 2 bags for free..), which makes for no room in the over head area. On top of that situation, a bass gig bag is bigger than the size defined as "carry on".

So, should I reasonably expect to walk on to a plane with a bass gig bag, and have a place to put it in the cabin? Should I really expect that the flight attendant really gives a S*** about what, to him / her, is just another clown trying to bring too much crap into their (already crowded) cabin?

I figure that the baggage handlers are going deal with my bass with the same, or probably more, care than the UPS system that brought it to me in the first place, so not a whole lot of benefit in dragging my bass through secuity an on to a plane..

World travelers, what do you do?

 

[MIJ-VI]

Bolt-on neck?

 

[deekay911]

I figure that the baggage handlers are going deal with my bass with the same, or probably more, care than the UPS system that brought it to me in the first place, so not a whole lot of benefit in dragging my bass through secuity an on to a plane..

World travelers, what do you do?

IME - baggage handlers are brutal with luggage. You have to at least pack your bass to survive a fall from the hold of a 747 to the tarmac - around 25ft. I have traveled extensively from Europe to the US, many times with an instrument, and *most* transatlantic carriers will find room in the cabin - if it is in a soft gig bag. Domestic - not so easy nowadays. The dilemma is if you pack it for the cabin (in a gig bag), then then ask you to check it - you really have a problem.

 

[joereda]

In my experience, the flight attendants are always cool but the gate agents are not. My solution has been to use an SKB bass safe, check it and have equipment insurance. If you plan to carry it on, can't, and the bass gets damaged when gate checked, you're in the same boat as if you check it in the first place, and it gets lost or damaged.

 

[Drucifer]

I've spent a lot of time in airports, and I've watched the baggage handlers load and unload the bags from the plane, and most of the time they do a very good job. I have seen baggage handlers throw bags onto overloaded carts and the bags fall to the ground. There's no way to get a full-sized bass onto a lot of flight as a carry-on, in fact in some airports I've seen the airport security folks enforcing size limitations on carry-on bags. I travel with a Traveler Escape Mk II (good for practicing, not good enough for performing) http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?p=8199283&highlight=#post8199283. When I fly with a full-sized bass I put it in a flight case and check it.

 

[scottbass]

In my experience, the flight attendants are always cool but the gate agents are not. My solution has been to use an SKB bass safe, check it and have equipment insurance. If you plan to carry it on, can't, and the bass gets damaged when gate checked, you're in the same boat as if you check it in the first place, and it gets lost or damaged.

/\ This. Do not expect that you will be able to walk past the gate agent and onto the plane with a bass in a gig bag. On domestic US flights this will seldom, if ever, be allowed. Some people will try to tell you they "do it all the time." Don't listen to them.

 

[etoncrow]

I have enough trouble just walking with mine....

 

[bgmww]

a couple of months ago i had to fly from Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Quito, Ecuador.. so i decided to build myself two ATA flight cases.
3/8" (10mm) Plywood (Eucalyptus)
2" Polyethylene foam all around the bass.
Aluminum extrusions and all...

The case with the bass inside weights 50 lbs aprox. yeah.. it´s heavy.. but. you know what.. there could be a thermonuclear war and my bass would be safe.
I guess the airport baggage handlers could drop the case from 4 or 5 feet height, and the bass wouldn´t even notice...

The best about building your own cases is the money you spend...
As i said, i built 2 cases for bass and i also built a case for my head amp.. Everything for U$280... yeah.. I dunno how much could it cost in you country. .
Retail price for JUST ONE case like this one is U$ 300 in my country.

So.. if you can build your own case.. just do it.. it´s easy and you won´t regret.

Here you can see the case.

See ya !

 

[Joe Nerve]

I've traveled a fair amount with basses. First 2 times I checked them in their cases, and then after seeing that everyone else around me just brought their guitars onboard -I never did that again. I tell the people at the gate that I called the ariline and was instructed to ask them to preboard to make sure I get an overhead spot (which is what they tell you if you call them). There's plenty of room in the overheads for a bass, so long as you get there before everyone else. The airlines have always been incredibly accomodating. They want our business and aren't generally into giving us a hard time. Never got an argument about pre boarding either.

One time recently (travelling to NAMM this year) the plane was packed and they told me when boarding that I couldn't use an overhead. They tagged my gigbag and took it from me... and I told them, THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE ONE OF A KIND INSTRUMENT (which it was), and a gig bag will not protect it much. They promised it would be well taken care of, and they handed it to me when I left the plane. The bass was totally fine, and still in tune when I opened it up. I don't really ant to know what they did with it though.

I get more neurotic about waiting for my basss at the baggage claim then I do about any problems the stewardesses (I mean flight attendants) might give me taking it onboard. If I had money to burn and room for a flight case in my apt. I might consider it, but it seems completely unecessary to me.

 

[jdiddleymspot]

Make sure you have a good flight case, if you're flying within Europe, the chances of taking your bass on board are next to zero.

Let's face it, nobody gives a crap about our instruments, just us. And my experience is that most people you will deal with at airports are arrogant, in the UK at least, who will probably go out of their way to make you worry as much as possible.

I recommend the Hiscox Standard Lite Flite series in the UK, never had a problem with flying with them and they're as solid as a rock! Plus they are excellent chaps! That and a lovely little "Please handle with care" sticker complete with lots of smiley faces is your best bet.

 

[natemusic]

"fragile" is airline speak for "give it some arc" when you throw it. Get a good hard case, and maybe a light one so it doesn't get thrown around with as much force. Maxline in Portland, OR makes some great cases.

 

[iriegnome]

The last time I flew overseas with my bass, I carried it on. It was in a soft case and I just put it in the overhead compartment. No problems. I also was early to board, I was preticketed, and was very nice to the desk agent as well as the ticket agent.
Don't know if any of the niceness helped, but it did not hurt. I think mostly it was because I was very prompt and did not carry the bass on my back, but in front of me when I walked up (made it look smaller).

 

[Joe Nerve]

Make sure you have a good flight case, if you're flying within Europe, the chances of taking your bass on board are next to zero.

Let's face it, nobody gives a crap about our instruments, just us. And my experience is that most people you will deal with at airports are arrogant, in the UK at least, who will probably go out of their way to make you worry as much as possible.

I have no clue why people post or claim to experience stuff like this. I flew to a lot of different places in europe (including in and out of Brighton England) a few years ago and that was NOT my experience. No problems at all bringing stuff on board, no bad attitudes. Maybe it's your belief that that will be the case (pun intended ), that you winds you up getting that kind of treatment. People have always been as accomodating as possibly in my flying experiences. They want our business and most airlines I believe pride themselves on being curteous.

 

[jdiddleymspot]

It's great that some people have had good experiences with flying with their instruments. It gives me hope for one day meeting a flight attendant that gives a damn.

Sorry, but my less stressful flights with companies in Europe when traveling with an instrument, have been few and far between. Though, I feel a lot safer now that I have a good, lightweight hard case to store it in.

On a couple of occasions, flying with British Airways, I have been allowed to take my bass on as hand luggage, even in a hard case. This is going back a few years now, though. They even allowed me to strap it to the seat next to me when I found out it was empty. This is all down to pure luck I think. I'm just a little annoyed after my last flight with a Scandinavian company.

I'm very careful of who I allow to touch my instrument; it cost a damn lot of money, I worked my ass off to get it and I couldn't afford to replace it if something happened to it. My experience is, that you're the only person who will treat it with the respect and care it needs. Anyone else will just give you a sorry for the scratch, mark, dent, broken neck or whatever and pass it back to you, *shrug* and continue as if nothing happened.

I'd look into trying to rent at your destination before you leave your pride and joy at the mercy of the airport staff and flight attendants. If you do decide to fly with your instrument, make sure you have a good travel insurance, or at least that the company will cover it if it is damaged. Lock your instrument case with one of those approved locks that only the airport security guys can open and check that it is undamaged before you leave the baggage claim, then you stand a better chance of them not just shrugging the damage off. Leave a little note with your name and forwarding address inside the tuner compartment incase they decide to send your bass on a free trip to Japan. Heck, take some pictures of the base and date stamp them before you fly so they can't say it was already like that before, safer the better. Especially if you're paranoid like me =)

Ryanair once told me that in order for me to fly with my bass, I would have to sign a no claims form. Since I was left at the airport and had no one to send it back with, I really had no choice in the matter. I was quite lucky on that occasion.

 

[JimmyM]

I've traveled a fair amount with basses. First 2 times I checked them in their cases, and then after seeing that everyone else around me just brought their guitars onboard -I never did that again. I tell the people at the gate that I called the ariline and was instructed to ask them to preboard to make sure I get an overhead spot (which is what they tell you if you call them). There's plenty of room in the overheads for a bass, so long as you get there before everyone else. The airlines have always been incredibly accomodating. They want our business and aren't generally into giving us a hard time. Never got an argument about pre boarding either.

One time recently (travelling to NAMM this year) the plane was packed and they told me when boarding that I couldn't use an overhead. They tagged my gigbag and took it from me... and I told them, THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE ONE OF A KIND INSTRUMENT (which it was), and a gig bag will not protect it much. They promised it would be well taken care of, and they handed it to me when I left the plane. The bass was totally fine, and still in tune when I opened it up. I don't really ant to know what they did with it though.

I get more neurotic about waiting for my basss at the baggage claim then I do about any problems the stewardesses (I mean flight attendants) might give me taking it onboard. If I had money to burn and room for a flight case in my apt. I might consider it, but it seems completely unecessary to me.

my basses used to get banged around way more when carrying them on than when i check them in an skb bass safe. i trust the baggage handlers carrying my bass in a bass safe a lot more than i trust the straggling annoying jerk with a 60 lb. carryon who plops his suitcase right on top of my bass bag while i'm helpless to do anything because i have a window seat and can't get to him in time to stop him.

 

[60's Bluesman]

ive never traveled with my bass but on the flights ive been on theres a size limit on carry on bags, idk the exact size but thers no way a case would pass. add to that my case really looks like a two rifle case they would flip s*** if i even brought that thing near the cabin.

 

[JimmyM]

ive never traveled with my bass but on the flights ive been on theres a size limit on carry on bags, idk the exact size but thers no way a case would pass. add to that my case really looks like a two rifle case they would flip s*** if i even brought that thing near the cabin.

you can get a bass in a gig bag on many flights, but you have to keep a low profile with it. but i had too many where they absolutely wouldn't let me carry one on, so i stopped. and yes, i often get asked if i have a firearm when i bring the bass safe

 

[60's Bluesman]

:

you can get a bass in a gig bag on many flights, but you have to keep a low profile with it. but i had too many where they absolutely wouldn't let me carry one on, so i stopped. and yes, i often get asked if i have a firearm when i bring the bass safe

i guess if you carry it with you u wouldnt need a hardshell case. i dont think i would attempt bring a gig bag on board at detroit metro where i offen fly out of since theres been a couple attempted attacks on planes coming to or leaving detroit

 

[Steve 1100]

MIJ-VI - Yep, its bolt on. The guitar player in my band simply takes the neck off his guitar and puts it in his suitcase. I am suprised that more posters didn't offer that idea. I would do that, but my bag is already pretty full..


My bass is going in a Reunion Blues gig bag, and getting checked as luggage today...

 

[ricca]

I use to gig with good vintage instruments, but for flying travels i always use just one bass: Hohner b2a headless bass.
It's a good sounding instrument that you can carry onboard as hand baggage with every company.
I will never put a bass in the baggage stive even if flycased.