oversize baggage fee

[MultiScaleMale]

The person you spoke to at Southwest was wrong.

Just flew LAX to Dallas via Southwest for some video shoots: bass went in the overhead bin both ways at no charge.

I’ve flown with an instrument likely over 100 times in my career, and the only time I was ever charged an “oversized” fee I was flying American: the agent at the check-in counter on the way back home was just being dumb (I even explained I hadn’t been charged on the outbound flight) and I was also using an ENKI case (which is exponentially larger than a normal hardshell case).

That charge was later refunded.

In their typical 737? The overheads never looked big enough for a bass. Maybe a guitar.

 

[LowActionHero]

They let me put a guitar hard case in the coat closet up front once. No guarantees tho.

 

[Calebmundy]

As someone who does 10-20 fly dates a year, I would plan on a good flight case and paying the fee. Scheming or attempting to get it in the overhead is going to be a gamble, and you might get stuck gate checking with a case that isn’t designed for it:

Plan on the flight case, plan on the $200 fee, BUT curb check with the guys outside. I do that every time and tip $20. I didn’t have a single oversized bag fee last year.

 

[MDBass]

In their typical 737? The overheads never looked big enough for a bass. Maybe a guitar.

Yep.

The only time in the last 18 years I haven’t been able to put a bass in an overhead if I wanted to, on any airline, was due to either international travel restrictions or a smaller commuter plane.

Southwest aircraft never have the cost closet option, but the other carriers generally do.

 

[GabiGator]

Flying to a gig next weekend. Seems checking a bass is $200 each way, since it is "oversize". Not to mention the $200 flight case one would need to own. We can rent one from the backline company for $150, thankfully. Is there any airline, or level of preferred status at which you can check a bass without that fee? The case is 49 x 17 x 5 more or less. United and Southwest both seem like hard no's.

That's why you grab yer trusty ole' headless Shortscale .. furthermore, make sure she's a "bolt on" so that you can take the neck off for the trip. (that'll SURELY do the trick)!

 

[pbass2]

Never had an oversize fee even on my flight case. I'm over flying with those for the most part though unless someone else is schlepping the gear on the other end.
I'm flying Alaska Air for the first time w a bass next week - from Sonoma County down to Burbank and back, will be on a "Embraer ERJ 175" plane which is the smaller plane they use for such short flights. There's a closet at each end of the plane. Gonna have a go with my bass in my Mono M80 and see if I can carry on. Have had luck with that on other flights, and I hear Alaska is pretty chill about such things. If I have to gate check, c'est al vie (it's not my numero uno bass anyway).