Tips on flying with a bass guitar

[73jbass]

Check with the carrier before you fly and get something in writing or email. The policy on what can be brought onboard seems to change weekly. Most aircraft have a garment closet for the FA travel clothes and bags.

 

[guy n. cognito]

Check with the carrier before you fly and get something in writing or email. The policy on what can be brought onboard seems to change weekly. Most aircraft have a garment closet for the FA travel clothes and bags.

The flight attendants on board will have the final say. They DO NOT care what you were told by some CS rep in India. They do not care what paper you waive in their face. If it won't fit, it won't fit. And FA closets? Filled with FA stuff.........

 

[BassHappy]

Have you been on many planes recently? Most don't have any closets, and if they do they are barely big enough for the coats in first class, much less any "hanging bags".

Hey Guy

It's been about a year, but last time I flew Newark-Munich on Lufthansa they hung my hanging bag for me in First - even though I was flying coach. Same on the return trip. Flight Attendants as a rule are horribly abused and an award winning smile - combined with a few kind words and your sunday best politeness - can go a long way. But the big thing is boarding as close to the front as possible so there is room. And having that hook is also key. My guitar player flew with me a lot and he didn't have a bag with an airline approved hanging hook. They always took my bass but rarely took his guitar, which was then relegated to the overhead.

 

[Thaibassman]

The old trick back in the 70's when everything was loaded on board by a conveyor belt was to have a contoured hardshell case and put it in a crappy looking "triangular-esque" cheap guitar cardboard shipper.
They were always going to get you to sign a disclaimer regardless of the quality and weight case so might as well play on the handlers conscious.
Airlines respecting your luggage and economy meals ... the unconquered frontier of travel??

 

[Charlie Tuna]

I recently flew internationally with AA and for the first domestic leg with a smaller plane I was told by the gate agent that I would have to put my bass at the end of the load-in ramp for gate check. He gave me a red tag to put on my gig bag (Music Area Tang 30), which is not a hard case but is still fairly rigid with good padding. I got to the drop-off area right before the plane and stuck the tag in my pocket and walked on with the bag on my back. The flight attendant told me it probably wouldn't fit in the overhead and I told her I'll try anyway. The overhead compartments in the front of the plane were too short but towards the back, where my seat was, I got the bag to fit in with a little finagling. So, in this case I was lucky to not have to gate check it.

On the second leg, which was the long-haul international leg, the AA staff welcomed the bass on board and took it to the front of the plane which I assume was to a coat closet or lay-flat seat in First Class After the flight, they handed it to me as I disembarked.

Finally, the third leg was in Europe with British Airways and I HAD to gate check it. I had the gate agent contact a superior who came out and firmly denied my request to have the bass on board, stating BA changed their rules 6 months ago, yada yada. Additionally, the bass had to be in a hard case or else it would not go with me! Fortunately, the TANG30 was sturdy enough that he accepted it and so the bass went into the hold and I had to pick it up with the oversized luggage after getting through customs. That was a long flight but fortunately the bass was undamaged. Afterwards I checked BA's website and they have a clear-cut statement that musical instruments must have their own seat or else they will be in with the checked baggage.

SO, CHECK EACH AIRLINE'S POLICY REGARDING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND SPECIFICALLY BASS GUITARS!!!

Hope this helps OP and others flying in the near future.

 

[guy n. cognito]

Hey Guy

It's been about a year, but last time I flew Newark-Munich on Lufthansa they hung my hanging bag for me in First - even though I was flying coach. Flight Attendants as a rule are horribly abused and an award winning smile - combined with a few kind words and your sunday best politeness - can go a long way. But the big thing is boarding as close to the front as possible so there is room. And having that hook is also key. My guitar player flew with me a lot and he didn't have a bag with an airline approved hanging hook. They always took my bass but rarely took his guitar, which was then relegated to the overhead.

Ah...international. Much bigger planes. Modern domestic planes don’t have big closets like that anymore.

 

[BassHappy]

Ah...international. Much bigger planes. Modern domestic planes don’t have big closets like that anymore.

Yes, and I fly to Fort Wayne a lot which involves a puddle jumper, whether you go out of Chicago, Detroit or Cleveland, and there are no closets on those, and of course the overhead is tiny. I guess it pays to know the aircraft or else - as you say - get a heavy duty case that will hold up if you check it. At least then the only worry is it getting lost.

 

[TheOxRocks]

I flew twice with a semi-hard Kiesel case (the newer cases they’ve been shipping with basses the last couple of years), checked in as oversized baggage and clearly labeled “Fragile”. In both cases, the bass survived the trip unscathed.

 

[ninefingerbass]

My mother used to work for the airlines, now retired. I traveled for many many years and she gave me a few pointers and advice. Of course being a mother she would begin with, "You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar."

1. Be kind and nice and ask to preboard so that you can fit your bass first and everyone else can place their bags after.
2. If previous step does not work then, ask if they have a closet, which sometimes they do and ask if you can place your instrument in the closet, explain to them that your instrument is rare and just want to make sure it does not get damaged as replacement parts and repair are hard to come by.
3. Minimize the size as much as you can. Don't bring a backpack, laptop case and food. If you look like you are struggling and have a lot of stuff, they will stop you. I recently read someplace that if you place your soft case upside down so that your head stock isn't sticking above your head, they won't notice the size. Now if you have a hard case, it is going to be much more difficult. The way the airlines views things are different than normal people. They see potential for others to not get their bags on. So reduce your footprint in regard to standing out.

I once came on board with 3 instruments/2 bags and a carry on. Technically, I was over the limit and I knew it but I fought it. After much argument and debate, my basses were not in the cabin but thrown underneath. It was difficult but I did not follow any of my rules, which was at first to be kind, ask to preboard and reduce my footprint. I learned a valuable lesson and never had a problem since.

 

[SAlcott]

I use a Gator TSA approved hard case. I don't even consider bringing my bass guitar on board any more.

 

[guy n. cognito]

I once came on board with 3 instruments/2 bags and a carry on. Technically, I was over the limit and I knew it but I fought it. After much argument and debate, my basses were not in the cabin but thrown underneath.

Wow....you’re probably lucky you were allowed to board at all, especially if you were unpleasant about it.

 

[klejst]

Despite what you may have heard...bass guitars generally don't fly so I would not suggest going to the top of a cliff and jumping off with it...


Ha, someone had to take the humor approach to the question, might as well been me.

 

[74hc]

Flight case and check it in. It's not like it was 30 years ago.

It's much more common for flights to be sold at or more than capacity. Bigger carry-ons usually result in more time before lift-off. Airlines don't like passengers causing delays. They're like the doctors office. It's okay for them to be running late, but not you.

Touring pros that fly commercial almost always check-in nowadays it seems.

 

[bolophonic]

I took a bass on a flight with me a few years ago. All the advice I got went out the window as soon as I arrived at the gate and they told me to pound sand with the whole “closet” idea. The bass was gate checked in a fancy gig bag and everything arrived in one piece.

 

[Bushrod Johnson]

Check it

SKB 1SKB-44RW

 

[Spectre Gunner]

The last time I flew (this month) I ask the lady at the check-in counter if I could take a bass guitar with me in the cabin rather than having to check it. She said I would be able to take it on board if it would fit into the overhead bin even though it's longer than the standard carry-on limit. However, the size of overhead bins vary depending on the aircraft and some smaller ones don't even have a bin. If you're lucky they'll let you put it in the closet if there is one. One thing for sure is that you can't reliably count on bringing it in the cabin.

Most airlines have a valet service which means they will put a red tag on it. It goes on last, comes off first so that luggage isn't piled on top of it and it isn't tossed on the luggage belt. Of course, like everything else, there is a fee. If I ever travel with my bass I will probably use the valet service, put the bass in a hard case and hope for the best.

 

[guy n. cognito]

I took a bass on a flight with me a few years ago. All the advice I got went out the window as soon as I arrived at the gate and they told me to pound sand with the whole “closet” idea. The bass was gate checked in a fancy gig bag and everything arrived in one piece.

The “closet” has gone away on most domestic planes. Southwest doesn’t even put them in their planes anymore. Where closets exist, they are very small, and reserved for crew or first class. Most wouldn’t fit a bass case at all.

A few months ago, I watch a fellow musician argue with the flight attendants on a SW flight that he wanted his guitar out in the closet. They kept telling him they didn’t have a closet, which just made him demand louder. He had a printed copy of the FAA rules, which he kept waving around. And, of course, he had boarded near last, so the overhead was full. The guy went in search of a closet. Not finding one, he gave up his guitar to be gate checked...z

 

[Altitude]

Any plan you have to carry it on can be dashed by a full plane or a flight attendant who just doesn't want to cooperate with you. If that happens, you'll be dealing with it in the moment, you will have no leverage, and your bass will end up in the hold.

Your best option is a flight case. Go to Facebook or a local area that has a group of musicians and see if any of them will loan you theirs. (PSA to Denver area bass players - I have one and will gladly lend it, just ask).

My flight case was about $120 IIRC; I think it's off-brand. But I've had it on 4 or 5 fly gigs in 10 years and it works great. It has a few nice dings on the edges and scratches on the sides that tell me it did its job when it had to.

 

[moon-bass]

I fly a lot for my professional job, so I have a few tips, plus a lot of insight from watching Nashville musicians try to fly with their instruments:

• Your ability to carry on will vary greatly depending on the size of the plane. You need to find out what plane you will be on. If it's a "regional jet" like and Embraer, then you should know that the overheads are VERY small and there is only one "flight attendant closet" which is usually half full of their gear. On those types of planes, you will be forced to check your bass. On something like a 737 (the planes used exclusively by Southwest), the overhead is JUST big enough to fit a bass soft case....but,
• In order to get your bag into the overhead on a larger plane, you will need to be one of the first to board. Everyone, not just musicians, get to use the overhead, and they are first come, first served. Pay extra to get early boarding to better your chances to get an overhead. Be sure that it's your only overhead piece of luggage, since you only get one. Again, no guarantees.
• If there isn't room, or your bag doesn't fit, you're SOL. Don't complain, and don't start pulling other people's luggage out of the overhead. I see both happen regularly, and I can promise that neither end well. If the flight attendants don't stop you, and angry, frustrated, TSA-gropped fellow passenger may just remind you that you are not special. There is no law which REQUIRES them to force your bass on board (no matter what you'll hear today from other TB members.)
• Use a "bag" that sturdy enough to be gate checked. The Mono or Reunion Blues bags offer just as much protection as an OEM hard case. Hard cases don't fit in ANY plane.
• I should have put this first......because it's the best option and the one that yields the least amount of stress for all involved: Get a SKB Bass Safe and check your bass. Less to carry through security, less stress wondering if you'll get on board, less anger and vitriol from your fellow passengers. They are super secure and sturdy, unless they roll over it with the plane.

This entire message. There are so many variables, I would just plan on checking it in a flight case. The last time I flew with a bass and did not check it - about 3 years ago - I called the airline prior to getting to the airport, they said it was fine, the gate agent said it was fine when I checked in at the airport, but when I got to TSA the TSA agent turned me back and said that I couldn't take it onboard - no matter what. I had to check it in a gig bag. The guy argued with me and would absolutely not allow me to proceed, even though I pointed out to him that there were many other people walking through the airport with gig bags strung across their back. No dice, and nothing I could do, I had to check it. Planes are getting small nowadays - i don't even see how you could get a bass in some of the smaller planes.

I fly about 1-2 times a month for business and given the way the industry is now, I would never try to carry a bass onto the main cabin again unless I bought it's own ticket (which may actually be cheaper than checking it in some cases).

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Hello everyone,

I will be flying out west for some shows and I am real nervous about the airline damaging or losing my bass. I will be flying Delta airlines and I was hoping I could take it aboard the plane in a semi hard case. Can anyone provide tips or advice on getting my bass there safely? I really appreciate it. I will be looking at insurance as well for the trip. The bass costs around 800 dollars. It’ s Not my most expensive bass but still isn’t super cheap if something happened to it, plus I would have to scramble to find a bass in another state on short notice.... I will be taking a Sire V7 vintage 5.

Hard shell case, and hope for the best on not losing it. I flew mine to and from Hawaii, with no problems. Going there, I didn't have a hard case, so I boxed it up with an unbelievable amount of bubble wrap and cardboard shivs I made and taped up. Coming back, I bought a case. No problems at all.