Tips on flying with a bass guitar

[StyleOverShow]

The BassSafe is undeniably the best but it’s huge to transport. Agree it’s safe but it’s a pain to lug around.

I’ve tried taking the neck off and putting the body and neck into a suitcase padded with clothing. Kinda worked, just a hassle if multiple flights are involved.

I’ve speculated now that if I find myself in need again that I will either:
- Rent a bass for a day
- Ask a TB’er for a loaner(might work)

 

[Bob_Ross]

be sure to get on the plane early so you can snagg a overhead. So that means getting a seat towards the rear of the plane since they board rear seats first, or if you fly Southwest spend the extra $15 for early boarding.

I think they stopped doing that Board From The Back To The Front thing a couple decades or more ago; every flight I've taken in the last ~20 years has boarded by "Groups" which are arbitrarily scattered throughout the cabin.

Do the Mono bags or any of the other brands have an ATA approved hanging hook as part of the design?

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.

I was just recently thinking how odd it was that the last couple of gig bags I've purchased (which, fwiw, are also the most protective) don't have the hanging hook, whereas all the ones I bought in the 80s or 90s came with that hook. Guy's observation re: the disappearance of airplane closets seems like a plausible explanation.

 

[japhy4529]

See here: Invalid Link Removed

AND

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[nilorius]

The best variant is - hard shell case , specially made for the model you take.

 

[waveman]

I once used a coffin case to transport a guitar. Going to said location, no problem. Leaving from said location, the airline attendant thought I had a dead body in there, lol.

These days, it costs so much to transport, I would just wait to get to my destination and rent an instrument or buy a $100-200 instrument and return it. I don't have expensive instruments, so it's not worth the cost of transporting and I don't have any apprehension of playing just about any bass I could buy cheaply.

 

[Warfender]

There was a new law passed a few years back to make checking instruments no more.

 

[guy n. cognito]

There was a new law passed a few years back to make checking instruments no more.

Well, no, that’s incorrect. The FAA regulation to which you refer has been listed above....

 

[JaseyT]

My tip for flying with a bass guitar: make sure the wings are securely attached to the bass.

 

[JSandbloom]

I fly with an ATA flight case and check it. They’d have to drop it from the top of the plane to the tarmac to break that case. Even delta hasn’t been able to break it! It’s just under the weight limit so I don’t get overweight fees

 

[jshinal]

Does anyone have experience with the 1SKB-44PRO case ? It looks like an ATA case, but does it actually stand up to the baggage gorillas ?

 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

I didn't read the last two pages but I wanted to drop in my 2 cents.

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.

I'll do a fly date almost once a month. I use the SKB 44Pro case and never had a problem checking it. Once time the handlers were so rough that they damaged the case but my Carvin LB-76 was fine. SKB replaced the case under their lifetime warranty, no questions asked.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[fishdreams]

The most risk free and light weight option I've found is to bring a bolt-on type bass, take it apart and put the body inside a simple gig bag in your suitcase (or even carry-on), bring the neck into the cabin in a baseball bat sleeve or something similar, and put that in the overhead bin.

I done this a few times where I traveled for business, with multiple flights and train travel, with a show or session planned locally, when the bassafe is too clumsy and inside a gig bag as carry on too much potential hassle (I just don't need the stress when I travel for work, and I can still bring the work laptop on board.). Just remember to check rules for where to pack your tools and your 9V batteries if you have a active preamp.

It is a bit laborious, but it travels very light and completely stress free. And hey, I play regularly with a bassoonist. She has to assemble and disassemble her instrument each and every time she plays.

 

[rogerbmiller]

Lots of useful info here, from the FAA itself:

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From experience, I can share the following:

1) Pack your bass in a VERY sturdy gig bag/case bag. That way if you have to gate check it, you know it is safe. The one I go to for flying is the Protec Contego. Better than Mono Vertigo IMO, which of course others swear by. More protection and wider at the headstock area.

2) If you can swing it, purchase pre-boarding or some sort of premium ticket. The one time I recently had to do a fly in gig I bought a first class ticket to be sure I had access to the first cast coat closet. Easy peasy.

3) Know your rights. Study this FAA info and keep a copy on your phone. On my flight out, I had no problems at all. On my return trip I had one stewardess with attitude who refused to put my bass in the closet until I reminded her that she had to accept it.

 

[ClassicJazz]

I think they stopped doing that Board From The Back To The Front thing a couple decades or more ago; every flight I've taken in the last ~20 years has boarded by "Groups" which are arbitrarily scattered throughout the cabin.

For coach seating, they always board from the rear. At least on JetBlue which I fly allot. Southwest goes by groups, but it is open seating. That’s why I always pay for the early boarding so I am in the first group.

 

[J Posega]

Coming from someone who's seen it all in this regard, working the ramp at JFK for Del..................
You'd need a nuclear bomb proof case to even remotely ensure it makes it in one piece.

And the case only matters if it's latched properly. From what I've read, a lot of damage happens when inspectors don't close the cases back up properly and then they get dropped.

 

[Bijoux]

I'm sure many people will not love my answer, but in the last few years I've been asking the tour manager to just rent a Fender Jazz bass wherever we go.
It's been great. Super consistent, always very well set up and acclimated.
sometimes we play as little as a 40 min set.
Sometimes I have to make minor set up adjustments but I'm very happy just always having a bass there waiting for me and once we're done I just put it back on the stand and walk away!

 

[J Posega]

Lots of useful info here, from the FAA itself:

Invalid Link Removed

From experience, I can share the following:

1) Pack your bass in a VERY sturdy gig bag/case bag. That way if you have to gate check it, you know it is safe. The one I go to for flying is the Protec Contego. Better than Mono Vertigo IMO, which of course others swear by. More protection and wider at the headstock area.

2) If you can swing it, purchase pre-boarding or some sort of premium ticket. The one time I recently had to do a fly in gig I bought a first class ticket to be sure I had access to the first cast coat closet. Easy peasy.

3) Know your rights. Study this FAA info and keep a copy on your phone. On my flight out, I had no problems at all. On my return trip I had one stewardess with attitude who refused to put my bass in the closet until I reminded her that she had to accept it.

I'd be shocked if a regular sized bass in a gigbag met the size restrictions for a carry-on for most airlines. I know that an oversized instrument can, at maximum, be the size of two basses in their gigbags together front to back. How? I moved two basses from Michigan to Belfast, UK; they were in their gigbags inside a golf club caddy bag and just made it under the height limit for a cabin baggage instrument which I booked a seat for.

In the article you linked, there is no provision that says they must put your bass in a closet, because a full sized, non-shortscale bass does not fit the definition of a small musical instrument for the majority of airlines. I know this because I had to book flights from Minnesota (because it was closer to drive from where I was in MI to Minneapolis) to New York to Dublin, which meant researching these rules and requirements for every airline that had tickets I could afford.

If you convince them to closet your full sized, non-shortscale bass, great, you did it, you stuck it to the man, but you're also being a bit of a jerk by not understanding FAA guidelines and risking your bass being shoved down in cargo because you didn't read up on each airlines rules, regulations, and restrictions on what a "small musical instrument" is.

 

[Bob_Ross]

For coach seating, they always board from the rear. At least on JetBlue which I fly allot.

I just flew JetBlue last week and they boarded by groups! Group A, B, and C...all proceeded by Group "Mosaic", whatever that means. No First Class, but we did pay extra for early boarding and Even More Space, so we were in Group A. And there were other passengers also in Group A 30 rows behind me.

 

[SactoBass]

My tip for flying with a bass guitar?........don't do it! I did it twice, and both times, the bass insisted on taking the window seat. I got stuck in that lame "middle seat" both times and I wasn't happy. And, both times, the bass hogged all of the peanuts!!! After that happened, I told myself, "never again."

 

[ClassicJazz]

I just flew JetBlue last week and they boarded by groups! Group A, B, and C...all proceeded by Group "Mosaic", whatever that means. No First Class, but we did pay extra for early boarding and Even More Space, so we were in Group A. And there were other passengers also in Group A 30 rows behind me.

Hum, interesting. They must have just started that. Granted it was last year, but when I flew to NY to meet with the folks at Fodera, it was back to front boarding. Good to know....