More "flying with instruments" news

[jesserules]

Chris Thile this time.

https://twitter.com/christhile/statu...64744325853184

[AMandolin]

It’s a shame!

[Ivan Kelsall]

It's a shame that the policies of individual airlines are still being enforced by employees who still appear NOT to know the policies !.

Unfortunately,if a check in clerk doesn't know the rules / regs. etc.,then you're still in for an argument as per CT. I find it amazing that the policies of airlines regarding 'what' may be taken on board,has still not reach 100% of their employees - maybe the airlines don't care & are simply paying lip service to the rules / regs. ??,
Ivan

[William Smith]

I haven't flown in years but once from Pittsburgh to Alabama to see family in about 2001. It was winter I was stranded at the airport-forgot credit card for hotel, I had to hop 4 or 5 different planes just to get to Alabama, I took my old Loar Buster 7 conversion, problems from the start when they went through the case looking at the string wire cutters in Pittsburgh-but figured I wasn't a threat, got into an argument with last plane hop, I refused to let the mando out of my sight, stewardess told me it had to go under/check it in well I held up the plane saying it was to valuable- she was nasty to me -lucky the captain was on the level, he put it in his personal compartment for me.

[Dacraw54]

American Airlines Base fare says it only allows 1 carry-on that has to fit under your seat. You need to bump up a level to get access to the overhead bins... I have no idea how they enforce that.

[rcc56]

Another in a long chain of events. I quit flying years ago. I have no desire to pay large amounts of money to be treated badly.
A touring musician can make a living without flying. Requires a lot of driving, though.

[Dacraw54]

It's a shame that the policies of individual airlines are still being enforced by employees who still appear NOT to know the policies !.

Unfortunately,if a check in clerk doesn't know the rules / regs. etc.,then you're still in for an argument as per CT. I find it amazing that the policies of airlines regarding 'what' may be taken on board,has still not reach 100% of their employees - maybe the airlines don't care & are simply paying lip service to the rules / regs. ??,
Ivan

The Airlines do not educate their staff as to the latest FAA rulings regarding musical instruments. They DO make them aware of the max dimensions for the Cabin Baggage, and no mandolin is ever going to come in under those. I stress everytime I fly with an instrument although most of the time it has been unwarranted. Pay extra to board early, get an overhead space, put BOTH items up there, with the smaller one or a jacket in front of the neck, and give everyone the Evil Eye who tries to move it.

[Jim Bevan]

On the other hand...

I'm in the middle of a two-week Dubai-Santiago de Chile-Detroit-Dubai trip, all of it with Air Canada, and I discovered that they have a new policy of, if you have an instrument, you can board immediately after first class does, regardless of what "zone" your boarding pass shows.

[FLATROCK HILL]

On the other hand...

I'm in the middle of a two-week Dubai-Santiago de Chile-Detroit-Dubai trip, all of it with Air Canada, and I discovered that they have a new policy of, if you have an instrument, you can board immediately after first class does, regardless of what "zone" your boarding pass shows.

Wow... Good news for Air Canada passengers. (Until word gets around and people start carrying harmonicas.)

[devildog]

The carry-on regs are similar to this (American's below):

We calculate the size limits of your bag by adding the total outside dimensions of each bag, length + width + height. For all regions, your checked baggage allowance is: Dimension: 62 in / 158 cm. Weight: 50 lbs / 23 kgs.

My mandolin case is 29+12+5=46. (Collings MT/TLK Superior Case). Obviously well under the weight limit.

In a pinch, it fits below the seat (sort of).

An F case would be larger. Anyone care to measure?

Eric

[Bad Monkey]

The old "airline policy is..." argument.
Unfortunately, it doesn't matter what the printed policy is. The pilot is the final arbiter of everything that happens in/on/around the aircraft. If he says no, it's no. It's really up to the aircrew as to what goes where. As a guy who flies regularly with instruments, I've never run into a surly airline employee. I've encountered a couple that were having less than optimal days but I've always been able to get things worked out quickly and smoothly without being "that guy". "that guy" doesn't make anyone's experience any better and is pretty much guaranteeing a poor outcome for himself. I've seen people flip out because there wasn't any room for their acoustic guitar in the overheads and lost their minds at the suggestion of gate checking it. What makes you think you're guaranteed a spot in the overhead? The flight crew isn't going to start pulling other people's carry-on bags out of the bins and making them gate check 'em. Those people payed for a ticket same as the college kid with the guitar and they rate just as much.
I can hear it now; "dude, it's a musical instrument and you're a jerk".
It's a bag on an airplane. If you're getting a hassle you should have smiled and been nice. I've never had anyone look twice at my mandolin, and always check the jazzmaster and 'zouk. They're in flight cases so no worries. The key phrase in any baggage policy is "dependent upon available space" I'll bet dollars to donuts that Delta's policy ends with that very phrase. Smile, be nice, be polite, say please, ask for help, make them feel like they're real people too and you're not berating them and I bet things work out great. The one time I though things might get sketchy I told the attendant that if she could help me find a spot for my mandolin I'd write a tune for her and play it a the end of the flight. I got my mandolin stashed in the crew bedracks and I "wrote a tune" while over the Atlantic. Actually I filked up a few verses for the old maritime tune "homeward bound" and played it for them as everyone was deplaning. Had to play it twice so the lead attendant could get it on his Iphone.

Now I'm not saying that CT was acting like a jerk, I'm just pointing out that even if it's in print, an airline's baggage policy isn't set in stone and is dependent on the situation. They toss that little "nothing printed here can be depended on at the time of boarding" phrase in at the end for a reason. And that you're going to catch more flies with honey than if you throw a tantrum.

Oh, and get a good case.

[dhergert]

Another in a long chain of events. I quit flying years ago. I have no desire to pay large amounts of money to be treated badly. ...

I'm glad I'm not the only one here who has taken this stand. If I want to be treated like I'm on a bus, I'll take a bus.

Trains are not a bad alternative if a person has the time.

We do have a small RV that my wife and I want to travel with... Big enough for the two of us, our little dog and all of our important instruments. I'm retiring at the end of this month, so the adventure begins.

[Ivan Kelsall]

From Dacraw54 - " The Airlines do not educate their staff as to the latest FAA rulings regarding musical instruments. " That's all too apparent !. As for ''cabin baggage'' - this is what i/m allowed on flights from the UK (apparently ?) - see bag pic. However,my Travelite case is only a tiny bit above the " 1/2 the VOLUME '' of the allowable bag,but none of the 3 airlines flying to Dublin,Ireland from Manchester ,would allow me to take it on board. How can they get away with that ?. I'm entitled to take a bag TWICE the size of my mandolin case on board,but not one half the size - there's some wierd thinking out there !,

My 'allowable' baggage 'volume' is 2.29 cu.ft. My Travelite case is very approx. 1.17 cu.ft in 'volume'. The problem arises when they use 'dimensions' rather than total 'volume' . Your item can be half the allowable ''width'' / half the allowable ''depth'' but if it's 1" overlong - you're gone !!,
Ivan

[mbruno]

While I clearly don't fly as much as Chris Thile, I do fly pretty often (15 - 20 weeks a year), usually with Delta, but always (always) have my mandolin with me as a carry on. I honestly can't think of the last time I was on a plane without my mandolin.

I've had maybe 2 incidents where they said they'd need to take my mandolin and check it - I just nicely say "no, that's okay I can put it under my seat just fine. Thanks!" Never had any further issues after that potential exchange. On every other flight, I've never had an issue (on Delta or any other airline).

I'm curious to know if Mr. Thile was just asked if they could check it or if it was more of an issue....

[dhergert]

... I'm curious to know if Mr. Thile was just asked if they could check it or if it was more of an issue....

As the value of the instrument goes up, so does the importance of these decisions.

I suppose a person could buy a seat for an instrument. Nowadays the question is whether the airline would honor the purchase. After watching people being dragged off of airliners, I wouldn't expect much honor.