Hi everyone I'm taking a trip to Chicago in the near future and am going to bring my uilleann pipes. Im flying with aer lingus from Dublin direct to Chicago and was hoping to carry on my pipes as hand luggage. Of coures i will be using a smaller than average custom built case that fits into their required measurments. I know it sounds silly but im worried they might class parts of my pipes or my low whistles as weapons. And the last thing I want to do is check them in and watch some baggage handler play basketball with them. Has anyone experience travelling with instruments or tips they could give me?
thanks
I think you should be ok I've carried on flutes, whistles, mandolins, and bouzoukis in the past with few issues. I even managed to get the zouk on as a carry-on without them making me check it at the gate. With the flutes and/or whistles sometimes security asks to see them but more often they don't sometimes they just ask what they are but usually they don't do anything. I have traveled with a piper taking his pipes as a carry-on and they didn't have any problem with them. Security in Dublin did ask to see them but more because the people working wanted to see a set up close cause they never had before.
I doubt you'll have any problems, but there is a chance that on a full flight they may make you check them at the gate. and you'll get them back at the gate when you land without having to wait for them at baggage claim.
"there is a chance that on a full flight they may make you check them at the gate. and you'll get them back at the gate when you land without having to wait for them at baggage claim."
Would you allow your pipes (or any instrument) to be put in the hold? I'd be very wary - we've all heard stories of instruments coming out in pieces, even in so-called 'flight cases'.
Im planning on making a lightweight cedar wood box thats much smaller than the max carry on bag! Ill take apart the pipes and they should be nice and snug! I was contemplating bringing my chieftan low d whistle too but I reckon if any instrument would make a good weapon thats the chap. lol
Would I allow an instrument in the hold? Yes if I had to and I have done so many times and only once had a problem, the neck on my bouzouki was cracked. I suspect it was damaged during an inspection by TSA who randomly inspect baggage at times and leave a paper saying they inspected it if they did (and there was one in the case.) I also generally pack my whistles (all of which are plastic or metal) in my suitcase.
A friend of mine once had the neck of his mandolin crack on a flight and he had it on the plane in the overhead bin with the strings tuned down. These things can happen regardless of being checked or not.
But I seriously doubt you should have problems taking pipes on a flight even with a low d in the case the worst that could happen is they will make you play it. I have heard stories of this happening too!
If the case is smaller than carry-on size, then you probably won't have a problem. I've flown with highland pipes broken down in my carry-on, and wasn't even asked to open my bag so they could inspect them. A buddy of mine once flew to the east coast, and after x-raying his bag they asked him to open it. The inspector looked at his pipex and asked "what's all this?" When my friend said they were bagpipes, the inspector said "you sure it's not like a clarinet or something?"
I recently travelled between Canada, London and Iceland with a set of northumbrian small pipes and a set of border pipes in a sax gigbag. I think one X-ray guy made a comment, other than that no issues. Of course you are travelling to the States so it depends who is using the TSA's brain that day.
Whenever I am flying with pipes or Hurdygurdies I carry it on the opposite side from the gate check people when i am boarding the plane. That way they (hopefully) dont notice I have an oversize item and i can get it onboard. I have found flight attendents to always be helpful, one suggested using the inside luggage bin as they are slightly larger.
The only problems I've ever had traveling with the pipes were once incident where the airline took issue with the hard case they were in at the time and said hard cases were not allowed as carry-on, and another time when the TSA guy was very suspicious of the weensie pliers I that live in the pipes case. They let me keep my pliers, but your man had to have a discussion with his supervisor over whether or not they were kosher.
The travelling piper/musician
The travelling piper/musician
Hi everyone I'm taking a trip to Chicago in the near future and am going to bring my uilleann pipes. Im flying with aer lingus from Dublin direct to Chicago and was hoping to carry on my pipes as hand luggage. Of coures i will be using a smaller than average custom built case that fits into their required measurments. I know it sounds silly but im worried they might class parts of my pipes or my low whistles as weapons. And the last thing I want to do is check them in and watch some baggage handler play basketball with them. Has anyone experience travelling with instruments or tips they could give me?
thanks
# Posted on December 14th 2011 by brass n ebony
Re: The travelling piper/musician
I think you should be ok I've carried on flutes, whistles, mandolins, and bouzoukis in the past with few issues. I even managed to get the zouk on as a carry-on without them making me check it at the gate. With the flutes and/or whistles sometimes security asks to see them but more often they don't sometimes they just ask what they are but usually they don't do anything. I have traveled with a piper taking his pipes as a carry-on and they didn't have any problem with them. Security in Dublin did ask to see them but more because the people working wanted to see a set up close cause they never had before.
I doubt you'll have any problems, but there is a chance that on a full flight they may make you check them at the gate. and you'll get them back at the gate when you land without having to wait for them at baggage claim.
# Posted on December 14th 2011 by Why Bother?
Re: The travelling piper/musician
"there is a chance that on a full flight they may make you check them at the gate. and you'll get them back at the gate when you land without having to wait for them at baggage claim."
Would you allow your pipes (or any instrument) to be put in the hold? I'd be very wary - we've all heard stories of instruments coming out in pieces, even in so-called 'flight cases'.
# Posted on December 15th 2011 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: The travelling piper/musician
Im planning on making a lightweight cedar wood box thats much smaller than the max carry on bag! Ill take apart the pipes and they should be nice and snug! I was contemplating bringing my chieftan low d whistle too but I reckon if any instrument would make a good weapon thats the chap. lol
# Posted on December 15th 2011 by brass n ebony
Re: The travelling piper/musician
Would I allow an instrument in the hold? Yes if I had to and I have done so many times and only once had a problem, the neck on my bouzouki was cracked. I suspect it was damaged during an inspection by TSA who randomly inspect baggage at times and leave a paper saying they inspected it if they did (and there was one in the case.) I also generally pack my whistles (all of which are plastic or metal) in my suitcase.
A friend of mine once had the neck of his mandolin crack on a flight and he had it on the plane in the overhead bin with the strings tuned down. These things can happen regardless of being checked or not.
But I seriously doubt you should have problems taking pipes on a flight even with a low d in the case the worst that could happen is they will make you play it. I have heard stories of this happening too!
# Posted on December 15th 2011 by Why Bother?
Re: The travelling piper/musician
If the case is smaller than carry-on size, then you probably won't have a problem. I've flown with highland pipes broken down in my carry-on, and wasn't even asked to open my bag so they could inspect them. A buddy of mine once flew to the east coast, and after x-raying his bag they asked him to open it. The inspector looked at his pipex and asked "what's all this?" When my friend said they were bagpipes, the inspector said "you sure it's not like a clarinet or something?"
# Posted on December 15th 2011 by cbw
Re: The travelling piper/musician
I recently travelled between Canada, London and Iceland with a set of northumbrian small pipes and a set of border pipes in a sax gigbag. I think one X-ray guy made a comment, other than that no issues. Of course you are travelling to the States so it depends who is using the TSA's brain that day.
Whenever I am flying with pipes or Hurdygurdies I carry it on the opposite side from the gate check people when i am boarding the plane. That way they (hopefully) dont notice I have an oversize item and i can get it onboard. I have found flight attendents to always be helpful, one suggested using the inside luggage bin as they are slightly larger.
# Posted on December 15th 2011 by thorsdog
Re: The travelling piper/musician
The only problems I've ever had traveling with the pipes were once incident where the airline took issue with the hard case they were in at the time and said hard cases were not allowed as carry-on, and another time when the TSA guy was very suspicious of the weensie pliers I that live in the pipes case. They let me keep my pliers, but your man had to have a discussion with his supervisor over whether or not they were kosher.
# Posted on December 15th 2011 by DrSilverSpear