Could someone please repost the link to that TSA (is that the the right acronym) letter saying that instruments do not count as one of your designated carry-ons? I used to travel with a copy of it, but after over a year of schlepping all over the US, Ireland, and the UK with the pipes and assorted other hand baggage and absolutely no problems whatsoever, I kind of lost the letter. There seemed to be no need to actually keep track of it.
So when I ended up arguing with the check-in lady in the Manchester airport this morning (UK time) over whether the pipes were hand luggage or not, I thought, "Man, I really wish I had that letter with me," and I lost the argument. Needless to say, I checked the other bag, but it defeated my goal of travelling without check-in baggage and living in the abject paranoia of losing it. I was quite annoyed.
Epilogue: The bag did in fact make it to Newark without incident and came with me as a carry-on (alongside the pipes) to Denver.
Very aggravating! I long ago travelled with a Dread size guitar and was allowed to take it on, requested prior, they said I could carry on but it had to be stowed in a back closet and I got it after the flight. It was so long ago I don't remember what airline etc. but maybe you can pre-arrange for that if it doesn't fit in the overhead compartments?
I think I am going to try to make a travel guitar that has a bolt on the neck and through the fingerboard (bolt disguised as a brass inlay!) so it comes apart and fits in a regular small suitcase, neck above guitar or one next to the other making the specs right for carry on. My teacher says we can experiment with that and no reason it shouldn't work. You re-assemble when you land, put on the strings, should take 20 minutes tops. May even fit a large backpack (would use lots of bubble wrap)
Not that I EVER go anywhere! LOL!
You'd think a luthier could adapt that for bouzouki etc. too. I worried about getting the neck set right each time it's reassembled though, and you might have to learn to check that each time.... a bit too little tightness of the bolts could cause a movement/shifting problem.
Some people sell travel guitars that are full size and fold or come apart.... but they are really pricey. The Leach I liked was the Voyager, at about $7,000. Acoustic Guitar magaizine, I think this month, has an article on travel guitars if anyone is interested.
I had to put my anglo inside my luggage just to check it would be within Ryanairs maximum luggage measurements, in case they said I couldn't take an anglo AND hand luggage onto the plane (only one piece of hand luggage allowed is the strict rules!!).
Yet, women are allowed to take a handbag AND a suitcase onto the plane (DISCRIMINATION!!!).
The wifes handbag is that big I can get an anglo in it so that might be the answer - get an instrument sized handbag and let a woman take it on board (or take the wife).
The bolt-on neck was a viable solution to getting a full size guitar on as carry-on before the agreement with the musicians' union, and is still a good way to make a large string instrument more compact. I've constructed 3 guitars, 2 citterns, and 2 basses in this manner. The first was a bass (standard 3/4 size) that I built in response to being charged $300 to take a bass on a Japan tour. On this one the top was sawn three inches below where the neck joins and braced so that the neck turned and fit inside the body for travel. As you can imagine, this required considerable handwork, so the next instruments had removable necks that attached with one bolt that also served as a strap button. The instruments take 10 min to set up, and they don't "drift". I am a school teacher/luthier, retired, so I'm not interested in orders, but am willing to discuss your project.
I don't think you can expect accommodations for American musicians traveling with musical instruments from an airline that disregards or otherwise ignores the special needs of seniors or handicapped travelers. I speak from first hand experience. Ard Jinkus is such an airline. You are more likely to be accommodated by one of the other airlines, unless of course you can afford to travel first class. just my hum op.
I was actually on Continental, which I often use. This is the first time they've made an issue out of it. I think it had more to do with the individual check-in person than the airline itself.
My harmonicas used to draw some attention (I always seem to have one on my person somewhere even when I don't intend to), but I think the screeners are getting better at recognizing them for what they are.
Tin whistles sometimes get some extra attention, as they are long metal objects--I pack mine with that old TSA letter.
It helps to have the odd object at the top of the suitcase instead of the bottom so they can find it quick.
A friend of mine was asked to put his flute together by a security official, and then was asked "Do you know the Mason's Apron?" --apparently the official just wanted to hear a tune.
We just came back from a few days in Paris. We flew Swiss Air (from the US) and called ahead to talk to them about instruments. They were very clear and stubborn about their carry-on requirements - as max width/length/depth of the bag. Even my mandolin could not make it. I was going to chance it, since often airlines behave better than they claim on paper, but the flights were full and I had no way to leave my instrument behind if they confronted me at the gate. My mandolin case would not make it through the check-in baggage - not the way I saw the handlers toss the bags around. So unfortunately I had to go without. Yes - it's all very frustrating. I intend to invest in a solid travel case that can be checked in, if necessary.
As I said, that flight out of Manchester was the first time I had issues flying with the pipes, and it wasn't the pipes per se, but their mere existence as a second carry-on.
I have had odd conversations with security guys and other airport officials. A security guy in Shannon kept asking me how long it took to learn the pipes. After saying, "I don't know, a while," a few times, I gave him Seamus Ennis' smartass answer -- "Seven years of listening, seven years of practicing, etc. etc." Another time the check-in guy asked me what instrument it was, and when I said, "Irish bagpipes," (I almost never say "uilleann pipes" to random people who ask me what I play -- too much explanation) he asked if I'd stand in the check-in line and play. I answered, "Well, you can't really stand and play this instrument." He let me on my way. I guess he couldn't be bothered getting a chair. And on this trip, the security guy in the Newark airport asked what they were, and I told him, and he went on for a while about this huge pipe band gathering in Grand Central Station and it was really too bad I missed, I really would have liked it.
Has anyone had any problems with instruments as checked in luggage?
Ive always managed to travel with one guitar as hand luggage but soon I will be travelling with two so I dont fancy my chances.
Would anyone recommend I get those expensive proper flight cases ( some of which are actually made of metal ) or would a standard hard case do?My guitars have lasted fine with these cases in car boots for many years.
Thanks for any help.
You can never really tell with security guys. Sometimes their questions have reasons other than personal interest. They may be checking to see if you and the instrument really belong together. I come from Israel, where no security question could be too odd. My mom was once asked to drink water out of a bottle she was carrying so prove that it was water. Go figure. But it's cool when people show genuine interest.
If anyone needs a pdf-scan of the January 2003 letter from the TSA to the American Federation of Musicians, send me an email (include your email address in the body of the email so I can send something back with an attachment). I check my email regula... er... periodically...
Keep in mind that the TSA policy merely permits air carriers to allow you to carry on that instrument, but it does not require them to, and airline policies do differ. However, everyone I've dealt with -- TSA screeners, airline employees and travellers (including me at first)-- will interpret the policy and letter as requiring, and I've never corrected them. Airlines can also require your carry on instrument to meet their carry on size restrictions. I've never had a problem with size restrictions. Even though none of my travelling harps actually meets the airline size requirements, they all fit overhead *on domestic US flights* as long as they are the first item in the overhead bin.
Even though the TSA has eased up somewhat on tools on board, I still pack my tuning key and electronic tuner in my checked baggage, to the poor TSA drones won't get any twitchier.
I've never had a problem flying with an instrument. However ... less than a year after the TSA policy was implemented, fiddler Bonnie Rideout was arrested and prosecuted when she attempted to bring her fiddle on board a flight. A flight attendant took it amiss when Bonnie refused to relinquish her instrument to be stowed in the unheated, unpressurized baggage compartment.
I have just returned from Spain with Ryanair; I had checked -in luggage of maximum allowed weight, a carry -on wheelie case of regulation proportions, the biggest handbag in the world (carrying about 15kg of gourmet delights ) and my C/G concertina. I had no problem at all. There were two other passengers ( sans hanbags) who had a banjo and a bodhran on board the plane. Ryanair tell you in your conirmation email that they will accept most musical instruments of reasonable size... they specifically exclude double basses and harps; guitars seem to have less clear guidelines.
Whenever I have travelled with the fiddle orchestra I used to play in, we had no problem with taking our fiddles on-board with us.
But any airline representative told me my fiddle had to go in the hold, then they could quite possibly end up with either, losing a passenger or would have to drag me away so I wouldn't totally lose my temper!!!(which I can be quite fearce when I want to be!)
Instruments as carry-on
Instruments as carry-on
Could someone please repost the link to that TSA (is that the the right acronym) letter saying that instruments do not count as one of your designated carry-ons? I used to travel with a copy of it, but after over a year of schlepping all over the US, Ireland, and the UK with the pipes and assorted other hand baggage and absolutely no problems whatsoever, I kind of lost the letter. There seemed to be no need to actually keep track of it.
So when I ended up arguing with the check-in lady in the Manchester airport this morning (UK time) over whether the pipes were hand luggage or not, I thought, "Man, I really wish I had that letter with me," and I lost the argument. Needless to say, I checked the other bag, but it defeated my goal of travelling without check-in baggage and living in the abject paranoia of losing it. I was quite annoyed.
Epilogue: The bag did in fact make it to Newark without incident and came with me as a carry-on (alongside the pipes) to Denver.
# Posted on April 16th 2006 by TheSilverSpear
Re: Instruments as carry-on
Very aggravating! I long ago travelled with a Dread size guitar and was allowed to take it on, requested prior, they said I could carry on but it had to be stowed in a back closet and I got it after the flight. It was so long ago I don't remember what airline etc. but maybe you can pre-arrange for that if it doesn't fit in the overhead compartments?
I think I am going to try to make a travel guitar that has a bolt on the neck and through the fingerboard (bolt disguised as a brass inlay!) so it comes apart and fits in a regular small suitcase, neck above guitar or one next to the other making the specs right for carry on. My teacher says we can experiment with that and no reason it shouldn't work. You re-assemble when you land, put on the strings, should take 20 minutes tops. May even fit a large backpack (would use lots of bubble wrap)
Not that I EVER go anywhere! LOL!
You'd think a luthier could adapt that for bouzouki etc. too. I worried about getting the neck set right each time it's reassembled though, and you might have to learn to check that each time.... a bit too little tightness of the bolts could cause a movement/shifting problem.
Some people sell travel guitars that are full size and fold or come apart.... but they are really pricey. The Leach I liked was the Voyager, at about $7,000. Acoustic Guitar magaizine, I think this month, has an article on travel guitars if anyone is interested.
# Posted on April 16th 2006 by irisnevins
Re: Handbags - what a carry-on?
I had to put my anglo inside my luggage just to check it would be within Ryanairs maximum luggage measurements, in case they said I couldn't take an anglo AND hand luggage onto the plane (only one piece of hand luggage allowed is the strict rules!!).
Yet, women are allowed to take a handbag AND a suitcase onto the plane (DISCRIMINATION!!!).
The wifes handbag is that big I can get an anglo in it so that might be the answer - get an instrument sized handbag and let a woman take it on board (or take the wife).
# Posted on April 16th 2006 by geoffwright
Re: Instruments as carry-on
Here is the latest position on instruments as carry on from the TSA web site:
http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?content=0900051980069ab5
# Posted on April 16th 2006 by RogueFiddler
Re: Instruments as carry-on
The bolt-on neck was a viable solution to getting a full size guitar on as carry-on before the agreement with the musicians' union, and is still a good way to make a large string instrument more compact. I've constructed 3 guitars, 2 citterns, and 2 basses in this manner. The first was a bass (standard 3/4 size) that I built in response to being charged $300 to take a bass on a Japan tour. On this one the top was sawn three inches below where the neck joins and braced so that the neck turned and fit inside the body for travel. As you can imagine, this required considerable handwork, so the next instruments had removable necks that attached with one bolt that also served as a strap button. The instruments take 10 min to set up, and they don't "drift". I am a school teacher/luthier, retired, so I'm not interested in orders, but am willing to discuss your project.
# Posted on April 17th 2006 by BurtDaBard
Re: Instruments as carry-on
I don't think you can expect accommodations for American musicians traveling with musical instruments from an airline that disregards or otherwise ignores the special needs of seniors or handicapped travelers. I speak from first hand experience. Ard Jinkus is such an airline. You are more likely to be accommodated by one of the other airlines, unless of course you can afford to travel first class. just my hum op.
# Posted on April 17th 2006 by windybaer
Re: Instruments as carry-on
I was actually on Continental, which I often use. This is the first time they've made an issue out of it. I think it had more to do with the individual check-in person than the airline itself.
# Posted on April 17th 2006 by TheSilverSpear
Re: Instruments as carry-on
My harmonicas used to draw some attention (I always seem to have one on my person somewhere even when I don't intend to), but I think the screeners are getting better at recognizing them for what they are.
Tin whistles sometimes get some extra attention, as they are long metal objects--I pack mine with that old TSA letter.
It helps to have the odd object at the top of the suitcase instead of the bottom so they can find it quick.
A friend of mine was asked to put his flute together by a security official, and then was asked "Do you know the Mason's Apron?" --apparently the official just wanted to hear a tune.
# Posted on April 17th 2006 by AlBrown
Re: Instruments as carry-on
We just came back from a few days in Paris. We flew Swiss Air (from the US) and called ahead to talk to them about instruments. They were very clear and stubborn about their carry-on requirements - as max width/length/depth of the bag. Even my mandolin could not make it. I was going to chance it, since often airlines behave better than they claim on paper, but the flights were full and I had no way to leave my instrument behind if they confronted me at the gate. My mandolin case would not make it through the check-in baggage - not the way I saw the handlers toss the bags around. So unfortunately I had to go without. Yes - it's all very frustrating. I intend to invest in a solid travel case that can be checked in, if necessary.
Avi
# Posted on April 17th 2006 by improziv
Re: Instruments as carry-on
As I said, that flight out of Manchester was the first time I had issues flying with the pipes, and it wasn't the pipes per se, but their mere existence as a second carry-on.
I have had odd conversations with security guys and other airport officials. A security guy in Shannon kept asking me how long it took to learn the pipes. After saying, "I don't know, a while," a few times, I gave him Seamus Ennis' smartass answer -- "Seven years of listening, seven years of practicing, etc. etc." Another time the check-in guy asked me what instrument it was, and when I said, "Irish bagpipes," (I almost never say "uilleann pipes" to random people who ask me what I play -- too much explanation) he asked if I'd stand in the check-in line and play. I answered, "Well, you can't really stand and play this instrument." He let me on my way. I guess he couldn't be bothered getting a chair. And on this trip, the security guy in the Newark airport asked what they were, and I told him, and he went on for a while about this huge pipe band gathering in Grand Central Station and it was really too bad I missed, I really would have liked it.
# Posted on April 17th 2006 by TheSilverSpear
Re: Instruments as carry-on
Has anyone had any problems with instruments as checked in luggage?
Ive always managed to travel with one guitar as hand luggage but soon I will be travelling with two so I dont fancy my chances.
Would anyone recommend I get those expensive proper flight cases ( some of which are actually made of metal ) or would a standard hard case do?My guitars have lasted fine with these cases in car boots for many years.
Thanks for any help.
# Posted on April 18th 2006 by humph
Re: Instruments as carry-on
You can never really tell with security guys. Sometimes their questions have reasons other than personal interest. They may be checking to see if you and the instrument really belong together. I come from Israel, where no security question could be too odd. My mom was once asked to drink water out of a bottle she was carrying so prove that it was water. Go figure. But it's cool when people show genuine interest.
Avi
# Posted on April 18th 2006 by improziv
Re: Instruments as carry-on
If anyone needs a pdf-scan of the January 2003 letter from the TSA to the American Federation of Musicians, send me an email (include your email address in the body of the email so I can send something back with an attachment). I check my email regula... er... periodically...
Schy
# Posted on April 18th 2006 by Schy
Re: Instruments as carry-on
Link to the TSA letter (on TSA letterhead) regarding instruments carried on or checked:
http://www.indie-music.com/downloads/AFM_carryon.pdf
Tips for musicians travelling with instruments (on planes):
http://www.symphony.org/govaff/what/traveltips.shtml
Keep in mind that the TSA policy merely permits air carriers to allow you to carry on that instrument, but it does not require them to, and airline policies do differ. However, everyone I've dealt with -- TSA screeners, airline employees and travellers (including me at first)-- will interpret the policy and letter as requiring, and I've never corrected them. Airlines can also require your carry on instrument to meet their carry on size restrictions. I've never had a problem with size restrictions. Even though none of my travelling harps actually meets the airline size requirements, they all fit overhead *on domestic US flights* as long as they are the first item in the overhead bin.
Even though the TSA has eased up somewhat on tools on board, I still pack my tuning key and electronic tuner in my checked baggage, to the poor TSA drones won't get any twitchier.
I've never had a problem flying with an instrument. However ... less than a year after the TSA policy was implemented, fiddler Bonnie Rideout was arrested and prosecuted when she attempted to bring her fiddle on board a flight. A flight attendant took it amiss when Bonnie refused to relinquish her instrument to be stowed in the unheated, unpressurized baggage compartment.
# Posted on April 18th 2006 by Tracie
Re: Instruments as carry-on
My flute will become a rare religious artifact if any airline representative ever suggests that it must be checked.
# Posted on April 19th 2006 by Stevie C
Re: Instruments as carry-on
I have just returned from Spain with Ryanair; I had checked -in luggage of maximum allowed weight, a carry -on wheelie case of regulation proportions, the biggest handbag in the world (carrying about 15kg of gourmet delights ) and my C/G concertina. I had no problem at all. There were two other passengers ( sans hanbags) who had a banjo and a bodhran on board the plane. Ryanair tell you in your conirmation email that they will accept most musical instruments of reasonable size... they specifically exclude double basses and harps; guitars seem to have less clear guidelines.
# Posted on April 23rd 2006 by sooz
Re: Instruments as carry-on
Whenever I have travelled with the fiddle orchestra I used to play in, we had no problem with taking our fiddles on-board with us.
But any airline representative told me my fiddle had to go in the hold, then they could quite possibly end up with either, losing a passenger or would have to drag me away so I wouldn't totally lose my temper!!!(which I can be quite fearce when I want to be!)
# Posted on April 24th 2006 by Shoz