I just returned from a trip to NY via Delta. Unfortunately, this thread began the day after I had already booked my flight. This was a personal trip, so I borrowed a travel guitar that can be used for practice.

The instrument consists of a guitar neck and 2 detachable tubes that give the approximate shape and feel of a guitar, and a pair of headphones. I figured that I would have no trouble getting it on since unassembled it takes almost no room at all, but the very fact that it was a musical instrument made it contraband. They also would not allow a gate check, so I had to check it with my baggage. I have gate-checked many times with many airlines, and although I still prefer to bring my guitar on board, I have never had a problem with the treatment of it when gate checked.

It will be a cold day in hell before I book a flight on Delta again, and I have posted this on every on-line group that I belong to, and this includes 6 musicians groups in the infamous "myspace.com", so it should reach a fairly large number of players. I wonder if we can get any musicians organizations to recommend a boycott of Delta. ASCAP, BMI, and the various unions and professional societies may have enough impact on Delta to make them reconsider their policies.

Thanks so much for all this information. I am definitely avoiding delta/u.s.airways from now on. Does anyone fly airtran airways at all? So far I have not had any problems with them (though I always kind of put my viola on the side and cover it with my jacket) and fares seem to be decently priced.

I just returned from CA. I was on Amerca Airline and I saw two violinists getting onboard with violin with no problem... But.. to get on the America Airline from JFK, you need to get to the airport at least four hrs before departure time!
I got to the airport two hours before and missed my flight when I was leaving from JFK to CA. So I had to wait for next flight which I had to line up for another three hrs for flight which was leaving 14hrs later... !! newyorkers! avoid JFK if you ride on domestic flight! find other airport.....newark, laguardia or something

The new (June) issue of International Musician has a column about the Delta Airlines problem written by president Tom Lee. Mr. Lee writes: "I am asking all musicians and performing artists to boycott Delta."

US Airways took the cake for me.

I was flying back last year from a competition (from Washington DC back to Chicago) and had to check my bass trombone. (I just always assume I'll be forced to do this, so I have an oak hardwood case that can withstand baggage handling.) When I arrived back in Chicago, Ionly my suitcase was at baggage claim. When I asked the attendants where my baggage was, they said "you only checked one bag."

Of course, I still had my claim tags, so I said "try again." To make a long story short, one of their own employees had stolen the horn, pawned it at a Chicago pawn shop for $40, and I spent the next six weeks trying to track it down and get it back. (Needless to say, the Chicago Police, the DC Police, and the Airline were all completely and utterly useless.)

I've had good luck with American Airlines recemntly, though. My last two flights with the horn (in the big hard case) they insisted that I NOT check the instrument, saying it was unnecessary. They even put it in the closet on the plane for me when it wouldn't fit overhead.

So did you get your bass trombone back? It sounds like it - but want to be sure.

I was curious about your instrument as well, Andy.

I've had great experiences with American and Northwest - the Northwest attendants don't even blink at my violin coming on board, even on the smallest commuter jets. They even go out of their way to make it clear that there's no problem.

The airline I've had the best flying experience with was American Airlines as well. Even had a flight attendant on an American flight who used to be a horn player in high school, and he gladly stowed my horn safely with the captain's luggage. Northwest is second in my book, but part of that was my fault (had a fixed bell horn and my gig bag turned out to be deficient protection for my leadpipe).

Worse experience: United Airlines. While in grad school, our horn ensemble was traveling from WA state to Michigan on a full flight (what can you do, huh?). Eleven people with fixed bell or screw bell horns. I, along with another horn player were forced to check our horns. I was adamant about keeping the horns on the plane until the flight attendant said we would either have to check the horns or leave the plane. I was praying all the way to Kalamazoo.

Changed horns since then, but still prefer American Airlines.

Thankfully, I did get my horn back. My custom mouthpieces were gone, though. The police didn't help me until the horn showed up on eBay, though, and it was unmistakably mine. The idiot who had stolen it pawned it downtown for a whopping $40!

I've heard the same good things about Northwest as I have discovered myself with American. They've gone out of their way to be helpful to me. My last flight actually had THREE bass trombonists on it, all flying to the same audition. We all were allowed to put our horns in the closet while the attendants put their luggage in the overhead compartments above our seats.

It seems American was ready for this. Perhaps AA management has decided to accomodate this niche market? After all, there aren't (relatively) that many of us, but we're loud and tell our friends. It can only be good PR for an industry that can use all of the good PR it can get, no matter how small-time.

On a side note, I heard once a story about a trumpeter who plays a (very common) Bach Stradivarius trumpet. When he was given some guff at the check-in counter, he simply told them he was carrying a "Stradivarius." Predictably, the airline employees' tune changed and they let him carry his case right on, even putting it safely in the closet by itself. The pilot even announced to the passengers that a "valuable Stradivarius" was traveling with them that day, not realizing that the instrument was about as far from a priceless violin as it gets.

Oh boy, you all thought you had the best worst airline story, but be still now while uncle Thomas tells you a tale of lost instruments and aeronautic incompetance the smallest word of which will shrivel your ears and harrow the very marrow of your bones!

Recently myself and a colleague travelled from Sydney, Australia to Denver, Colorado for a tuba conference. I was taking part in a mock orchestra audition competition, and therefore needed to take both my tubas. On our teachers recommendation we booked tickets with United, as United has the most reasonable excess baggage policy. I called ahead to confirm with the airline that yes, indeed, they would charge me $35 for each tuba. I turned up at Sydney Airport and dutifully paid my $70. I knew that I would be charged for the return trip, and knew I had to budget not only for large amounts of beer while at the conference, but also for the return journey, so I asked the person behind the counter "will they charge me the same coming back?" and was told that that would be the case. (now remember that, it's important latter on)
Ten hours latter we arrive in San Francisco. I clear immigration and change planes, recheck my tubas and board my flight to Denver. Arriving in Denver, I collect one tuba from the baggage claim. Time goes by. Time continues to go by. All the people who were on my plane pick up their baggage and leave. Majestically, inexorable, Galaxies continue their aeons long swirl and dance. Empires rise, become decadent, then crumble into dust. A preternatural calm descends on the abandoned baggage claim area. The wind blows. A tumbleweed rolls past. Eventually, after about 30 minutes I get sick of waiting and approach the customer service desk. The person behind the desk informs me that my other tuba is still in San Francisco, helps me fill out a lost baggage report, and assures me that if they find my tuba, it will be delivered to me. I jump in a shuttle to the hostel that I am staying in for the first night, and go to sleep that evening worrying that my instrument has disappeared into the aether.

I wake up the next morning to discover that my instrument has been delivered in the middle of the night, and, incredibly relieved, go for a wander round Denver and try to acclimate to a country where cars drive on the wrong side of the road, espresso coffee comes in no vessel smaller than a bucket, and such a thing as a 1c coin exists. Early the next morning, my colleague from Australia, Duncan, arrives. His flight was delayed by three hours because of bad wheather in Sydney. As this was a significant delay, the airline decided not to charge him to check his tuba. (he was competing in a solo competition, so only had one tuba) However, when he arrived in San Fran, it turned out that his tuba was still on the ground in Sydney. That should have been no more than a minor inconvenience, if his tuba had turned up within the next day like mine did. After all, we had a couple of spare days to get over our jetlag and get settled in before our competitions began. Many phone calls to the airline later, however, and the day of Duncan's competition dawned with no sign of his tuba. He had to borrow an instrument from another competitor to play for his first live round. Fortunately his instrument arrived in time for his second round.

That would have been enough lost instrument excitement for both of us for the rest of our lives, and a fitting tale to tell the grandchildren, but fate had more in store for us. Because he had an audition not long after he got back, and was leaving a day before me, Duncan took my large tuba to practise excerpts. Checking in for his return trip, Duncan ended up having to pay one hundred dollars excess baggage to check both tubas. Originally they tried to charge him three hundred dollars, but he managed to talk them down. Of course, the people behind the counter didn't believe his story of being told he would only have to pay thirty five dollars per overweight bag. The next day, I arrive at the airport $35 in my pocket to cover the excess baggage fee which I know that I will have to pay, the rest of my money long since spent on cheap booze and pleasurable company. Imagine my shock when the airline CSR tells me I need to pay $100 excess baggage. At this stage I know I have three options. a)Soil myself, b)swim the pacific ocean with a tuba attached to my belt c) try to talk the attendant down. I go with the third option. I say "I only expected to pay thirty five dollars - I asked them when I got on the plane in Sydney". I show them the receipt. We try to charge the $100 to both my maxed out credit cards. I rifle through my pockets for loose change. Finally the attendant calls her colleague, and they agree that since I was expecting to only pay $35, and had been told that by an airline employee in australia, they will only charge me $35. I pay the money, board the plane, and sixteen hours and several bad airline movies later I'm back in Sydney. A strange feeling of deja vu hits me standing at the baggage claim. I wait as various items are unloaded. Once again, time flys like an arrow, but fruit flies like a banana. All the items from my flight have been unloaded. Baggage check in hand, I proceed to the customer service desk. My tuba, eschewing the damp, cold, she'll be right mate, underarm bowling ambience and climate of Sydney in winter time, has decided to extend it's stay in San Francisco. Another lost baggage report is completed and I go my way, tubaless. Fortunately, two days later my tuba arrives.

So much for flying with tubas!

quote:

Originally posted by TrickySam9:
The new (June) issue of International Musician has a column about the Delta Airlines problem written by president Tom Lee. Mr. Lee writes: "I am asking all musicians and performing artists to boycott Delta."

Hmmm....well, I recently discovered that Delta has been declared the "official airline" of the Utah Symphony.....not suprising I guess, considering Salt Lake City is one of their hubs, but I recently spoke to one of our trombonists about a confrontation he had regarding his trombone as a carry-on...he was none to pleased to hear about our new relationship w/Delta....I guess I'm fortunate to play oboe...although I now have to check just about ALL of my reed-making equipment, of course..

quote:

Originally posted by James Hall:

although I now have to check just about ALL of my reed-making equipment, of course..

A bassoon playing friend of mine almost had her bocal (crook, whatever you call it) when she took her bassoon as carry on. Another trombone playing friend had, wait for it, a bottle of valve oil confiscated. Maybe the flight attendants had read the thread on this forum regarding "Musical Terrorism" (and to be honest I Have played with people who could be considered "Musical Assasins" at various times)

quote:

posted by Bach: really?? I always bought my cello ticket under first name "cello" but no last name...
I even called mileage service but they wouldn't give me mileage for that.. maybe I should write my last name on that ticket for next time.. hmmm... weird... thank you for that info!! ^^

I always book my tickets online...and my cello and I have the same last name. If you sign up for mileage programs online, the computer doesn't care if Mr.(or Ms.) Cello "FitzCello" is a man or a cello--then the next time you book a trip online, all you have to do to get miles for that extra ticket is enter Cello FitzCello's mileage number in on the computer. Don't tell the airline though...and when you want to redeem those miles, do it all online. Voila! Talking to the airline usually creates way more problems and massive headaches. The less they know, the better.

quote:

Originally posted by paulfrank:
Does anyone fly airtran airways at all? So far I have not had any problems with them (though I always kind of put my viola on the side and cover it with my jacket) and fares seem to be decently priced.

I flew Airtran to Chicago 2 weeks ago, and had no problem getting my guitar on board. In fact, on one flight, because I was one of the last to board, there was no room in the overhead, so the flight attendant gently placed my guitar in the closet. When I transferred to my next flight at Atlanta (grrrrr!), as luck would have it, I flew with the same crew. One of the flight attendants spotted me waiting, and arranged for me to be the first to board so that I could put my instrument in the overhead before anyone else could take up space! Same flight attendant gave me a free bottle of wine. If my wife weren't with me at the time, I might begin to wonder. I will try to fly Airtran whenever possible.