[Trombone-l] Union/Airline Baggage Policy

Wed Apr 5 22:57:55 CDT 2006

I have heard that some bass players are having good luck with the Marcus 
Bona cases--they carry them on and are not hassled due to the slim 
outline of the case design.  I have a student who travels a great deal 
with a touring group that goes all over the US over the summer and 
during the Christmas break and this is the method he uses and says he 
has never had to check his yet--he has an Edwards bass with 9.5" bell.  
The Bona cases would probably fare pretty well even if checked 
underneath--they are made of fiberglass and have a lot of padding for 
the bell and there is no room for the horn to move around as it is 
strapped in.

As for me personally, I bought a used Anvil case on ebay a few years ago 
and I have padded it down and I put my old style gig bag in there with 
the horn in bubble wrap inside the gig bag and bubble wrap and foam 
around the outside so there is no movement. It has worked fine so far 
but I don't travel that much when I am not part of an official orchestra 
tour (which uses large touring trunks that hold 3 trombones, mutes, 
stands, and a bass clarinet).  When I get to the destination I just use 
the gig bag to get around.  The dimensions of the Anvil case are just 
about exactly at the outer limits of most airlines' specs, if you don't 
measure the wheels.  A potential problem is if the inpsectors take stuff 
out and don't replace it properly there could be damage as a result.

I have also heard that many players have had success with the Glen 
Cronkite travel gig bags (see Steve Ferguson's site in LA but also sold 
by other dealers) where the bell section and slide sections are in two 
separate but connected bags that decrease the overall outline of the 
case size, will easily fit into regular sized overhead bins, and the 
slide compartment, with wood slats to proctect the slide on both sides, 
protects the entire thing from people who jam stuff into the bins where 
your trombone is.  I think the idea here also is that if hassled you can 
take the two parts apart and then each piece is not offensive to the 
steward and you can get on the plane. Or in a pinch you can take them 
apart and stow them separately in different bins if worst comes to worst.

Randy Campora
Baltimore, MD

Doug Rowe wrote:

>>From what I've read recently, however, the major airlines, being strapped
>for revenue, are beginning to really kick in enforcement of the "oversized
>baggage" charges for checked luggage.
>
>Just like they're charging extra for meals, aisle seats, and bulkhead seats.
>
>I personally haven't flown with a horn for a couple of years now, but, if
>what I've read is true, wouldn't be surprised if folks saw an increase in
>charges.
>
>Doug
>
>
>
>
>  
>
>>Bill,
>>    
>>
>>>Personally, I haven't had much trouble traveling
>>>with my horn (2 fairly
>>>minor crinkles in 6-8 years).  I don't believe the
>>>situation is ideal,
>>>but it works.
>>>
>>>Yearly, I fly 6-8 times here in the US and across to
>>>Melbourne,
>>>Australia.  Not a ton, but normal for a student.
>>>Normally I fly on
>>>Southwest, United, Continental, Qantas, American.  I
>>>play a Shires Bass,
>>>and now use a BAM gig w/ backpack straps.  I've
>>>heard that some symphony
>>>players will check their bam cases straight off
>>>(!#%), but I'm not brave
>>>enough for that.  I put mine into a hard golf case
>>>which is surely
>>>larger than 72 linear inches.  Although I don't
>>>bother with bubble wrap,
>>>I do pack in towels, jeans, and shoes along the
>>>sides (to keep the case
>>>from moving around).
>>>
>>>I've only been charged extra once - on the way back
>>>from Hawaii.  That
>>>was because I packed in a lot of souvenirs, and the
>>>inter-island weight
>>>load on Hawaiian stinks. :)  It's Hawaii, though, so
>>>$25 was worth it.
>>>
>>>Again, I don't think my situation is ideal.  I've
>>>had my bell crinkled
>>>twice, but not with the current travel setup.
>>>Previously I tried using
>>>a hard case (checked it the horn in the case w/
>>>bubble wrap, yada yada.
>>>Crinkled it real nice on the first time out ... I
>>>was 19, whaddya
>>>expect?), and my Edwards bass in its leather gig
>>>inside of a golf case
>>>(that got my bell just once over a few years). 5
>>>years of travel sure
>>>beats the hell out of a golf case.  Time for a new
>>>one of those, but
>>>they're cheap compared to new horns :)
>>>
>>>I'm interested in hearing how other guys cope,
>>>especially bass
>>>trombonists?  I'm really afraid to carry-on my horn,
>>>even in the BAM,
>>>because I don't want to see it get 'gate-checked'
>>>all the way to my
>>>destination.  I have an inappropriate 10.5" bell - I
>>>know it would fit
>>>in the overhead on the Qantas trans-Pacific flights,
>>>but that doesn't
>>>help when I travel domestically here or there.  I
>>>heard that Weismann
>>>was going to be making some cool bass bone gigs, but
>>>they hadn't started
>>>production when I inquired (last October).
>>>
>>>Great question, Bill.  Hope to hear what more people
>>>have to say.
>>>Thanks for the run-down on the AFM materials, too.
>>>
>>>Cheers,
>>>
>>>Denton Thomas
>>>
>>>--
>>>DentonLT at usa.net / dentonlt.com
>>>+1.512.680.7395
>>>Entering DMA: Performance, Trombone
>>>The University of Texas at Austin
>>>
>>>
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