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Author
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Topic: Air travel without a roadcase? Is it okay?
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Nicholas Dedring
Member From: Brooklyn, New York, USA
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posted 04 May 2004 04:31 PM
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I have a trip to take out to the midwest... changing planes, and sort of a show to play alongside.Unless I can borrow or rent a steel in Dubuque Iowa (doubtful to say the least), I can't figure out if it's okay to travel by plane with just a regular hardcase, since I don't have a flightcase. If a flightcase is needed, how much would it cost, and who do I talk to to get one? |
Paddy Long
Member From: Christchurch, New Zealand
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posted 04 May 2004 07:14 PM
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Nicholas you shouldn't have any problems flying with your regular case, but don't expect it to stand up to the nocks of airline handling - I have had most of my regular D10 cases wrecked over the years by airlines so I now always use a road case. My current one is a SKB Double recurve bow case which I converted. it has wheels on one end and is quite light - but I have a Dell Wheeled case on the way as well which should be spot on.
Good luck |
Jody Sanders
Member From: Magnolia,Texas
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posted 04 May 2004 09:37 PM
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Be Sure to duct tape the latches and the center of the case at the handle. All the way around twice. Jody. |
Todd Pertll
Member From: Austin, Texas, USA
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posted 05 May 2004 06:06 AM
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Jody has a good suggestion, but you had better wait for security to check it out before taping it. Last time I got home from a flight, I opened the case to find a note telling me that they had opened it up to check everything out. So that tape will probably be removed before being put on the plane. Todd |
Mark Herrick
Member From: Los Angeles, CA
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posted 05 May 2004 10:39 AM
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Depending on the airline (and you'll have to check this with them beforehand and be prepared for the airline's airport personnel to be unaware of the policy when you get there) you may be able to do what is called a "gate check with special handling."You take the guitar/case with you to the airport and go through the usual carry-on screening. Be prepared for delays. No one will know what that thing is that you have in the case, so every security person within range will have to come over and have a look. If you get past that hurdle, you take the case to the gate. That is where you will want to tape it up. They will put a "special handling" tag on the case and load it on the plane from the gate area. (Supposedly this avoids a good deal of the "gorilla" activity.) Now comes the good part. When you get to your destination, the airline is "supposed" to deliver your "special handling" luggage to you AT THE GATE when you arrive. That is, if they pay any attention to the "special handling" tag at all. If not, it goes into the terminal with the rest of the luggage and jams up the conveyor system because it is so heavy...like mine did... Needless to say this only works on direct point-to-point flights. If you have connecting flights any "special handling" will be just that - very special... |
Mark van Allen
Member From: loganville, Ga. USA
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posted 05 May 2004 10:55 AM
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Back before the current "security" hold ups I traveled all over the world with a Mullen in a standard case. I'm talking things like ancient prop planes in Turkey with goats and chickens on board... every place I ever flew treated my gear with respect and minimal damage except for Delta stateside who trashed the case very thoughroughly. When I got it home from that disaster I added 3/4" aluminum angle bar to all the sides and corners, just drilling out the screw holes so screws would tighten flush into the bar, and I had a "road case" for like $15. It worked very well. YMMV...------------------
Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com
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Bob Hoffnar
Member From: Brooklyn, NY
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posted 05 May 2004 05:34 PM
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Pack it as well as you would if you where shipping it UPS.
Because of over weight charges I stopped using flight cases for the time being. I stick the whole case in a padded cardboard box. The security guys tend to make a real mess though. I never got away with trying the special handeling thing.
Also make sure nothing is loose. Bubble wrap everything inside the case.Bob |
David Weaver
Member From: Aurora, CO USA
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posted 05 May 2004 08:29 PM
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I traveled in October by air with my GFI in a standard case. No problem at all. They charged extra for overweight. I put a big note right inside the guitar case that they could see if the case were opened that said "THIS IS A STEEL GUITAR-PLEASE HANDLE CAREFULLY--THANK YOU" The note was in the same place on both legs of the trip, so I don't know if anyone even opened the case. |
Chris Schlotzhauer
Member From: Colleyville, Tx. USA
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posted 06 May 2004 05:51 AM
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I've traveled all over the counrty/world the last two years with no damage at all with my guitar. However, the case tolex and hardware was destroyed after many conveyor runs. So I bought a new case. When it was shipped to me it came in a cardboard box made for the shipment. I started using that cardboard box to fly the case and guitar in. The cardboard takes all the abuse and my case is still in perfect condition. I've gone through one cardboard case, and I'm on my second that I made. I leave the flap open for inspection at the airport, and they've been prety good about taping it. After it's been taped and re-taped over and over, it's almost like a hardshell flight case  |
Gerald Menke
Member From: Brooklyn, NY, USA
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posted 07 May 2004 09:10 AM
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Hi Nicholas,I've flown a number of times with my steel, and although it's nearly always "delayed" -- even on direct flights it gets lost somehow -- the steel always shows up in good shape. I've taken the Williams out of its case to find it still in tune! I agree with Bob, fill up any airspace in the case with bubblewrap, but as someone else advised, don't bother taping it up. If anything that will guarantee that it gets inspected more closely. Be advised that the limit on a lot of airlines is, get this, 50 lbs. now, so be prepared to get your credit card out at the check in desk. In the good old days you could fly with a steel in a flight case without paying an overweight charge, but not now, friend. Good luck! Gerald |
Mark van Allen
Member From: loganville, Ga. USA
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posted 07 May 2004 11:25 AM
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When I was traveling overseas for the D.O.D., we had to carry a whole P.A. system with some tight weight requirements. I found a little company that made custom shipping boxes out of triple-ply cardboard, and they would let me have all the scrap I wanted. I could make custom cases any size out of the cardboard, and they made many trips and held up very well- I'd patch any holes with brown shipping tape, then spray polurethane the whole case. Light, stong, took a beating.------------------
Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com
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Glenn Suchan
Member From: Austin, Texas
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posted 07 May 2004 12:24 PM
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Without a decent flight case, what happens when your PSG gets dropped from the cargo bay of the plane?...It could and I'm sure, has happened to someone.  Be safe, not sorry. Use a good flight case and pay extra for baggage charges. Just my 1/50th of a dollar..... Keep on pickin'!
Glenn |
Glenn Suchan
Member From: Austin, Texas
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posted 07 May 2004 12:28 PM
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BTW: Here's the URL for the flight case mfgr. I always use: http://www.kealcases.com Keep on pickin'!
Glenn |
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