[rangerxs1]

In a few weeks I'm traveling from the UK to Las Vegas with my tenor in a protec xl contoured case. I have been trying to find any info on musical instruments from them for a while, but haven't found anything. I called them and they said no way, the only way to get in would be to check it as luggage for an extra 85 euros. Would it be worth risking walking to the gate and trying to get it on board? It's a large international plane, so it will have the room, and it might have the closet on board the flight attendants could store it in. What do you guys think?

P.S: I've already taken a look at the traveling with a sax threads, but they're all old and airlines have cracked down on musicians lately, so I'm not sure they're as accurate anymore.

 

[milandro]

thomas cook might very well refuse you to carry your saxophone as a cabin luggage as it exceeds the stated measures

https://www.thomascook.com/baggage/hand-baggage/

here it tells you that they won’t take it

https://www.ism.org/images/files/Instruments-on-Planes-report-by-the-ISM-and-Valerie-Vaz-MP.pdf

here more

http://onlineguitarlessons.co.uk/airline-instrument-policies/


BUT here

https://www.cheapflights.co.uk/news/thomas-cook

Sports Equipment, Musical Instruments and Special Luggage

Musical instruments and other special luggage items not suitable for the hold can be carried in the cabin as long as they have been registered in advance and carriage has been confirmed. Otherwise you’ll need to pay the additional baggage fees outlined in the table above. Charges will apply for all sporting equipment.

Do register in advance and also always carry an hard copy of this with you.

Also remind the staff that if the item goes in the hull and it is lost they will be liable to pay for it (note serial number make pictures and lock the case with a serious lock (although they will take the whole thing rather than opening it).

 

[rangerxs1]

I saw the cheapflights article and I called them to try and register it in advance, but they just said nope and told me I need to buy another checked bag. Maybe I should try again, maybe I talked to a guy who was low on his quota or something.

 

[milandro]

nag them as much as you possibly can.

It costs literally nothing to say yes but have it put on paper, name, surname ....

Good luck!

 

[rangerxs1]

On another international flight I had my horn taken from me by Norwegian air. They were great about it though, didn't charge me, put it in the hold themselves and took it out themselves, and they switched my seat from a middle to a window (that was great for an 11 hour flight). I'm wondering if something similar might happen with this one.

 

[rangerxs1]

So I nagged a supervisor for a while on the phone, and they told me they will not honor their musical instrument policy with me. Their policy reads "such items as are then unsuited to carriage in the hold (e.g. fragile musical instruments) are then accepted for carriage in the cabin only in cases where they have been registered with us in advance and we have confirmed their carriage." So what they told me is that they're just not going to confirm its carriage, so I'm being forced to check it. I'm very frustrated with the airline, and am truly saddened by how musicians are treated nowadays. I'm going to buy another checked bag and pray they will allow me to gate check it, but there are no promises on that.

Don't fly Thomas Cook/Condor Airlines! They don't care about musicians!

 

[milandro]

Frankly speaking it is is what I expected by a low cost airline.

They are trying to extract every single penny from clients ( most famously Ryan Air was even thinking of charging for using the toilet read these news.......they are even thinking of fitting their planes with “ vertical’ seats!!! https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/ryanair-money-saving-schemes/index.html) and frankly speaking don’t care much about customer’s satisfaction because they know that the customer’s choses them not because they like them so much but they buy their price.

Perhaps would be better to have an alternative plan, like renting a horn when you are there (or borrowing one from a friendly SOTW member, one Pete Thomas has borrowed a Yamaha 23 from me when he came to the NL for a gig ).

I agree, voting with your wallet is the best thing.

 

[rangerxs1]

Perhaps would be better to have an alternative plan, like renting a horn when you are there (or borrowing one from a friendly SOTW member, one Pete Thomas has borrowed a Yamaha 23 from me when he came to the NL for a gig ).

I wish I could do that. But this is actually me flying home from a semester abroad. So this is my only real option unfortunately. I'm going to try and get them to take it as sport equipment (it can be used for marching band right?) so we'll see how that goes.

 

[milandro]

to me the very best argument that you can make is that if you send the sax through as a hull and not cabin luggage the chances of it being stolen is very high indeed and THEN their liability goes up (mind you they have catches for that too!).
The best way to avoid all that is to allow this as cabin luggage.

Mind You the chance that it would survive the trip in a protec are very goo (a friend used to travel to the states and back buying a sax there every time (on top of his own ) and he checked it in and got it back at the end, but I think the likelihood of theft in many airports is just too big.

Delayed, Damaged or Missing Luggage

If you note any damage to your baggage or its contents, you will need to report the damage to airport representatives before leaving the terminal building. The staff will complete a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) and you will be given instructions regarding your claim. Your insurance company, if you are insured, should also be contacted. In cases of missing baggage that has been reported to the handling agent at the airport, in the UK or overseas, tracing action will begin immediately.

Thomas Cooks Airlines Airline Compensation

Once the PIR is completed, liability in the case of Damage or delay to Checked or Unchecked Baggage is limited to 1,131 SDRs per passenger unless you make a special declaration at check-in and pay any requisite fee, in which event liability is limited to the higher declared value. Liability for passenger delays is limited to 4,694 SDRs per passenger.

 

[brasscane]

Immobilize the mechanism completely and immobilize the horn inside the case. Pack the case inside a box with styrofoam and make sure nothing can move around inside. I don't have proof of this but if the box is big an unwieldy, it just may fare better than something that is easy to throw. When I thought I was moving back to good old Urop, I brought two baris that I owned at that time with me. When I moved to the states again, I did the same. Nothing happened to the horns. Yes, it is a giant pain, but it beats coming home with a damaged horn.

Not directly related, but I have to date found Air France to be consistently favorable to bringing a tenor sax on board. They have been eminent at making me lose connections and losing my luggage, but I have never had an issue - yet (touch wood) - with bringing a tenor sax along and I have seen several other passengers travel with one.

 

[Pete Thomas]

So I nagged a supervisor for a while on the phone, and they told me they will not honor their musical instrument policy with me.

Did they use those exact words? If so then you have a case against them.

But I read that policy to mean they are not obliged to confirm they will do that. I would imagine they would register an instrument unless they don't want to, e.g. on a very full flight. The place on their site where it says that does not look like a legally binding policy (T & C)

Weasel Words 101

 

[joebas]

I fly Air Canada two to three times a year and take my horn with me. Their policy is that if it can fit in the overhead bin, it is allowed as a carry on item. I've had no issues at all with Air Canada.

 

[rangerxs1]

Did they use those exact words? If so then you have a case against them.

But I read that policy to mean they are not obliged to confirm they will do that. I would imagine they would register an instrument unless they don't want to, e.g. on a very full flight. The place on their site where it says that does not look like a legally binding policy (T & C)

Weasel Words 101

You're right, they didn't use those exact words, they weaseled out of it by saying they're "unable to confirm your instrument at this time". When I first wrote my earlier post I was very frustrated and may have exaggerated a little.

I'll just have to try and do a gate check, hopefully I can keep it out of the back rooms of conveyor belts and away from the worst of the gorillas who load luggage.

 

[rangerxs1]

Immobilize the mechanism completely and immobilize the horn inside the case. Pack the case inside a box with styrofoam and make sure nothing can move around inside. I don't have proof of this but if the box is big an unwieldy, it just may fare better than something that is easy to throw. When I thought I was moving back to good old Urop, I brought two baris that I owned at that time with me. When I moved to the states again, I did the same. Nothing happened to the horns. Yes, it is a giant pain, but it beats coming home with a damaged horn.

I would do that if I could, but I unfortunately have to travel to the airport using several trains with two already large suitcases, lugging around a massive box will unfortunately be impossible. We'll see what happens.

 

[Dave Dolson]

At least you should pack the horn and neck inside the case tightly so as to minimize any movement inside the case if you have to check it through in baggage. Include stuffing some supporting material inside the horn itself to hinder the tube from collapsing. Socks and underwear may work in such a situation.

Drops and large bumps could damage the horn even if the case itself stops any penetration. OR, switch to a curved soprano for under the seat - like I did the last time I flew commercial. DAVE

 

[milandro]

My protec has such tight fitting of the horn that it really needs nothing extra to protec(t) it.

As far as protecting from impacts.

I fell with my horn on my back with 125Kg (then now I’ve lost 15Kg ) on it and nothing happened.

I’ve shipped horns in protec cases abroad with just a bit of bubble wrap and carton around it and they arrived safe and sound.

By the way there are few gorillas involved in the handling of luggage these days.

this is some bilingual Canadian musical humor

 

[rangerxs1]

I'm just going to pack my case full of stuff, immobolize as best I can. I'm going to drop by the local sax shop and ask what they recommend and see if they have any old clamps I could buy.

Thanks for the help guys, I appreciate it.

 

[milandro]

clamps won’t be necessary