Air travel

[girl]

Any hints for travelling by air with an Alto? Does it have to go in the hold? If so, how would it best be packed?

Thanks in advance.

[MusicMedic]

I have carried altos on several times. You should not have a problem. Of course it's up to the one at the gate...

A few things to consider.

1. Make your reservations on a large aircraft. You're more likely to get on with the sax if the overhead is large.

2. Dress well. The people at the gate will be more likely to believe that the instrument that you are carrying is valuable and "cannot leave your side" if you are dressed like a pro.

3. Don't carry on a suit case, a purse, a laptop...etc... Check all that and carry only the horn.

Good Luck!

[john]

What musicmedic said nut I'd also add...pray.

john

[hannibal]

I've taken an alto on several transatlantic flights without any problems, all in the standard case and not a flight case. Preceeding advice is pretty sound. What I do is:

1) Dress sharp and act like a pro musician who depends on his horn to eat. (I'm not, but it's cool to pretend and can't hurt).

2) When they call for boarding try to be one of the first on. You should hopefully have much of the overhead compartments free to stow your horn.

3) Also, 'cause you got into the plane relatively before others, snatch several pillows to cushion your horn. I also wrap my horn in my coat or the airline blankets to help cushion against turbulence.

Not really sure where praying comes into it. An alto case is within the standard carry-on size requirements for all ailrines I've been on. And if you cushion it up a bit, it should be adequately protected.

[averageschmoe]

i've carried my tenor on to europe twice, domestic countless times, and it always seems to find its way to riding shotgun. just dress, talk, and act like you know what you're doing and you won't be questioned. and if you are questioned your confidence will put them at ease. so no worries right?

[Lowell]

Make sure the sax case carries only your horn, neck, mouthpiece, strap and a few reeds. Just the essential irreplacables. If you have a reed knife in the case it will be confiscated. The more stuff you have in the case, the more thorough the security people will be. I took my tenor on Air Canada last May with no hassles on the trip out and only minor unkind words from a ticket agent on the way back. The security people and flight attendants were great. A contoured case fits the overhead compartments very nicely.

[gary]

There has been a lot of discussion on this in the "Cases" area. Check it out. Also, in the same category I believe, you'll find reference to a letter by the Musicians' Union that is an agreement with the airlines that musical instruments are carry-on luggage. You can print out a copy and carry it with you. I've got a full page advertisement from Alitalia Airlines that I carry with me illustrating their musician-friendly policy.

By the way...what the heck does a professional musician look like when s/he is traveling?! T-shirt and jeans with holes in them? Armani suit? Just curious. The last flight I took was with Enrico Rava and he was dressed just like me (very casual).

[CityStone]

umm, would you all find it usurp if I intend to bring my alto case, a backpack with my laptop, and possibly a flute case into the plane?

I would be going on a student exchange trip soon, and i would like to bring my instruments and the laptop with me...and i have serious doubts about checking them in so i'd prefer to hand carry them...possible do ya think?


Stone

[gary]

Hi Stone! Don't understand your use of "usurp" but I think you're asking if the flight attendants are going to let you board the seating compartment rigged like a Himalayan Serpa :shock: and I think the answer is "no".

I wish you luck, though. Are you close enough to the airport to take a preliminary trip over there and ask the people who are actually at the check-in counter? I've been traveling on international flights this last year and haven't had any problems with carrying my tenor on-board. But I've only carried a small shopping bag in addition to my tenor.

Another thought, even if the airport you leave from allows you to carry all of that on board, there's no guarantee that when you return, the airport you are returning from will have the same policy.

If it were me, I would ship my clothing ahead with the flute (insured) well-packed in this shipment, get a strong flight case for my alto so it's more compact, and hand-carry the alto and laptop on board.

You might want to check with Protech cases. They've got cases with external pouches that just might be large enough for your laptop. Just a thought. Good luck. Where will you be "exchanging" to?

[CityStone]

Hi, thanks for the reply. I would be flying to Vancouver from Singapore. :o

Oh dear what you say don't sound encouraging....Even if I get it on the plane I have to leave it above the seat in that compartment (whatever u call it) right? Haven't been on a plane before, so I don't know how it looks like. Would the case slide around as the plane moves? In the case the cargo holds sound like a safer bet...

Looks like I should seriously considering renting a sax from the music shops when I arrive instead....I just don't like to idea of leaving my sax untouched to rot (maybe?) for the 6 months I would be away... :cry:

The flight case is out I think...its quite a once in a life time trip, and i don't have the cash for it :cry:

But thanks for your suggestions! I think I would check with the airport staff first - wonder why I never tot of doing this in the first place...haha... :P

[top_gun25]

If you do put reed... ect in the case. have a clear plastic box the size of the storage area. this way your stuff will not end up inside your horn. (experience) i carry a case like this. it is easy to pull out for inspection. and nothing rolls lose. it must be big enough it cant get out of the space though.

[gary]

Stone - don't worry about your horn if it's in an overhead compartment. You'll be the one putting it up there and taking it out, and usually other people will be putting jackets and smaller bags n the same compartment, so it won't be sliding around. Matter of fact, if anything happens to destroy your case/horn while it's in a cabinet overhead compartment you've got a lot more to worry about than your horn. :shock:

Renting is an option; I did that last Christmas and got a good horn to play on and it was fun. Again, this is something you want to look into well in advance; don't know the availablility of horn rentals in Vancouver. Make sure you have an agreement of the rental price, deposit, a clear understanding of what kind of condition the horn should be in when you return it and that they will have their repairman take a look at the horn and insure that it is playable before you leave the store. When I rented the horn at Christmas it needed some slight adjustment and they did it.

And, again, if yu do carry your sax with you, make sure you get to the check-in counter early and ask for a seat in a seating section that boards first. sometimes the overhead compartments fill up fast and you do not want to be standing in the isle at the last minute with no place left for your horn.

And, listen, don't worry. Take some precautions, no matter what you decide, but then relax and enjoy the experience.

[Jazzophone]

I travelled with my tenor sax on Air Canada Tango and it wasn't really a big deal. When you check in make sure you let them know you're taking your sax with you and that it's fragile, usually they'll give you a fragile tag to tie to your case and you can carry it on. I put mine in the overheads and it was fine, and I had a backpack as well so there wasn't any problem with having a lot of stuff. And we were even boarded last - I was in the front few rows of the plane. No biggie.

A tip, though, is to call your airline beforehand and make sure that you can make arrangements to travel with your axe on board. Talk to them and make sure they know about it, preferably get something in writing if you're not sure so it doesn't fall apart come time to fly!

Good luck ... it's not that hard at all. Enjoy :)

[gary]

jazzophone - was that a domestic flight? My experience was different.

I was on both domestic and international flights and practically everyone (except me) were bringing on board those small suitcases with pull-handles made especially for overhead storage. Noone was carrying anything bulky and in one instance, a flight attendant got into it with a guy carrying a guitar who, I guess, was just taking it for granted that he could store it in the crew compartment and the attendant was adamant about refusing.

Like you said, calling ahead is propably the best idea.

[CityStone]

yoz gary and jazzophone...thanks for the advice :wink:

i'd explore the different suggestions and see what i should do...=) Thanks again! :o