Airline problems

[Jarred Harris]

Looking for advice here. Been doing quite a few fly dates this year and I’ve tried both carry on with a bag and checking a flight case. Second flight I had to gate check the bag and said never again. So I went to lugging a flight case and hauling it, a pedal board, and a back pack (with laptop for tracks) through the airport and checking the bass. Major pain but felt safe about it until this week… I showed up in Reno only to find out my bass was 7 hours behind and wouldn’t find its way into the airport until 15 minutes AFTER our gig ended. Luckily the opener let me use his bass to get through… but any advice here? These are fast paced heavy schedules and flying from one place to the next so renting isn’t an option as many times it’s straight from the airport to sound check.

 

[Killing Floor]

No advice because there’s no guarantee. You could buy a seat for it but that’s ridiculous. If you fly a ton and get higher medallion type status the crew is way (way) nicer to you and will even hold a full bin but that’s risky too. I still think flight case is the way to go.

Short answer is No. there’s no guarantee.

 

[Oddly]

It may be ridiculous but realistically buying a seat for the bass is your best bet ...I don't know your situation but maybe whoever you're playing for could be persuaded to cover the cost?

 

[filmtex]

Ship it to the guitar player (drummer, keyboardist, singer, et al) a few days before the show. If it doesn't get there in time, then you're back to stage one-check it.

 

[friskinator]

Take the neck off the bass, put the body/neck in your carry on, then reassemble at the gig?

 

[sleddogn]

yeah, take apart and take with you, or have someone where gigs are lease you a bass and have it waiting maybe? Buy a bunch of glarry's and mail them to every gig?

 

[mrcbass]

I've never flown with a bass and the prospect has always scared me. I think the "disassemble/reassemble" plan would be your safest cheap bet, but I wouldn't find that desirable at all unless I have plenty of time to fine tune it again before the gig.

They also make "travel" basses designed for this - maybe this would work for you?

Have you considered lining up rentals at your destinations? It sounds like someone is providing a backline, couldn't a bass be arranged as well? As long as you don't require a super specific bass and can manage quick setup stuff, this seems like a winner. Yeah, it'll cut into your profit, but would surely ease your trouble - and really, isn't that what money is for?

 

[logdrum]

Get a Mono Vertigo. It mat be hand carried and if they want to gate check it, it is very tough -- probably better than a wood case. Someone sold me a bass with an old Mono case - lesser than a vertigo

 

[fivestringgecko]

+1 to a solid gig bag solution. Ian also echoes in the well-timed video below.

I don't do a ton of fly gigs and have only been told to gate check a couple times along the way, but I've got good sturdy gig bag which is KEY (an iGig single for flying, unfortunately no longer made), but didn't have any problem with gate checking. I'd rather gate check a bass in a good solid gig bag rather than check a hard case... Hard cases make luggage attendants think it's indestructible and your bass might take more abuse. Gate checking is last on, first off, and walked down to the hold individually. The two times I checked a hard case, the case came back with damage (but not the bass, thankfully).

Doug Johns also passed along a tip: Be super friendly with a smile and a $10-20 tip ready for the attendant if you have to end up gate checking. Tell them your bass is how you earn your living, and that you appreciate them keeping it safe.

I'm finally thinking about replacing my iGig double after almost 15 years of gigging, and a friend referred me to the the Gator Pro Go bags, which are impressively stout.

5sg.

 

[Grinderman]

I have to fly East a few times this summer, the first time since 2019. I won't even be taking a bass or other gear; despite that, I'm still not looking forward to that.

Airlines suck.

Ride the dog?

 

[REV]

A short scale bass might fit in the overhead.

 

[Lesfunk]

I carry on a Steinberger spirit and a backpack. Stick them in the overhead.
I used to travel with a status streamline, but that bass is much too valuable to risk
I put real EMGs in the Steinberger to mitigate the crappiness

 

[Manticore]

If your schedule is so tight you're going from the terminal straight to sound check there is a very high likelihood that YOU won't arrive in time.

I've found, over the long term, checking the bass in a decent case is by far the best way to insure your instrument arrives in one piece. It is also the most worry free. Over 25 years of flying with my bass it has been lost only once. Fortunately, I was on my way home. The bass went to SAN and I went to SNA. It took two days to find it.

 

[kesslari]

My solution has been to get a headless bass that I like well enough to gig on and can fit in the overhead bins.

 

[pbass2]

I think checking a TSA case is still the safest bet. I know some folks will put a bass or guitar up in the overhead but I can't fathom that the way people jam their huge should-be-checked bags up there. A guitarist I toured with had his prize axe taken out of commission that way until we had a day off and could get it to a tech.
But if you get a window seat where you can see them loading/unloading the checked stuff, close the shade and don't look (I saw my Jazz bass literally thrown through the air once to land on the tarmac.)

 

[brianrost]

Checking baggage can be a real interesting experience.

Once flying from San Francisco to Denver, a companion and I were told at the ticket counter the plane was already boarding and we would have to wait for the next flight. At the Denver baggage carousel our bags were nowhere to be found. We walked over to the lost and found area to fill out a claim only to discover that our bags had arrived on the earlier flight two hours earlier. Yep, they could get the bags on the plan in time but not two passengers!

I've only done one fly gig in my life and I brought the Steinberger L2 that I was already using in that band. Put the bag in the overhead, done.

Most airlines do not sell seat tickets for an instrument any more. This has been a nightmare for cellists and double bassists. A DB in a "coffin" flight case counts as freight not baggage and is a $$$$$$$$ upcharge.

 

[Daddy-R]

Southwest is pretty liberal with carry-on instruments; doesn't hurt to smile and be courteous, agent in Tampa wanted me to sing first but I told him if I sang I would sound like I'm from Wisconsin -he let me off easy. ! I have a scanned sheet where the Union and airlines came to an agreement that instruments could be carried on the plane; but, as you know, airlines and all of American Business and Industry can pretty much do as they please. I have taken the bus, no problems, interesting (6 hours); it would be great to take Amtrak, expensive and they don't go anywhere.

 

[bassfran]

My JJ Longhorn fits in a guitar bag and has ridden in the overhead compartment on top of regular bags. I also had good fortune gate checking long scale basses. I stuffed extra clothing around the headstock for additional padding and had a good, heavy duty gigbag.

 

[BismarckHerring]

I have no experience with it, but judging from this video, it sounds like a nightmare. There are some tips here that may help, but no guarantees.

 

[chriscarcinogen]

Steinbergah!