Klarinet Archive - Posting 000668.txt from 1998/12

From: <peter.stoll@-----.ca>
Subj: Re: [kl] Bass clarinet airline carry-on
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 21:28:59 -0500

I had to check my low C bass onto a large plane last Sept. (Canada 3OOO)
and watched as the baggage handlers put everything onto the loading belt.
Even though the heights of the truck and the belt were about the same (so
they could easily just have set it over on the belt, they raised each item
up a bit so it would come down with a thud on the loader. Yikes! Luckily
no damage, but lesson learned!

Peter Stoll
Instructor, Univ.of Toronto

On Wed, 16 Dec 1998, Martin Pergler wrote:

>
> Once again, I will be flying with my (borrowed) bass clarinet. In
> the past, agents at the check-in counter (mainly Air Canada) have
> made no objections to me carrying through a large bass clarinet case
> in one hand, and Bb/A case with laptop computer in music pocket in
> the other hand all the way to the airplane. When it was a tiny
> plane, there would be a cart for oversize luggage right by the door;
> I'd put the bass clar on it, the ground crew would put it (gently)
> into the cargo hold within sight of the passengers, and bring it
> back to the door on landing---a reasonable compromise. When it was a
> large plane, I'd carry everything on.
>
> Now I hear all sorts of horror stories about strict enforcement of
> carry-on guidelines. Should I expect to have to check the bass,
> along with the risk of it falling of a luggage cart somewhere or
> being sent to Timbuktu?
>
> More succintly, anyone have *recent* experiences flying with a bass
> clarinet as carry-on?
>
> Thanks, Martin
>
> --
> Martin Pergler pergler@-----.edu
> Grad student, Mathematics http://www.math.uchicago.edu/~pergler
> Univ. of Chicago
>
>
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