 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: shmeon
Date: 2007-05-17 18:36
Does anyone have some advice for how best to fly with my clarinets? I'm taking a flight to an audition this weekend and I'm worried about checking my bass clarinet and clarinets underneath the plane. I'm also worried I might not be allowed to take my bass clarinet or clarinets as carry-on items. Has anyone ever experiences problems either checking their instruments or taking them as carry-on items? Any suggestions? Thanks
-Dan
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Author: William
Date: 2007-05-17 19:09
I've never had any major problem while traveling in the USA with my A & Bb set in my Yamaha soft-side case as carryon. Sometimes they get searched with a "sniffing" device but I am always able to stow them underneath the seat in front of me. And since you are alowed two carryons, I think my Buffet low C in its case would be allowed and could be stored above. However, yesterday, a cellist friend was telling me that in Europe, things are a bit stricter and that many orchestras are chartering their own planes because of problems carrying instrument on commercial flights. Better check with the airline you are flying with and carry the letter from the AFM regarding instruments as carryon.
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Author: CK
Date: 2007-05-18 01:13
Here are some airline policies that are posted on the AFM Site.
http://www.afm.org/member/im/02-03/dimensions.pdf
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Author: Brenda ★2017
Date: 2007-05-18 01:35
This should elicit a few groans, but it worked well...I just arrived back from a Central American trip. Clarinetting wasn't the focus of my trip but it got played several times anyway. The problem when I travelled previously was that the clarinet in its case was just too heavy, since we'd be carrying all our baggage when travelling quite a bit by car, dusty buses, and several planes.
So this time I just wrapped each piece carefully in bubble wrap and placed all the pieces into a separate beach bag that was in turn placed inside my carry-on bag. Everything was far lighter and the x-ray people didn't have any problem at all with it, even with connecting flights in the States.
I was happy to bring it out of its wraps at home, but because I always handled the carry-on bag there never was a risk to it. Not something I'd do regularly but it sure was better to carry around.
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Author: Escsrc
Date: 2007-05-18 13:13
Traveling with a double (A/Bb) case hasn't been a problem, nor putting the clarinet inside a roll-on. Not sure about a bass though...never tried.
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2007-05-18 14:57
I've travelled frequently overseas with an A, Bb and C clarinet in a rolling carry on case that fit under or over my seat in the airplane. Several years I also had to take my guitar, so that meant it would probably be taken from me at the gate or at the plane if there was no room above my seat. BUT, a friendly attendant from British Air told me I could "Escort" my instrument to the plane and then they would try to put it in the pilot's closet or in the compartment just under the cockpit and hand it to me as I left the plane. Of all the times I took it (probably about 10 years) I only had it taken from me one time and checked below.
I prepared the instrument for being placed in the cargo very carefully (rules are very different for stringed instruments), but I would also encourage you to pack your bass clarinet for the possibility of being taken away and checked. Pack it like it was being shipped with some padding wherever the instrument might move around in the case during flight.
If you were travelling with a bass clarinet ONLY you wouldn't have a problem because it should fit easily above your seat. But, since you only get one carry-on (unless you can prevail upon a companion) you'll probably have to check the bass.
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