Musical Instruments On Planes, Encouraging news... Options

[Sunrise]

I've dug this thread up as I'm hoping to take my violin with me to band camp in April....we are going BA. Now I've just checked their website and it looks like they have changed their rules...

Quote from the website:
Small musical instruments within the maximum size and weight limits for hand baggage may be carried onboard as part of your free hand baggage allowance.

Max length shown is 56cm.

I can't believe it! I can't book an extra seat for it as I'm going with the regiment and they are booking it. I was going to get it valued (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[Misterioso]

I've dug this thread up as I'm hoping to take my violin with me to band camp in April....we are going BA. Now I've just checked their website and it looks like they have changed their rules...

Quote from the website:
Small musical instruments within the maximum size and weight limits for hand baggage may be carried onboard as part of your free hand baggage allowance.

Max length shown is 56cm.

I can't believe it! I can't book an extra seat for it as I'm going with the regiment and they are booking it. I was going to get it valued (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Sunrise, can you phone BA and check with them? Both my son and I have carried violins into the cabin on a number of occasions, and it has never been questioned. The most recent time was with Flybe, who have similar stipulations as those you give above. Probably worth double-checking.

[allegro2011]

Definitely check with them - both my son and husband regularly take saxophone/guitar cases on planes and it's never been an issue.

[Sunrise]

I've dug this thread up as I'm hoping to take my violin with me to band camp in April....we are going BA. Now I've just checked their website and it looks like they have changed their rules...

Quote from the website:
Small musical instruments within the maximum size and weight limits for hand baggage may be carried onboard as part of your free hand baggage allowance.

Max length shown is 56cm.

I can't believe it! I can't book an extra seat for it as I'm going with the regiment and they are booking it. I was going to get it valued (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Sunrise, can you phone BA and check with them? Both my son and I have carried violins into the cabin on a number of occasions, and it has never been questioned. The most recent time was with Flybe, who have similar stipulations as those you give above. Probably worth double-checking.

I've just called customer relations and they could only go off the website. They said I could take it with me on the day and ask - but that is not good when you are travelling in a very large group! What makes me really annoyed is that they allow 2 pieces of hand luggage - and my case is only 82 cm long, so actually smaller than the joint allowance. Grrrrrrrr

I might actually go and ask at the airport next week (its just around the corner from me). I was just suprised when they have changed their website. If I had a choice I'd go easyjet!!

[Rosie91]

I flew BA at the end of September when I think they were on these regulations. I was told on the phone that it counted as the main bag part of my allowance, so I could have the violin case and a laptop-shaped case (which didn't happen to contain a laptop). None of the staff seemed at all dubious about this on the day, it was absolutely fine.

[CJB]

I can't remember the numbers now but when I flew with BA last year they allowed on anything which when you added the 3 dimensions together was below a certain number. Bass clarinet cases were 1 cm too big but they didn't mind on the day - though I don't think we pointed it out to them either

[dorfmouse]

.......
As soon as I was through security, I took it all apart and had it as three bags again (and went and bought a bottle of water, too (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)) which is apparently fine when you get on the plane...it all just had to squish in to one bag to go through security!

Don't rely on this for all airlines peeps !! At the Ryanair departure gate when I last flew they were rechecking that everyone had strictly one piece of hand luggage. People who'd bought extra stuff in the airport shops were having a terrlible time.

[julio]

Ryan air are terrible.

We had seats with them booked by our Dublin venue, and they wouldn't let us take our sax as hand luggage. We'd packed it in bubble wrap and they marked it Fragile, but it was damaged and unplayable when we arrived. We had to find a music shop and it took three hours to get it playable for the gig, but needed more work afterwards.

On the way back we refused to put it in the hold and they charged us an extra ?40! No way of getting anything back off them either.

[Maizie]

.......As soon as I was through security, I took it all apart and had it as three bags again (and went and bought a bottle of water, too (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)) which is apparently fine when you get on the plane...it all just had to squish in to one bag to go through security!

Don't rely on this for all airlines peeps !! At the Ryanair departure gate when I last flew they were rechecking that everyone had strictly one piece of hand luggage. People who'd bought extra stuff in the airport shops were having a terrlible time.

Gosh, that's really mean! I suppose if you had squished it all in to one bag for security, you could squish it all back together again for boarding - if you hadn't done too much shopping!

[Sunrise]

I flew BA at the end of September when I think they were on these regulations. I was told on the phone that it counted as the main bag part of my allowance, so I could have the violin case and a laptop-shaped case (which didn't happen to contain a laptop). None of the staff seemed at all dubious about this on the day, it was absolutely fine.

Thanks for that....my only worry is if I get it out the country and then on the way back they won't let it on at Heathrow!! I'll go and talk to the desk next Wed on the way to my lesson and show them the case.

[janexxx]

Lara St John has some handy tips

[Sunrise]

Lara St John has some handy tips

Thanks Janexxx! It would be different if it was just me, I wouldn't be so worried about it.....but the whole regiment's going and it's going to be so embarrassing if I have a problem infront of that lot!!

[anacrusis]

I found out something curious when flying down to Southampton with Flybe last time - I'd booked in online, and had no hold-luggage, only hand-luggage: this meant I could go straight through security (no need to check in at the airport) without them demanding that I squish my hand-luggage into their crate thing to check its size. I'd bought the bag as a flight one, but Flybe's crate is smaller than those of most other airlines (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif).

Once you get to the gate, they have another crate thingie but don't enforce measuring the size, most of the time - they do however count bags and make people do the stuffing one into the other to board.

As for how many instruments they let you carry? I've taken bass, tenor, two trebles and descant recorders all in one handluggage bag - and didn't even get arrested for the sopranino hidden inside the bass, even though sopraninos really are offensive weapons (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif). I did get asked by security if I'd give 'em a tune, and I laughed, saying the usual response for recorders was to ask us to shut up...

[Celloman26]

I've dug this thread up as I'm hoping to take my violin with me to band camp in April....we are going BA. Now I've just checked their website and it looks like they have changed their rules...

Quote from the website:
Small musical instruments within the maximum size and weight limits for hand baggage may be carried onboard as part of your free hand baggage allowance.

Max length shown is 56cm.

I can't believe it! I can't book an extra seat for it as I'm going with the regiment and they are booking it. I was going to get it valued (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Hi Sunrise,

I flew BA last month to China with a bassoon as hand luggage. When I called them about carrying on the contrabassoon, they said so long as the longest dimension was under 52 inches it would be OK; sadly the case is 53inches! They were fine about the bassoon as carry on, though I had no other bags to carry on. I flew with a clarinettist and a viola player and all their instruments went as carry-on. On the way back, flew with a violinist who has no problems taking it on as carry-on.
I'm sure the bassoon case I was carrying was longer than 56cm.

[Sunrise]

Thanks everyone, I'm feeling a bit better now...I just wish they would have the right info on the website. I remember it used to say so long as it fitted in the over head locker you can take it!