No 1 may be going on a music trip which will involve flying. We haven't got all the details yet but does anyone know of anyone who hires flight cases?

Is your cello in a hard case or soft case?

BAM do flight case for a cello hardcase to go inside. I think the case cost £350. Depending on where you are flying to it may be cheaper to get the extra seat!!

Don't know anywhere that hires cases.

I'd ask at the shop where you bought the cello. My luthier has some available for loan, and doesn't charge for it.

The cello is in a hard case, but we wanted to avoid buying a flight case as we don't know how much it would be used. Don't want to rely on buying a seat in case the regulations change again. The cello isn't being purchased through a luthier so we can't ask him/her. Thanks for all your suggestions, it is appreciated.

An alternative which a friend of ours did recently is to hire a cello in the foreign country. She found a shop that someone had recommended to them, and the cello was bought to her, and collected at the end of the trip.

Although it was a stressful leap into the unknown, it all worked out very well : the cello was fine, the shop were helpful and the travelling was easy.

Well who do you deal with for repairs etc? Do you have a local music shop who might hire them out? Also what size is your daughter's cello? I seem to remember Amanda was selling a 3/4 recently.

Well who do you deal with for repairs etc? Do you have a local music shop who might hire them out? Also what size is your daughter's cello? I seem to remember Amanda was selling a 3/4 recently.
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Good Idea I'll try picking our local shops brain.

Don't for one minute treat an ordinary hard cello case as suitable for a flight case. They are two very different animals. Even a hard case has some flexibility in the larger flatter areas and these can be easily pushed in enough to damage the instrument - especially once the baggage handlers start forcing all the other luggage into the hold!

A proper flight case is absolutely rock solid and heavy too, so make sure you borrow/hire one with wheels. These days they are built so that you put the entire cello and it's hard case into the flight case, so it has double the protection, but this also adds to the weight.

Most cellists do book an additional seat and since mid-September the rules changed again so that this is now allowed. If you contact the Musicians Union they have a card issued by them and the UK CAA, which you can take along to the airport and show when you fly. I don't know however, if you specifically need to be an MU member to obtain one.

Although the MU/CAA agreement applies to all airlines, double check with the airline your flying with BEFORE booking the extra ticket.

Finally, I don't know what the excess baggage charges per kilogram are these days, but an additional ticket might work out cheaper!!