I guess I qualify as a frequent lute flyer. I always buy an extra seat, however, I often travel with more than one instrument. I would just add the following, much of which has been noted already:
1. A SMALL renaissance lute in a form fitting case will get on 99 percent of the time. 2. A larger lute will encounter some turbulence 3. Different airlines have different policies and and overhead sizes 4. Super mileage cards, allowing you to board earlier, give you a big advantage 5. A string length of 135 cm will fit on almost any airline, even really small ones 6. A string length of 140 will fit on most international flights. Some of the flights to Canada now have a very low clearance, however (streamlined) 7. Above that length, consider a folding lute 8. A "vihuela" (vihuela means viola, but here refers to the lute equivalent) in a form fitting case is an excellent way to go. 9. In paractice, the bulkhead rule is rarely enforced, or even known to employees, but the window rule is almost always observed. Asking for a bulkhead on United will often bump you into Economy Plus. w00t! 10. Some airlines cannot check in a lute by machine because it has no ID 11. A bag lined with bubble wrap will give you very good protection when checking. Make sure they can open it, and that it has fragile plasterd all over it. Red FRAGILE stickers are available at the counter. 12. Ask if you can gate check the lute. It still goes in the baggage, but you take it to the plane, and it goes on top of the pile. Last one; first off. 13. If it cannot be gate checked, ask for hand load, oversize. Oversize has a straight path, short run conveyor belt. 14. A cardboard box lined with bubble wrap with a lid will last quite a few trips and give excellent protection--a wood box has too much mass 15. Tuning down a whole step seems to work best for me--unscientific, just lots of trips. Half step for cabin seat. 16. Make absolutely sure that the neck is supported by foam or bubble wrap. If your instrument is dropped, the neck will accelerate and break without support. 17. Make sure there are no files or suspicious looking items in the case--packets of strings also look suspicious on the X-ray machine. 18. If you are stuck, purchase two luggage straps and a roll of bubble wrap. Strap the bubbles to the bowl with the straps. Tape is now always opened, so don't bother. 19. Consider an aftermarket, high impact cardboard case. 20. Carry the purchase papers if travelling abroad, especially if you have materials such as bone or rosewood that needs to be documented. 21. When travelling, always take a pocket camera. You can use this to document and time stamp any damage, as well as copy an manuscripts you may find. Inspect the lute after the trip if it is checked. Also photo the outside of your rental car. 22. When travelling to Europe and connecting by train, an advance first class ticket is often cheaper than second class and will give you more room for instruments. Reserve seats without tables. When travelling to Germany, connect through the terminal in the airport to save a transfer. 23. Always carry a plastic bag that is large enough to cover the lute in the event of a rainstorm. 24. Always take a spare set of used strings, fretgut, and a non metallic nail file. Mark the strings so if you break them in a concert you can replace them in under five minutes. NB If you break a fret, there is only one way that I know of to replace it in a concert. Cut a piece just wide enough for the fingerboard, and tape it in place with Scotch tape. You may have to go one size smaller to account for the tape. dt At 02:01 PM 7/17/2010, you wrote: >>Speaking of things beyond my wallet, does anyone get hassled when >>buying a separate seat for their instrument? I remember seeing cellos >>a lot when I was a kid... nowadays I doubt you could fit a cello into >>the smaller seat spaces. > >You can purchase a ticket for your instrument, as long as it is not >too tall to fit. However, the FAA rule in the US is that it must be >only just behind a bulkhead. The one time I did this, and even >called the United call center to book the ticket, I still did NOT >get given seats at the bulkhead. The attendant nearly had a hissy >fit. But folks got moved and I sat with my lute at the >bulkhead. One problem with this nowadays is that United, for >example, charges MORE for these slightly more widely spaced >seats. So the first hassle is getting legal seats. The second >hassle is possibly having to pay more for them. > >I believe some have posted to this list indicating that the rules in >Europe about where an instrument can be put in a seat are more >flexible, and therefore more possible. > >Suzanne > > > >To get on or off this list see list information at >http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
