IMHO, there is only one real answer to the flying conundrum: find a good case and expect your instrument to travel as checked baggage. Also insure it just "in case" (rim shot!).
The "maybes" of whether airline personnel are going to feel generous on the days you fly have never been secure enough for me. When they decide not to allow instruments that are larger than their stated carry-on size on board an aircraft, that's that, no matter how much the instrument cost or how much you protest. I've seen it happen enough times to know. Your only options are to check the instrument or refuse to travel. And it usually happens when the aircraft is full, and most aircraft are very full these days for economic reasons as the airlines try to stay -- er -- afloat. Anna Peekstok Seattle
