Airline Travel With Your Horn

Don't kid yourself: you're at the mercy of the airline. You have to abide by their rules. They are under absolutely no obligation of any form or fashion to allow you to carry your horn onto the plane yourself unless it meets each and every one of their requirements.

The problem usually arises when your case won't fit in that little box that is always located by the boarding gate. It either fits or it doesn't, and if you can't make it fit, they have every right to make you check it as baggage. It's their plane, and they make the rules.

There's a letter circulating from the Musicians Union requesting special consideration. The letter has no legal standing. Realistically, they will usually let you bring an alto, tenor, or soprano on with you, but always remember they don't have to do so. If your flight is full, you can count on the airlines to try to keep as much space in the overhead baggage lockers available as possible, so any oversized items may be required to go under the plane. On a recent flight from Chicago (on Delta), I was forced to check an alto I had with me in a ProTec contour case, which is about as small as an alto case gets. I had been allowed to carry it on on the flight up to Chicago, but was forced to check it as baggage going back to New Orleans. It could happen to you.

Whenever I fly with a horn, I always assume I'm going to have to check it. My tenor and bari always go in an Anvil case which holds the horn inside a Walt Johnson case. The important thing to keep in mind is to use a case that absolutely does not flex in any direction. Flexing bends the body of the horn. Take your horn out of the case, and with all the strength you can muster, try to get the case to bend. If it bends at all, imagine what this would do if your horn was inside the case. Again, you've been warned.....

If your case doesn't pass the flex test, here's a couple of things you can do:

(1) keep your horn in key clamps. You don't want the keys flapping as the baggage handlers throw your horn around.

(2) Use an end plug that extends beyond the octave key actuator bar.

(3) Fill the case as tightly as possible with bubble wrap. The horn must not move at all when it's in the case.

(4) If you have any doubt at all about the integrity of your case latches, use bungee cords to make sure it doesn't pop open at an inopportune moment.

(5) Never underestimate the power of prayer.....