Flying Without "Flight Case"

Chris Schlotzhauer · Post by **Chris Schlotzhauer** » 1 May 2002 12:46 pm

I don't own one (yet), but I had some dates pop up and don't have time to order. Anyone have any luck (good or bad) with checking your regular case? Any tips?

Jody Sanders · Post by **Jody Sanders** » 1 May 2002 10:07 pm

I have flown mine in a regular case. I taped about 3 rounds of "duck tape" around the latches and each side of the handle. Thankfully I always made it without damage. I use a flight case now when flying my guitar. One other thing. I f your guitar is a little loose in the case, go down to Wall-Mart and buy a role of foam mattress cover and place in case where needed so that the guitar won't slide around in the case. Jody.[This message was edited by Jody Sanders on 01 May 2002 at 11:09 PM.]

Rex Thomas · Post by **Rex Thomas** » 2 May 2002 5:12 am

What Jody said right to the letter. Just enough duck tape so that the latches can't flip up. From experience, the ticket agents LIKE to see the latches secure & will be less likely to slap a "limited release" tag on your steel. Jody's mattress cover dealy is also a great idea.

Bill Terry · Post by **Bill Terry** » 2 May 2002 6:41 am

Chris, is this for the LeGrande? I've got one I can loan you indefinitely, it's Ricky's old case. I don't want to sell it but I'm not using it right now. Email me...
rb141c@motorola.com

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Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 2 May 2002 9:59 am

I have done what Jody did and also I wrap the standard case in cardboard making sure to reinforce the corners and having the handle stick through.
I think Carter has a shipping thingy on there site that might help.

Bob

Mark Herrick · Post by **Mark Herrick** » 2 May 2002 10:33 am

Call the airline and ask if they can do a "gate check with special handling". It might be harder to do these days with the heightened security.

What they do is allow you to take the instrument to the gate; they put a special tag on it; they load it on the plane from the jetway (avoiding the baggage handling gorillas); and at the destination, they deliver it back to you at the jetway/gate. (Of course you should still pack it up well!)

I have done this on two trips. On three out of four legs of the flights it worked great. On one return leg they didn't deliver it to the jetway but sent it through baggage handling...it jammed the conveyor system for 30 minutes.

As I mentioned, this may not be an option any more...[This message was edited by Mark Herrick on 02 May 2002 at 11:34 AM.]

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 2 May 2002 10:58 am

The only time I've flown a guitar was when I brought my 13 string Fessy back to Dallas from Logan airport in Boston. Per Forum tips I requested "gate check with special handling".

A clerk got a cart and walked with me to the gate and talked to the gate agent. She pointed me to a gentleman who had me lift the case on a stainless steel ramp leading from the gate down to the tarmac. That sucker sounded like it did 60 MPH down that slide and the sound when it hit the bottom reverberated through the whole terminal.

Needless to say, I was quite concerned at what I would see when I opened the case in Dallas. Nothing was broken, but the impact had popped most of the changer fingers out of their slots.

I think it would have had better handling had I just checked it as regular baggage.

Rex Blevins · Post by **Rex Blevins** » 3 May 2002 3:09 am

We all own expensive guitars, value them with our life, so why not just just do the OBVIOUS ? Buy a "real " ATA case , made by a "real" ATA case maker and have it..They run anywhere from $ 300.00 to $ 400.00 for a "real" one and they will last forever !!!