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From: gadfly@ihu1m.UUCP (Gadfly)
Newsgroups: net.music.folk
Subject: Re: Flying with instruments
Message-ID: <529@ihu1m.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 19-Jul-85 17:51:56 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihu1m.529
Posted: Fri Jul 19 17:51:56 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 20-Jul-85 12:27:32 EDT
References: <1252@hound.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 39

--
I play the viola da gamba (a sort of pre-cello that comes in
three sizes) and have a few vignettes, mostly stuff that
happened to other gambists, since I've not even considered
flying with anything but my bargain-basement treble.  This
instrument does fit under an airplane seat--barely--and most
airlines have let me on board with it.  There seems to be
no firm rule, though, since Eastern changed their mind on
me once (for the return trip) and so did Republic.  By
making a big enough stink, however, I got both lines to
hand carry the instrument on and off, as they claim they do
with the crew's belongings.  So that's something to try.
Of course, it may be a standard lie they use--anyone know
if they really do hand carry stuff?  Both of those times
whatever they did, they didn't damage anything.

One friend who plays bass gamba (it's midway between cello
and modern bass in size) always gets a second seat for it.
He's had such reservations cancelled, and once insisted that
they put it (or him) in 1st class when coach filled up and
they noticed that the instrument was seated by an emergency
exit.  They were ready to put it in baggage.  He won finally,
but nearly got kicked off the flight.  Well, he nearly got
kicked off because after he won, he insisted on getting
mileage credits for both seats--something most of those
programs' fine print apparently does not entitle you to.

Another gambist gets her tenor viol on board at no extra
cost (it's acoustic guitar size) by telling the flight
attendants very definitively "oh, the top folds down".
Make sure you're not around another musician when you
use that one--I had to bite my tongue to avoid laughing.
-- 
                    *** ***
JE MAINTIENDRAI   ***** *****
                 ****** ******  19 Jul 85 [1 Thermidor An CXCIII]
ken perlow       *****   *****
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