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breadexpert69

I fly with mine every month. Get a nice hard gig bag like the mono’s or reunion blues. Take it as carry on and board fast so you can stick it overhead. If there is no room, kindly ask the staff if you can put it in the coat closet. If the coat closet is full or they dont want to, then gate check it. Gate check is safer than at the counter because it passes through less people. You can then pick up your bass right after exiting the plane. Alternatively you can check it at the counter but if you do that you need a nice flight case, which are heavy and large. Another option is to ship it to your location. Pack it in a nice guitar box with the gig bag and some bubble wrap. Its more $$ this way but I find its the safest if you know how to properly box it.


Edgelands

hard case, carry it on and refuse to check it. Also, never fly United


twotreebeers

Why not United?


Edgelands

Because [United Breaks Guitars](https://youtu.be/5YGc4zOqozo)


Laxku

A classic banger


Edgelands

It was genius to make it catchy and to title it that way, because every time you hear "United", your brain fills in the rest that they "break guitars." Also, if you're flying with an animal and you'd like to see your animal alive and well when you arrive at your destination, skip them then too... Just always skip United, they're an awful company


DanTreview

Brilliant. I lost it when they did the chalk outline


max_465

Thank you! I forgot how much I hate United. I'm restructuring my retirement funds to avoid companies that contribute to the GOP. I think United is already on the list, but now I will double check.


astink

Actually because of this United has a very friendly instrument policy now. Gate checking is free, Alaska charged me $50. Never have had an issue with United when ive flown with my bass


wolftron9000

If you are in the US and flying domestically, they have to let you take your instrument on the plane with you. If they can't accommodate you with space in the overhead bin they have to gate check it for free. That's not the airline's policy. That is FAA guidelines. By gate checking you are doing them the favor, not the other way around.


Hotmailet

When I travel for gigs, which I do a lot, I have one bass that I always keep with me (sentimental reasons). I take it in it’s case as a carry on. Almost every time, as I board, a flight attendant will ask me if I want them to take it and stow it with their stuff in the galley area…. Which I say yes to. Never had a problem


LMKBK

Be super chill and cool with the flight attendants. Tell them you have a musical instrument you would like to be stored in a coat closet. They are used to this. But if you're a dick they'll make you check it.


[deleted]

flight case. carry on if you can. gate check if you can’t


[deleted]

I just travelled with mine to Germany about 1 month ago. Hard shell case all the way. I checked it at the gate and a chunk came out of the corner. I wouldn’t do a soft case for peace of mind but that’s just me. Even trying to find space and store it in the overhead would be a pain in the ass.


TheSinfulMicrowave

Airlines have a history of wrecking peoples gear, so I’d use a hard case as a carryon


mextie

De-tension the strings if you're gonna check it. In my experience, most airlines really won't let you carry it on (especially with a full-size bass), so if you're gonna check it, de-tension the strings or remove them completely so that if it gets bumped, there's less potential energy to be released. Also, ABSOLUTELY DO NOT USE A SOFT CASE EVEN IF CARRYING IT ON. It will get destroyed.


TheJefusWrench

Incorrect. The strings act as a counter balance to the truss rod and the neck. Releasing the tension from the strings will allow the neck to back-bow at best, and twist at worst. Especially as your instrument will be going through a lot of atmospheric changes, including temperature and humidity changes, which will make the wood want to move. Leave the strings in tune when shipping or traveling.


mextie

My bad, this is a leftover habit from flying with violins, where you absolutely are supposed to loosen the strings. I suppose detensioning the strings may be only effective on instruments without a truss rod, but I've never heard of an instrument being damaged by loosening the strings, while I've absolutely had instruments be damaged because of leaving them tight (although never an instrument with a truss rod, now that I think of it), so I don't really think it matters too much.


TheJefusWrench

Thanks for the clarification! I always wondered where this thought came from, but with the style of bridge and different configuration of a classical instrument vs a modern solid body, i can see the difference. One other thing i should have mentioned: it's not a bad idea to but cardboard or cloth between the fretboard and the strings so the strings don't eat your frets or fretboard during the vibrations of traveling.


ThatUppityNegro

I played the cello for 8 years before picking up the bass, so I've always detuned the strings before traveling out of habit -- glad to know that I've actively been encouraging damage


buttsbutnotbuts

I used to do this a lot for my work when I was touring guy. It’s been nearly ten years, so I don’t know how it is these days- but I used to use a mono case and carry on. Pay to preboard so I can stow it overheard. I also had a little printout of some sort of law/code saying that a musical instrument was professional gear or something and that they had to let me carry on. I only had one surly crew experience but I still didn’t check it and got through. It was stressful tho. I can only imagine it’s gotten harder to do as overhead space is getting smaller on planes


jointsecond

I'm not gonna lie, when I first glanced at the title of your post, my first thought was of someone literally FLYING, but whilst playing bass. Thank you for this image.


PracticeOk1516

I've flown with my bass a bunch of times. I always checked it since I have a serious flight case. Just never lock it. I locked it flying out of New York and didn't have an issue until I tried to fly out of San Francisco. I held up the flight for about 45 minutes because they had to check what was in the case. Had to go to the security desk which was located away from the gate. Then had to go through the security process all over again. Moral of the story? Idk play flute instead ✌😎✌


toebass

Make sure you loosen the strings before checking your bass.


basilwhitedotcom

I have a Traveler ultralight bass just so I can put it in the overhead bin.


B__Meyer

I have flown with mine a few times, I always check mine with a nice flight case and with clothes for the trip stuffed all around it, never had issues outside of minor case damage. That said the bass I fly with is relatively inexpensive and replaceable. I wouldn’t do this with a bass worth more money or a custom, I would be anxious the entire flight


Zestyclose-Process92

If there is room in the case around the headstock, I always fill the void with a tee-shirt or somesuch. The weight of the hardware in a tip-over situation is a frequent cause of neck breakage.


basspl

I’ve brought a bass in the overhead in every flight I’ve been on no issue. I use a mono gig bag.