Recent flight experiences with PSG?

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 22 Feb 2003 9:35 am

A while back, Cindy Cashdollar started a thread about airlines lowering the free-weight limit for checked luggage from 70lbs to maybe 50 lbs or even lower. As I have a few flights coming up, I'm wondering what the most recent experience has been with the airlines. Have any of you flown with your PSG's lately? Do tell!
Thanks,
Jimbeaux

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 22 Feb 2003 9:42 pm

Russ Wever · Post by **Russ Wever** » 22 Feb 2003 11:10 pm

Flew Springfield, Mass. to Kansas City, New York City to Kansas City round-trip twice, Kansas City to Las Vegas and Kansas City-to-Cincinatti-to-New York City, all within the last 3 months on Delta, American, Southwest and I-dunno-who-else all with a 63-pound steel-in-flightcase, all with no problems (Thank God!).
~ Russ[This message was edited by Russ Wever on 22 February 2003 at 11:14 PM.]

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 23 Feb 2003 1:47 am

Russ, did you have to pay extra for being over the new 50 pound limit?

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 23 Feb 2003 3:31 am

I've been on a couple flights with my steel to Europe recently with no problems. One trip on Virgin with my flight case weighing in over 85lbs. And I have flown on Jet Blue Airlines for a few RTs to LA and Salt Lake. Jet Blue has been very good about dealing with gear so far.

Check with your airline about baggage restrictions. I have yet to run into a 50lbs limit. Although the days of "tipping" the sky caps to make things easy seem to be gone.

Bob [This message was edited by Bob Hoffnar on 23 February 2003 at 03:33 AM.]

Russ Wever · Post by **Russ Wever** » 23 Feb 2003 9:37 am

No extra charges, Jim - I was unaware of any new weight limit and evidently the sky-caps were too, as several times they weighed the steel (that's how I know its weight).
~Russ

Rules Of The Air

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 23 Feb 2003 10:51 am

The info on that link doesn't seem to be updated. I submitted a query for American Airlines - Checked Baggage and got this: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>This American Airlines rule category will be online on October 15, 2000
Thanks for checking.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Russ Wever · Post by **Russ Wever** » 23 Feb 2003 3:26 pm

Scratch it out.
It's a link I've had, but
ain't 'been to' for a while.
I didn't check it before I posted it.
~Russ

Danny Naccarato · Post by **Danny Naccarato** » 24 Feb 2003 5:07 am

Had to fly mine to Calif. about a month ago, on American. Weight in the flight case was 56 lbs. They nailed me $25 each way. It's not per leg though, but per one way trip......bast@rds!!!!

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 24 Feb 2003 5:50 am

Bummer Danny. Sounds like it would be worth putting just your legs and rods in another bag to get under the limit.

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 24 Feb 2003 6:10 am

Jim, they weigh all bags. I got hammered for $236 on a trip from Boston to London to Nimes France to Decembers ago. In Boston I had to repack twice, once at check in and once again after x-ray wanted to sniff my shoes, bag, butt etc. I actually unpacked in London and mailed some stuff to France. And still got hit on Ryanair for $150. You can't get a PSG from London to here for under $100 extra on Ryanair and you might not have clothes with you. Merde alors!

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 24 Feb 2003 6:25 am

True they weigh all bags. However last Sunday's newspaper had an example for airlines that charge for over 70 pounds. It said you could check two bags that weigh 70 pounds for free, but if one weighed 71 pounds and the other weighed 69 pounds, you would pay for that 71 pound bag.

They didn't list airlines, but hinted that some airlines still have the 70 pound limit. It sounds like it would be worth checking around and paying a few more dollars to fly on them instead of paying the extra weight fee on those with 50 pound limits.

Chris Schlotzhauer · Post by **Chris Schlotzhauer** » 24 Feb 2003 7:33 am

I've been flying alot recently. My steel weighs 68lbs in a standard case. I flew to Wash DC a couple of months ago on American. They have a 50lb limit, except on both legs of the trip, there was so much confusion with the new Federal baggage inspection, they threw my steel up on the scale, put a tag on it, and sent me through. I doubt, today, if I could get away with that. The tough part about traveling with steel is getting everything you need into two checked pieces.

John Troutman · Post by **John Troutman** » 25 Feb 2003 7:58 am

so apparently American has a 50 pound rule, according to these posts, and who else? we should compile some sort of list. i flew Austin to London on Northwest in January with a steel-in-case that weighed in at 59 pounds with no problem. although the flight home was the most miserable experience i've ever had--i will never fly northwest again. but i have several more flights to make in the next few months. seems like this information has to appear somewhere on airline websites, doesn't it?

Ernie Renn · Post by **Ernie Renn** » 25 Feb 2003 8:54 am

Maybe you could put the pedal bar and legs in a separate package. It might cut down the weight enough to get under the limit. Just a thought...

I haven't taken my guitar on a plane since I flew to Jones Country in Texas. Northwest trashed the case and two of the tuners, too.

------------------
My best,
Ernie

The Official Buddy Emmons Website
www.buddyemmons.com

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 25 Feb 2003 9:07 am

You're only allowed two checked bags and one carry on, so it would require some imaginative packing. If you could get by without taking your seat, maybe you could use an extra single neck case to carry the legs, pedal bar, volume pedal, gadgets, and whatever else won't fit in your carry on bag.

It could also be that the cost of an extra checked bag is less than the cost of an overweight bag. Does anyone know?

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 25 Feb 2003 9:52 am

To save space I use my clothing as padding inside my steel case. I fold up a cloth type bag to repack with after landing. For short fly dates I carry a small carpenter type tool bag for all the steel stuff instead of a pac seat.

I have had good luck with the more independent airlines like southwest and jet blue. If I get stuck using one of the big guys (American, United, NW....) I make it very clear to the management of the band that they need to cover whatever problems the airline creates.

Once you are checking in at the airport
and if the rules are not on your side the best thing to do is keep your mouth shut. Don't ask a bunch of questions about anything. Just smile and hand your stuff to the lady. They usually are too busy to worry about weight problems unless you remind them to.

Bob

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 26 Feb 2003 12:28 pm

The 50 lb rule really seems just a scam to cut down on weight and use less fuel per person, while jacking up the price, and gouging anyone with too much weight, which they now charge BIG for. They had no problem flying the planes before with 70 lb limits... so why suddenly the difference. Smells to me.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 26 Feb 2003 4:33 pm

They had no problem flying the planes before with 70 lb limits... so why suddenly the difference.

Um... how about huge increases in cost of jet fuel, plus the fact that post-9/11 the volume of air travelers has reduced so severely that most major airlines are either bankrupt or on the verge of bankruptcy? They're obviously scrambling for whatever sources of income they can find to try to keep their heads above water. I'm not surprised...

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 26 Feb 2003 4:48 pm

Unless you absolutely have to get there that quickly, take a train (or bus). Better yet,
"Take The 'A' Train"; or just drive.

Better yet, have 2 identical steels, and always send one ahead by courier, and you fly. Less garbage to deal with at the airport.

I haven't flown in years. It's a scary venture. And now, more than ever, a paranoid, uptight, stressed-out event.

But It's only my look at it; some folks absolutely have to fly. I don't.

Danny Naccarato · Post by **Danny Naccarato** » 27 Feb 2003 6:18 am

FYI,
When I had Mike Cass restore my old P/P Emmons, I sent it Fedex Ground. 56 lbs, FTW to Nashville, took 2 days, and cost $26.....
Danny[This message was edited by Danny Naccarato on 27 February 2003 at 06:19 AM.]

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 27 Feb 2003 9:18 am

Danny I think thats a very good way to go... if ya ain't got a gig the night before.
I sure hope, and highly doubt, FedX will give me a price like that for a Sho-Bud D-10 to France. How much did you insure it for in transit at $26

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 27 Feb 2003 9:30 am

Oddly enough Mike Cass made a practice board for me and sent it ground FedX. They lost it 3 times. It finally found me on the road near Austin after we bitched so much that they bumped it up to overnight. It took about 3 weeks and for the most part FedX ground had no idea what was going on or where the board was.

I would never trust my gear to any shipping service if a gig was at stake.

I'm putting a bunch of research into case building these days. A sturdy light box with some properly cut high density polyurethane foam should do the trick.
Lots of companies make all sorts of boxes.

Bob

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 27 Feb 2003 10:25 am

I recently sent a D-10 I had sold to LA via FedEx ground. Naturally I wanted to insure it for it's value of $2,000. I had it in the case with a box made from a heavy duty U-Haul garment box. The agent said he could only insure it for their standard max of $399 unless I double boxed it with 4" of peanuts between the boxes.

Grudgingly I did as he said and took it back to him the next day. The extra size and weight (11 pounds more!) bumped the price up, but they did insure it for $2,000 and it did arrive safely in one piece.

Paul King · Post by **Paul King** » 27 Feb 2003 10:40 am

I have flown several times with my steel, which was 72 lbs. in the case. I had trouble only one time in Salt Lake City, Utah. The lady was going to charge me extra and I told her I never have had a problem with anyone else. She let me go without paying any extra fee so I told her she was a nice lady. Now they have changed the rules to a 50lb. limit. It is all about the almighty dollar. The airlines have lost so much money they are looking for ways to compete which hurts the customer. I would imagine the clerks at the check-in desks get a lot of chewings over all of this but they are not responsible for the changes. All we can do is accept what the airlines have changed or find other ways to ship the steels.