Re: Flying Delta


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Posted by Dave on February 28, 2004 at 19:16:36:

In Reply to: Flying Delta posted by Rommel Cordova on February 28, 2004 at 10:25:11:

Just some general-purpose information I thought might be of use...

At his recent masterclass here in L.A., Al Baer spoke at length about the challenges he faces travelling back-n-forth to New York (to include $5-6K worth of damage to his two horns).

Apparently, the AFM has been working with the TSA to help meet the unusual needs of musicians travelling with instruments. Now, I'm paraphrasing the information Al presented quite a bit here, but basically you can request that a TSA supervisor *personally* inspect your instrument, while you're present, before it gets loaded on the plane. They'll then put stickers over the seams of the case, and Al says at this point he actually locks the thing up.

It's also advisable to call ahead to the airports you'll be travelling to/from to speak with the station supervisor and let them know you're coming. Tell them you're travelling with a fragile instrument, and that you'll require special assistance with screening it before boarding.

Now, having said all that, I can't say that I have any personal experience with these issues. This information is strictly anecdotal, and it'd be wise to further explore the situation on your own. I might recommend visiting the AFM website, and if you're a member, you can actually download letters that have been drafted to address these issues with screeners. Since this really only covers the TSA, your actual mileage with the airlines themselves may vary. Maybe it would be a good move to contact them directly as well before flying to see what accomodations, if any, they can make for protecting your horn(s).

Just a thought...

...Dave



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