Buying a seat on an airplane for your tuba

[Yorkboy]

Looking for current advice. In the past ten years (post 9/11) I’ve flown several times with a tuba as checked baggage, but it’s been many decade since I’ve bought a seat in the cabin for one……..

Any tips, advice, warnings, etc., would be welcome!

[Yorkboy]

I’ve heard tales of the airlines refusing to allow this practice in some cases and/or declining to provide the seat.

[Yorkboy]

That’s good to know - the particular airline I’m looking at has a policy on their website outlining rules on seats purchased for instruments, so at least they are aware it happens.

[Yorkboy]

Probably wanna print out that policy and have it on hand in case you get an ornery flight attendant or person at the gate.

[Mary Ann]

They don't seem to get that denying the tuba a seat already paid for, because a person showed up and wants it, means you won't be able to fly. ("Oh, we'll just send that through baggage.") They have no idea how fragile a tuba is, if they even care. However, I'm flying in a few weeks (not with tuba,) and I am very surprised at how empty the plane is so far (my friend going on same flight just got the seat next to me, even though I got mine weeks ago.) People are backing off it seems due to fear of "that thing." I flew a few weeks ago and all legs of the flights were full, went through Atlanta.

[bloke]

Unless you put a bell cover on it, they'll probably get a hazmat team to throw it down on to the tarmac.

[Yorkboy]

All great replies (even you, bloke!)

Truth be told, I’m buying a horn that is well outside of my 1000 (ish) mile radius driving zone……and to boot, I will not be the person flying with it, so I’m reticent to put someone else in a potentially awkward position (even though that person is still willing, knowing full well all the possible pitfalls entailed).

The airline ticket I’m considering is epically cheaper than what it would cost to ship it………..

[donn]

My tuba would be a mighty rough haul to get from the door to an airline seat, in its case. 22" wide narrowest dimension, 38" long, I don't know, 40 lbs? Not the world's biggest case. I guess I could do it, but I'd remember that experience for a long time, and so would anyone who incautiously left fingers or anything else in the way. The flight crew might think it was pretty funny once it was strapped in, but if they decided it wasn't secure and could pose a real risk to passengers in rough flight, out it goes, regardless of what the web site says.

[pjv]

It's a tricky business. They are not keen to allow an instrument as big as ours on the plane.
Even if you have purchased the ticket, they can deny you. Cabin crew/pilots discretion.
It would most probably have to be in a gig bag.
They want it buckled down which might mean that you would have to provide an extension.
The most probably will not except seating it with the bell up.
You would need to have a window seat.
You, strangely enough, will not gain the extra carry-on and checked bagage for your brass passenger's seat.

I don't mean to make a horror story out of this since I've only flown twice with my tuba as an extra passenger, and that was 10 years ago.
I came with a Yamaha 621 which I figured would not look too imposing.
I told them it was a euphonium. No point in raising the alarm (a TUBA! YOUR NOT BRINGING THAT ON MY PLANE!!!)

The only thing you can do write the airline, ask all of your questions (then you have it in black&white) and then call as well.
And pray.

[bloke]

I would not believe any promise made by any bureau, institution, or corporation.
"Promises" are only to be kept (via coercion) by saps such as us.

If it is staying in the CONUS, see if you can find someone to pay a few hundred bucks to TAKE it where it needs to go.
There are a few trustworthy/responsible people who enjoy road trips, "just because".

...You might have to drive it (yourself) a few hundred miles TO someone who is willing to drive it the REST of the way...(??)

[donn]

I personally am not willing to drive even a couple feet across the Atlantic. Or meters, on the return. I know people who have gone by ocean liner - Cunard still runs the Queen Mary 2, and it's only about $1K, one way.

[Three Valves]

I guess the airlines caught onto the “emotional support tuba” scam.

[Yorkboy]

I would not believe any promise made by any bureau, institution, or corporation.
"Promises" are only to be kept (via coercion) by saps such as us.

If it is staying in the CONUS, see if you can find someone to pay a few hundred bucks to TAKE it where it needs to go.
There are a few trustworthy/responsible people who enjoy road trips, "just because".

...You might have to drive it (yourself) a few hundred miles TO someone who is willing to drive it the REST of the way...(??)

As you well know, I am no stranger to road trips. Unfortunately, this horn is well outside of my usual +/- 1000 mile radius; just trying to think of other options. Generally speaking, I don’t like to impose on third persons in my escapades. I was thinking this would be a good opportunity to visit relatives and accomplish transit at the same time…..

[bloke]

There are ways to pack a tuba in a carton that are more protective than any case. I believe I could pack well enough in a carton to almost eliminate impact damage, even from a fall, and to at least minimize damage all the way from the belly of an airplane down to the tarmac.
Of course, with forklifts all bets are off, but I don’t see a lot of forklifts used at airports.
Hard structures - in any packing job - are your enemy. Further, if a fragile object cannot move at least a little bit inside a packing job, that fragile object is going to stop just as fast as the entire package stops, and - the more suddenly a moving object stops - the greater the chance of damage.

[donn]

Then there was the anecdotal report of a tuba that survived baggage check to China without damage - without any real protection at all. No case, no bag, just the tuba. I forget, maybe with a scrap of bubble wrap around it or something. The principle here is that baggage handlers don't really intend to cause harm, they just aren't careful if it isn't clear they need to be, but they aren't going to willfully smash something. Sounds absurd, but I'd give it better odds than the tuba simply thrown in the case and taken to the baggage counter. (Case to be later opened by TSA.)

[bloke]

Back when things were not as absurd, back when I might actually consider visiting another country or a USA population center (rather than avoiding all of them via their outer loop freeways), and back when more of the Evil in the world was more suppressed, the jazz band with which I was working (youtube audio tracks posted here quite a few times) did a three-week tour of the UK and the Netherlands.

I had a sheet metal wizard/friend build me an aluminum box/case for my 12" Polytone, and a CASE-case for my 1973 Jazz Bass (which was VERY difficult getting through customs into the UK). My B&S Symphonie F tuba was just in its crappy GWW wood case. It survived several flights and connections just fine. I did tip some baggage handlers (as we're no longer allowed to deal directly with baggage handlers) - who put little "code" stickers with tear-off numbers on my case - that (I'm quite certain) meant, "Hey loaders, I got a good tip on this one...don't fug it up, come see me with the tear off, and I'll cut you in."

[royjohn]

I would tend to endorse the "get someone to drive it" option, but one of the last times this came up people brought up all kinds of "what if's" and basically said that if you drove the tuba and were in an accident or someone stole it out of your motel room, you would be liable for the price of the tuba. I would sure be willing to drive a tuba across the country, take all appropriate precautions and take it into motels at night, but I'm not going to be responsible for some $6K-$10K purchase price if some freak accident happens.

It was also pointed out that if the tuba doesn't really, really belong to you, your car insurance might not cover in case of theft.

-royjohn

[York-aholic]

Have you considered Uship.com ? It is essentially a service connecting people with shippers who have extra room on a haul they are already planning to do. You post the starting and ending locations, time frame and shipment particulars, then different shippers make bids/offers, which you can accept or decline. Something to check on at least.

[Three Valves]

It was also pointed out that if the tuba doesn't really, really belong to you, your car insurance might not cover in case of theft.

-royjohn

It (auto) won't cover your own tuba. Homeowners or stand alone coverage would. It is still up to the owner's policy to cover the damage, not the owner of a private conveyance you handed it to to transport as a favor.

[tofu]

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