Travelling with show props is a challenge, it’s even more stressful when they’re fragile!
I’m heading out for a gig with my Vintage Organ, and normally, when I fly to the gig, I ship it there, so it travels independently of me. However I have a gig coming up where shipping it ahead isn’t an option, so I have to fly with it.
The first step in flying with anything unusual is to call the airline. Since it’s technically a musical instrument, there are some exceptions to some rules that could apply. After chatting with the airline, none did. I did learn the parameters of what oversize is and the limits to that. This case fits the definition of oversize without exceeding it to a size that I wouldn’t be able to take. I also learned that I needed to put a fragile sticker on each of the six sides of the case.
The other thing that I did was a suggestion from the person at the airline that I talked to. That was put in step by step instructions on how to unpack and repack it if they need to take it out of the foam to screen it.
The other thing that I’ve asked about and haven’t gotten a clear answer about is whether I can be present when it’s screened. I’ve seen that you can request it for a musical instrument, but it’s not guaranteed and not an option at every airport. I won’t know until the day of. I’m writing this post from the airport I’ll be flying out with the case in a couple of weeks, and couldn’t get a clear answer.
We’ll see how it plays out…
-Louie
