Re: Warning about flying with Midwest/Frontier Airlines
kentburnside
> Add them to the list of unfriendly guitar airlines. Flew nonstop NYC to
> KC today. Plane was small with small overheads so my GB-10 in a
> hardcase was about a centimeter to big for the bin to latch shut. So, I
> told them I needed to gate check and avoid having it go out on the
> carousel after the flight with the rest of the luggage. They wouldn't
> do it. They will do that with Strollers/Baby Seats/Wheelchairs, but not
> a fragile instrument worth a couple grand. I was given the choice of my
> guitar going with the rest of the luggage and coming out the carousel or
> not flying. No sweet talking was going to solve the problem...no
> explaining that this was a professional instrument worth close to $2,000.
>
> Long story short, after 15 minutes of arguing, being told to get on the
> plane because I was holding up 60 other passengers (bs...we took off 10
> minutes ahead of schedule), telling them I would never be flying their
> airline again if they couldn't be bothered to put my guitar with some
> strollers, one of the stewardesses finally took the guitar from the
> pissy stroller-attendant and said she would put it in back with her.
>
> So, it worked out in the end, but now I don't know what I plan on doing
> for the return flight. I didn't know things had gotten so bad that a
> gate-check is no longer an option.
>
> I'm not sure what option we have left. Anybody have a suggestion for a
> flight case that would work for a GB-10 that doesn't cost $800+? I
> still have a case extreme clam case that I used to use, but it sounds
> like those are oversized luggage now.
>
> --www.mylesgorham.comwww.facebook.com/mylesgorham
FWIW, a Delta rep told me last week that they no longer gate check,
but they will put instruments in the plane's locker; apparently that's
what the attendant did on your flight. The Delta guy made it sound as
though this is routine for them.
Remember that scene in <Meet The Parents> where the snotty flight
attendant won't let Ben Stiller board because his row hasn't been
called yet, even though he's the only passenger in the waiting area?
Maybe she works for Midwest now :)
Kent Burnside
Kevin Van Sant
wrote in message <ih8lgv$qup$1...@news.eternal-september.org> :
>Add them to the list of unfriendly guitar airlines. Flew nonstop NYC to
>KC today. Plane was small with small overheads so my GB-10 in a
>hardcase was about a centimeter to big for the bin to latch shut. So, I
>told them I needed to gate check and avoid having it go out on the
>carousel after the flight with the rest of the luggage. They wouldn't
>do it. They will do that with Strollers/Baby Seats/Wheelchairs, but not
>a fragile instrument worth a couple grand. I was given the choice of my
>guitar going with the rest of the luggage and coming out the carousel or
>not flying. No sweet talking was going to solve the problem...no
>explaining that this was a professional instrument worth close to $2,000.
>
>Long story short, after 15 minutes of arguing, being told to get on the
>plane because I was holding up 60 other passengers (bs...we took off 10
>minutes ahead of schedule), telling them I would never be flying their
>airline again if they couldn't be bothered to put my guitar with some
>strollers, one of the stewardesses finally took the guitar from the
>pissy stroller-attendant and said she would put it in back with her.
>
>So, it worked out in the end, but now I don't know what I plan on doing
>for the return flight. I didn't know things had gotten so bad that a
>gate-check is no longer an option.
>
>I'm not sure what option we have left. Anybody have a suggestion for a
>flight case that would work for a GB-10 that doesn't cost $800+? I
>still have a case extreme clam case that I used to use, but it sounds
>like those are oversized luggage now.
FUCK THE FUCKING AIRLINES!!!!!!
.... ok, I got that out of my system.
________________________________________
Kevin Van Sant
http://www.kevinvansant.com
info, music, videos, etc...
TD
> Add them to the list of unfriendly guitar airlines. Flew nonstop NYC to
> KC today. Plane was small with small overheads so my GB-10 in a
> hardcase was about a centimeter to big for the bin to latch shut. So, I
> told them I needed to gate check and avoid having it go out on the
> carousel after the flight with the rest of the luggage. They wouldn't
> do it. They will do that with Strollers/Baby Seats/Wheelchairs, but not
> a fragile instrument worth a couple grand. I was given the choice of my
> guitar going with the rest of the luggage and coming out the carousel or
> not flying. No sweet talking was going to solve the problem...no
> explaining that this was a professional instrument worth close to $2,000.
>
> Long story short, after 15 minutes of arguing, being told to get on the
> plane because I was holding up 60 other passengers (bs...we took off 10
> minutes ahead of schedule), telling them I would never be flying their
> airline again if they couldn't be bothered to put my guitar with some
> strollers, one of the stewardesses finally took the guitar from the
> pissy stroller-attendant and said she would put it in back with her.
>
> So, it worked out in the end, but now I don't know what I plan on doing
> for the return flight. I didn't know things had gotten so bad that a
> gate-check is no longer an option.
>
> I'm not sure what option we have left. Anybody have a suggestion for a
> flight case that would work for a GB-10 that doesn't cost $800+? I
> still have a case extreme clam case that I used to use, but it sounds
> like those are oversized luggage now.
>
Was wondering what happened to you. I thought it might have been
either my breath or my chord subs. Forget the Clam case. It is long
non-functional. They can charge you up to $300 each way for the
oversizement. I now use it for heavy clamming at the bay. There is
also plenty of roon inside for scungili's. They are broke, just like
the IRS is broke, so they find any means to clip your ass. And as we
all know only too well, music and musicians are first in line to be
exiled. The only real solution now and in the future is to have
another axe waiting for you at your destination. The airline industry
is a cunt.
-TD
Docbop
First I have flown in a long time. But in past I used to be able to
request stuff be hand loaded and get my guitar put with the animals
and stuff. The pain was I had to get to airport early and it was
sometime last thing to be unloaded. But it was carried by hand, put
in an area that wasn't freezing cold.
My nightmare time was traveling with my 175 an for some reason my
guitar ended up on another flight that got to my destination earlier
than my flight. When my guitar wasn't at baggage for pickup they
checked, oh it came in earlier and pointed over in the corner of the
baggage area. It had been sitting in the open anyone could of picked
it up and walked out with it. At same time I remember touring and
flying a Fender Deluxe and just stuffing a pillow in back and putting
the cover on it and flying it as luggage with no problems, but that
was the early 70's.
Gerry
> On Jan 20, 12:42 am, mylesgtr <myles...@gmail.com> wrote:
> FWIW, a Delta rep told me last week that they no longer gate check,
> but they will put instruments in the plane's locker; apparently that's
> what the attendant did on your flight. The Delta guy made it sound as
> though this is routine for them.
Delta has told me 4 or 5 conflicting things over the past many years. I
believe it is the luck of the draw on the gate-goon; no more or less.
I was finally beginning to acquiesce to using a gig-bag, and had been
told repeatedly I could always get it into the cabin. Then a friend
recounted his situation. He had to turn a solid-body over to them to
put in luggage anyway. He was waiting for the porter to bring it to
the gate on arrival, looked out the window and saw the guy drop
it--TWICE! He came unglued and practically got in a "security
situation" when they guy turned it over. In the end there wasn't a ding
to be found as a result.
But a solid body isn't an archtop.
--
-- Gerry
TD
And a house is not a home.
-TD
Jazzer
> I'm not sure what option we have left. Anybody have a suggestion for a
> flight case that would work for a GB-10 that doesn't cost $800+? I
> still have a case extreme clam case that I used to use, but it sounds
> like those are oversized luggage now.
I don't have a suggestion for a flight case but I do have a related
story to tell.
A few months ago I got back from a European trip. There were more than
10 flights involved.
I didn't have any gigs, this was just a leisure vacation. I wanted to
bring a guitar along just to noodle with in my spare time, so its size
and quality were not an issue.
I took a newly purchased 1/2 size $100 guitar (came with its own cheap
nylon bag). Up until the second to last flight (Sofia-Frankfurt) no
one even blinked an eye at my guitar. I had one carry-on luggage plus
my guitar (usually strapped on my back).
The second to last flight I had to check something in, so naturally it
had to be
my luggage. The guitar still stayed on board with me.
So my recommendation for anyone who wants something just to keep your
fingers in shape while on a non-gigging trip, is to take a small el-
cheapo guitar.
And don't vacation in the U.S.!
The American airplane travel industry sucks for guitarists.
One more quick story...
On a flight to Vienna our plane was detoured due to fog to Lietz.
We had to stay on the plane for about 30 minutes or so before it
departed again.
I thought this would be a perfect opportunity for me to take out my
guitar and noodle around on it for a bit.
No one was sitting in the seats next to me so I had plenty of room.
I hadn't been noodling for more than a few minutes when a young chap
in the row behind me practically demands that I stop playing!
He said I wasn't playing music and insisted I stop immediately! He was
very irritated.
Now the engines were still on, people were chatting about. The plane
was far from quiet. I could barely hear my guitar myself and was
deliberately playing softly.
I was not about to comply to his 'request'. I noticed that he had on a
Led Zeppelin t-shirt so I started to play Stairway to Heaven for a
minute or so.
I think that calmed him down a bit.
Then it was back to noodlin' again :)