I have a gator hard case and have had it complimentary checked at the gate so it goes on top the 3-4 times I’ve flown with it (similar to what happens with strollers). Worked well for me so far! 🤞Each airline/staff is different though so I always get there a little early to make sure even if someone gives me problems, I won’t miss my flight!
Another big thing with flight cases vs bags is the humidity control. I did a gig to hawaii, and my SKB bass case was literally dripping wet from the humidity/temperature change when I got it from baggage claim. As you can imagine, that would greatly affect the tuning stability of the instrument since the wood wouldn't be as stable. I also put a humidifier pack in my case when I'm flying. I have the SKB i series case which is roughly equivalent to your gator case!
I went to new Hampshire 🎉from Florida with a 2 hr layover in NY. I took my gig bag in a SKB Bass Safe ( Airline- Jet Blue). I gate checked it at the plane. Got to New Hampshire they walked it to Me. No Problem. 👍 The second time I flew with it. I flew Jet Blue to Newark NJ from Florida. Did the same thing( Gate Check it Gig Bag in a SKB Bass Safe) By Gods grace the Captain saw me gate Check my Bass. Because when I arrived in NJ Baggage handlers put my Bass on the Belt. And when he saw me waiting at the gate. He asked me what happened. I told him I was waiting for my Bass. He called the Baggage office and told them they had better locate my Bass and get it to the office. They had it at the Baggage claim office My Bass was good but it could have gotten lost or stolen in Newark Airport. Gotta check each airline policy for instrument.
I’m from the old school, when traveling with a soft case always wrap the neck and head stock with a thick towel. Double wrap if possible and that will protect your bass. Hope that is helps.
I just flew Southwest to TX yesterday. I have the MONO dual guitar case. Lugging that thing around on my shoulders was a beast. I had no issues with Southwest tho. Got on the plane fine and everything was hassle free. I may look into a flight case tho. My shoulders took a beating carrying that case around.
I’ve been forced by the airline once to check an instrument because they wouldn’t allow me to carry it on. That was extra scary because all I had was the gig bag, and was told I’d be able to carry it on like usual. If I knew I wouldn’t be able to, I would have just used a hard case from the start. It seemed fine after and is still fine now, but I was definitely worried the whole flight. Unless rules have changed, and they don’t let you carry them on because of size anymore, then I still prefer gig bags and the lack of stress that comes from knowing exactly where my instrument is at all times
Flight case (or two) is on the horizon for me, though I don't travel much for gigs. I do have 2 Road Runner gig bags that have a little more padding in them, but the only way I would fly with them is to gate check them. I do work for an airline, so I can occasionally get a little help with the instrument. But I will always try to gate check if I can. Or fly with the U-Bass to mitigate that concern. I flew back from a weekend in the NE with an acoustic guitar and the flight attendant allowed me to put the guitar in a closet on the plane.
It’s also worth pointing out that the cosmetic damage that was done to the bass was through a padded case. Think about how hard you have to hit a bass to chip a piece of wood off through the padding… they definitely we’re just tossing that thing around. I can only imagine the unseeable structural damage that all caused. Is your truss rod still straight? Are any of the internal fibers of the wood more stressed and likely to break now?
It's safe to assume baggage handlers hate musicians. You're out there traveling, making music & having fun... and they're slinging luggage. Chances are they will be extra rough with your stuff. I keep this in mind every time I travel with my bass.
Great video Travis. Was hoping you'd share some insight on this. Thanks so much. We're gonna end up flying with a bass at some point in our careers. By the way, what's your ear health regimen ? Wearing in ear monitors usually cause more frequent cleanings, or maybe a check-up or two.
I usually travel with a flight case for my tubas and bring my trumpets on board. I have also bought extra seats for my tubas, which works great, but gets expensive!
Loved Kayla's comment about getting rid of some of your instruments. My wife was always on me about trimming down my collection of basses until I built a studio on our property. Now I only have 2 or 3 basses in the house. Love your videos!!!!!
What about the oversized baggage fee all airlines have started in 2024? Gig bag or hard case, the dimensions add up to over 62 inches= $125 to $150 additional fee each way.
bought a dreadnought with a soft padded case from sweetwater from JFK to abu dhabi to Philippines arrived no damaged. kudos to the supervisor who told me to check it in in the odd size baggage with a fragile sticker on it. but i did not brought it again in the cruiseship might well get a gator hardcase next time to check it in for other airline staff at the check in counter dont want it to be brought as a hand carry luggage
I've been using the SKB Bass Safe for about the last 7 or 8 years with no problem. The bass goes into a gig bag and then into the bass safe. When I'm at the gigs, all I carry is the gig bag. The Bass Safe stays in the hotel room.
Did you usually carry your bass on? I travel for work and typically bring my bass with me if I’m driving. This last trip was an 8 hour drive to Massachusetts which would have been much quicker flying. Do they put them in an overhead if there is room?
Airlines are charging OVERSIZED BAGGAGE FEES for anything that the height, width, and Depth adds up to over 62 inches! Any bass guitar in any gig bag or hard case will add up to over 62”. Now $125 to $150 each way if the airline decides to measure your bass. Just happened to me with Southwest. They said this policy is three months old.
I took a 5 string bass to Madagascar a few years back and it went in a hard case. TSA opened it because the case looked a lot like a rifle case. HEHE. The bass came out unharmed in the process. I would not do that with a soft sided case on any flight. The case on the Int'l flight didn't have damage either.
As a former 22 year employee of an airline, I'd be more worried about your bass not making the flight (accidentally not being loaded) or not making a connection and not showing up rather than being protected. Those flight cases from Gator and SKB are fantastic for checking but, again, my worry would be not having my instrument meet me at the final destination. Hence the saying: don't check your bass.
I use a combo method. Fender ATA case checked for my Fender style 5s. also pack a light soft case for travel to gigs from the hotel. works well. only problem is lost luggage potential. wht would you do w no bass? my friends that travel tons have gone to headless basses. fits in the overhead of even smaller jets..
I’ve had 2 necks come off 2 different Hofners. Also. I was delayed in Detroit. And watched my bass sitting on the tar mat for 3 hours in zero degree temperatures
Travis - checking my bass this weekend in an SKB case very similar to the Gator you have. Have you ever run into having to pay an oversized fee with this case if you’re in the weight limit?
So the first time I travelled with my Tobias bass, it got lost for 2 days. It was in the OEM hard case and was the only bass I owned at the time. So from that day, I’ll never travel with my bass again.
I've always put my bass in a soft case and carried it on the plane! If you ask real nice, they'll let you put it in the hanging coat locker in the front of the plane.
It’s so much easier to just rent a bass. Sound companies will bring you one for a very small fee. 99% of the time we don’t need to have our own instruments for the music we have to perform. These days basses are so consistent that all you need is a couple of allen keys to make it feel like your own. Talk about freedom! 😊
That’s somewhat common with all oversized baggage. No idea why it’s different than regular checked baggage, other than it’s more likely to be valuable.
Hello Travis, greetings from Italy! I am one of your affectionate!! I need help from you: basically I have a gospel support band and I am going crazy with the sound. I have two basses : one is a 6 string , neck through with large BARTOLINI PU. Eden historical head and speakers. This bass sounds very well (very close sound ) but sometimes I would like to use the other bass : MTD SARATOGA KINGSTON. So a JB5. It sounds great but it looks a bit of “fat sound” is missed or the B string is OK but other strings have much less volume. Please help me! Do I need a compressor ?
Shocker...flying/checking an instrument in a soft bag alone is not smart. A $300 flight case aside ( free I assume from sweetwater) I'll just use my head and use a hard case for my bass...
I’ve checked my bass in the mono vertigo bag probably a dozen or more times. The bag itself has taken a bit of a beating in the six years I’ve owned it but the bass has always been fine.
Travis please buy for me a Bass guitar please I love the way you teach Bass guitar lesson but I don't have money to buy it I'm from Africa zambia please God bless you
You should have used a mono case/bag, since i feel like that's what 98% of us use. that said. I have checked my bass in a mono case just becouse they said i had to do it, and i didn't have the time to argue, it came outr the other end just fine that time
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I have a gator hard case and have had it complimentary checked at the gate so it goes on top the 3-4 times I’ve flown with it (similar to what happens with strollers). Worked well for me so far! 🤞Each airline/staff is different though so I always get there a little early to make sure even if someone gives me problems, I won’t miss my flight!
Another big thing with flight cases vs bags is the humidity control. I did a gig to hawaii, and my SKB bass case was literally dripping wet from the humidity/temperature change when I got it from baggage claim. As you can imagine, that would greatly affect the tuning stability of the instrument since the wood wouldn't be as stable. I also put a humidifier pack in my case when I'm flying.
I have the SKB i series case which is roughly equivalent to your gator case!
I went to new Hampshire 🎉from Florida with a 2 hr layover in NY. I took my gig bag in a SKB Bass Safe ( Airline- Jet Blue). I gate checked it at the plane. Got to New Hampshire they walked it to Me. No Problem. 👍
The second time I flew with it. I flew Jet Blue to Newark NJ from Florida. Did the same thing( Gate Check it Gig Bag in a SKB Bass Safe) By Gods grace the Captain saw me gate Check my Bass. Because when I arrived in NJ Baggage handlers put my Bass on the Belt. And when he saw me waiting at the gate. He asked me what happened. I told him I was waiting for my Bass. He called the Baggage office and told them they had better locate my Bass and get it to the office. They had it at the Baggage claim office My Bass was good but it could have gotten lost or stolen in Newark Airport. Gotta check each airline policy for instrument.
I’m a Jett Blue flyer myself! Mostly good experiences. Definitely not fun dragging it around to get to the gate though haha
I’m from the old school, when traveling with a soft case always wrap the neck and head stock with a thick towel. Double wrap if possible and that will protect your bass. Hope that is helps.
I just flew Southwest to TX yesterday. I have the MONO dual guitar case. Lugging that thing around on my shoulders was a beast. I had no issues with Southwest tho. Got on the plane fine and everything was hassle free. I may look into a flight case tho. My shoulders took a beating carrying that case around.
I’ve been forced by the airline once to check an instrument because they wouldn’t allow me to carry it on. That was extra scary because all I had was the gig bag, and was told I’d be able to carry it on like usual. If I knew I wouldn’t be able to, I would have just used a hard case from the start. It seemed fine after and is still fine now, but I was definitely worried the whole flight. Unless rules have changed, and they don’t let you carry them on because of size anymore, then I still prefer gig bags and the lack of stress that comes from knowing exactly where my instrument is at all times
Flight case (or two) is on the horizon for me, though I don't travel much for gigs. I do have 2 Road Runner gig bags that have a little more padding in them, but the only way I would fly with them is to gate check them. I do work for an airline, so I can occasionally get a little help with the instrument. But I will always try to gate check if I can. Or fly with the U-Bass to mitigate that concern.
I flew back from a weekend in the NE with an acoustic guitar and the flight attendant allowed me to put the guitar in a closet on the plane.
It’s also worth pointing out that the cosmetic damage that was done to the bass was through a padded case. Think about how hard you have to hit a bass to chip a piece of wood off through the padding… they definitely we’re just tossing that thing around. I can only imagine the unseeable structural damage that all caused. Is your truss rod still straight? Are any of the internal fibers of the wood more stressed and likely to break now?
It's safe to assume baggage handlers hate musicians.
You're out there traveling, making music & having fun... and they're slinging luggage.
Chances are they will be extra rough with your stuff.
I keep this in mind every time I travel with my bass.
Even if the baggage handlers are careful, there are a lot of conveyor belts and the luggage on them slams into each other - especially at the end.
Great video Travis. Was hoping you'd share some insight on this. Thanks so much.
We're gonna end up flying with a bass at some point in our careers.
By the way, what's your ear health regimen ? Wearing in ear monitors usually cause more frequent cleanings, or maybe a check-up or two.
I usually travel with a flight case for my tubas and bring my trumpets on board. I have also bought extra seats for my tubas, which works great, but gets expensive!
Loved Kayla's comment about getting rid of some of your instruments. My wife was always on me about trimming down my collection of basses until I built a studio on our property.
Now I only have 2 or 3 basses in the house. Love your videos!!!!!
Good idea for a video would be interesting if they’d let you put a camera on your case/bag
Great video! Be happy that you don't have to haul a tuba or two around! :)
I travel all the time! A flight case is absolutely necessary!!! Luggage handlers don't care. I got an ATA case custom made for me. Problem solved.
What about the oversized baggage fee all airlines have started in 2024? Gig bag or hard case, the dimensions add up to over 62 inches= $125 to $150 additional fee each way.
Just got the Gruvgear Kapsule Duo case, came included with a humidity pack. Going to put this one to the test
This whole video made me nervous😂😂😂😂😂 dope video idea.
I was cringing waiting for you to open up that soft case 😂
I’m flying to MAF for a gig this week. Love that airport.
bought a dreadnought with a soft padded case from sweetwater from JFK to abu dhabi to Philippines arrived no damaged. kudos to the supervisor who told me to check it in in the odd size baggage with a fragile sticker on it. but i did not brought it again in the cruiseship might well get a gator hardcase next time to check it in for other airline staff at the check in counter dont want it to be brought as a hand carry luggage
Man, I was watching old vids of yours... You lost a ton of weight! Looking much healthier now! Kudos!
Thank you Travis ! Great topic. Been curious about this.
I've been using the SKB Bass Safe for about the last 7 or 8 years with no problem. The bass goes into a gig bag and then into the bass safe. When I'm at the gigs, all I carry is the gig bag. The Bass Safe stays in the hotel room.
What gig bag do ya use?
Did you usually carry your bass on? I travel for work and typically bring my bass with me if I’m driving. This last trip was an 8 hour drive to Massachusetts which would have been much quicker flying. Do they put them in an overhead if there is room?
Airlines are charging OVERSIZED BAGGAGE FEES for anything that the height, width, and Depth adds up to over 62 inches!
Any bass guitar in any gig bag or hard case will add up to over 62”.
Now $125 to $150 each way if the airline decides to measure your bass.
Just happened to me with Southwest. They said this policy is three months old.
Def mad risky, traveling with my old upright was tense!
Thank you Travis.
Interesting video, even more for some of us that might never fly with our bass 😢😅
I took a 5 string bass to Madagascar a few years back and it went in a hard case. TSA opened it because the case looked a lot like a rifle case. HEHE. The bass came out unharmed in the process. I would not do that with a soft sided case on any flight. The case on the Int'l flight didn't have damage either.
As a former 22 year employee of an airline, I'd be more worried about your bass not making the flight (accidentally not being loaded) or not making a connection and not showing up rather than being protected. Those flight cases from Gator and SKB are fantastic for checking but, again, my worry would be not having my instrument meet me at the final destination. Hence the saying: don't check your bass.
Agreed. I had my bass in an SKB Bass Safe miss a connecting flight and wasn’t delivered until 9 am the following day. It happens.
Just started following you and I really enjoy your content!
I use a combo method. Fender ATA case checked for my Fender style 5s. also pack a light soft case for travel to gigs from the hotel. works well. only problem is lost luggage potential. wht would you do w no bass? my friends that travel tons have gone to headless basses. fits in the overhead of even smaller jets..
I’ve had 2 necks come off 2 different Hofners. Also. I was delayed in Detroit. And watched my bass sitting on the tar mat for 3 hours in zero degree temperatures
I'd to see more of these vlogs ❤
My question is why didn't u add foam to the guitar to travel with it. That gig bag is thin
Add some t shirts clothes socks,etc into the bag creating some layers and support for the neck and body…
Travis - checking my bass this weekend in an SKB case very similar to the Gator you have. Have you ever run into having to pay an oversized fee with this case if you’re in the weight limit?
Love the run @8:00🔥🔥🔥
Great video. Mad useful. Have you seen Adam Neely's video on the topic yet? Also mad useful
So the first time I travelled with my Tobias bass, it got lost for 2 days. It was in the OEM hard case and was the only bass I owned at the time. So from that day, I’ll never travel with my bass again.
I've always put my bass in a soft case and carried it on the plane! If you ask real nice, they'll let you put it in the hanging coat locker in the front of the plane.
It’s so much easier to just rent a bass. Sound companies will bring you one for a very small fee. 99% of the time we don’t need to have our own instruments for the music we have to perform. These days basses are so consistent that all you need is a couple of allen keys to make it feel like your own. Talk about freedom! 😊
2:10 within 2 seconds it's already bumped twice. lmao
wondering if you chose the glarry for secure back up playing , or it was especially the cheaper bass you have.
super helpful
What about checking a sturdier soft case like a mono? Probs still not ideal eh?
Huh, I have the same old Fender gig bag.
Hi Travis. I have the gator titan case. Did you have to unlock the tsa locks when you checked it in?
will the neon mono case as safe as the gator flight hard case for that?
You think it would be the same situation using MONO Case?
Awesome video!
I would rather have my bass guitar with me inside the flight!
@08:28 😃
A gig bag in the flight case.....that's the ticket
Did you ever work at Papa John’s in Nashville??? I think I might know you if you have.
Just wanted to pay my respects to "United Breaks Guitars" because those guys have warned us many years ago and protected many gear in advance.
Why did they need to see ID first when you got your bass?
That’s somewhat common with all oversized baggage. No idea why it’s different than regular checked baggage, other than it’s more likely to be valuable.
Bruh at 2:07 the bass already takes two hits before even making it to the belt ☠😆
Hello Travis, greetings from Italy! I am one of your affectionate!! I need help from you: basically I have a gospel support band and I am going crazy with the sound. I have two basses : one is a 6 string , neck through with large BARTOLINI PU. Eden historical head and speakers. This bass sounds very well (very close sound ) but sometimes I would like to use the other bass : MTD SARATOGA KINGSTON. So a JB5. It sounds great but it looks a bit of “fat sound” is missed or the B string is OK but other strings have much less volume. Please help me! Do I need a compressor ?
thank you for flying southwest airlines.
what about disappearing luggage?
Shocker...flying/checking an instrument in a soft bag alone is not smart. A $300 flight case aside ( free I assume from sweetwater) I'll just use my head and use a hard case for my bass...
What about mono cases on flights?
I’ve checked my bass in the mono vertigo bag probably a dozen or more times. The bag itself has taken a bit of a beating in the six years I’ve owned it but the bass has always been fine.
Travis please buy for me a Bass guitar please I love the way you teach Bass guitar lesson but I don't have money to buy it I'm from Africa zambia please God bless you
air worn is worse than road worn:)
You should have used a mono case/bag, since i feel like that's what 98% of us use. that said. I have checked my bass in a mono case just becouse they said i had to do it, and i didn't have the time to argue, it came outr the other end just fine that time