Flying With A Concertina

[chris]

Hi

maybe this should be added to earlier postings on cases but I decided to start a new one. Last year Annie and I were invited to spend christmas in Ohio with son, daughter in law and 3month old grandson. I decided I would take a concertina! (for my sanity!!) This meant getting a suitable carrying case. I wanted one that would travel as hand luggage and be capable of going in the hold (just in case of a change in baggage allowances again). I visited a 'case' supplier and maker. It seemed that in order to have a flight case specially built the cost would likely be more than buying an 'Explorer' case ( pattern number 4802) with 'pick and pluck' foam lining (for a spare set of 'pick and pluck' lining I was quoted £50 so if you go this route get it right first time)

So I bought an 'Explorer' case (£133) which would hold 2 concertinas. The model I bought conformed to United Airlines carry on baggage size, or so I thought. When I took it on the plane for the first leg of the journey the overhead storage lockers were too small to take my case, even tho it conformed to their specification. It was only by the goodness of a flight attendant that it went in the crews luggage locker. On the second leg of the journey it had to go as 'checked' baggage. On the way back it had to be 'checked' on for the first return leg but it fitted the overhead lockers on the last return leg (different aircraft!)

Motto:-

1, Don't believe airlines when they say that you can take a certain size article as 'carryon' luggage

2, Make sure that your case is strong enough to travel as 'carryon' or as 'hold' baggage

 

My concertina did survive its travels and I would recommend 'Explorer' cases used under similar circumstances

I survived getting to know my grandson!!

The 'case', on end, is a good height to sit on whilst playing

I hope my experiences may be of help to other travellers

Belated Happy New Year

chris

[Woody]

....So I bought an 'Explorer' case (£133) which would hold 2 concertinas. The model I bought conformed to United Airlines carry on baggage size...

Excuse my ignorance, but what is an 'Explorer' case?

 

- W

[chris]

Hi Woody

It's an italian made plastic/resin briefcase type thing very similar in type to 'peli' cases and that only makes sense if you know what 'peli' cases are I guess. Explorer have a web site with a range of different sizes and shapes

www.explorercases.com

chris

[Woody]

Hi Woody

It's an italian made plastic/resin briefcase type thing very similar in type to 'peli' cases and that only makes sense if you know what 'peli' cases are I guess. Explorer have a web site with a range of different sizes and shapes

www.explorercases.com

chris

Ah - now all is made clear - another footstep on the road to enlightenment

 

ta very much Chris

 

- W

[hjcjones]

1, Don't believe airlines when they say that you can take a certain size article as 'carryon' luggage

 

In my experience, all airlines mean by this is that there is a maximum permitted size for carry-on luggage. If it's bigger, they can insist on you checking it in. There's no guarantee that this size will fit into the lockers on all their aircraft, and unless you're near the front of the queue to board you may find anyway that the lockers are already full.

[Leo]

Chris

Generally the overhead locker on transport aircraft are designed to only be a place to put coats, and clothing. All of them have a placard on them with a compartment weight limitation (Look for it. It's there somewhere.) based on the design and structure. It's usually around 50 to 75 pounds total weight for each compartment. As the airplanes got larger so did the "wasted space" above the seats, therefore larger compartments. Smaller airplanes; smaller overhead. By design, heavy items and larger items are supposed to fit under the seat in front of the passenger; therefore the size limitation of each airline, is based on the seat size each airline has, not the overhead. The flight attendant should at least touch on some aspect of it before the flight. Even that is variable based on where a person sits. Generally window seats have less foot space, and bulkhead seats have no "under seat space" in front of them because there are no seats there. Emergency exit rows have their own limitations.

 

The flight attendant was extremely generous with their offer of alternate storage, however if caught could have lost their job. Be thankful you had an exceptional one willing to take the risk.

 

Perhaps since the space is so scarce, travelling with two people, each concertina in it's own individual case would have been more manageable?

 

Thanks

Leo

Edited January 16, 2007 by Leo