have you seen the way airline baggage handlers load luggage into the belly of an airplane? Carry-on, definitely carry-on.

The AFM negotiated a deal with TSA to allow one carry-on, one personal item, and one musical instrument in the passenger area. I've always carried my accordion in a case either under the seat or in an overhead, no problem. When I take two, I have an anvil-type hard case that has firm foam that was custom-made to fit 2 Cajun accordions. That case goes as checked luggage (it's a cube-shaped item about 2 feet on each side) and I've had no damage. I also use that big double case to send them back to Larry Miller for tuning and maintenance.

that 'AFM negotiated amnesty'may or may not
work

the truth is that they can make you check it
for any reason they want to

and there is a catch-22 as well

if you packed assuming carry-on [to save space],
but then you are forced to check it,
then the case is small and light -
it won;t be strong enough.

yet if you pack it in a case that could stand
to be checked, then it;s too big for carry-on.

wle.

If at all possible, I do the carry on thing with my accordions. In the vast majority of flying situations, I have only had one accordion with me. But, when I flew to Sacramento to Dave Masons Crawdad fest a couple years back, I had two accordions and I carried them both. They were my triple row, and Bb cajun accordion. No problems with check-in on either the way up or back. This was on Southwest two years ago.

However, there have been occasions on which I have checked an accordion as baggage and had no trouble. I used an Anvil ATA flght case purchased from Marc Savoy in 1991. The accordion was always fine, but there were some tell tale dings in the metal edges of the case! It would seem that the case performed as advertised.

I wouldn't check an accordion with anything less than an ATA case however.

-David

I fly for a major airline. I bring my accordion to work with me every time. I would never check an instrument as checked baggage.Asside from the rough handling that you may have seen, checked baggage go through rough handling by conveyor belts and other devices. Bags routinely roll over and stop at bumpers and the like. Regardless of how hard the case is or how well it is secured, your instrument will get jarred or hit in some manner.

regards,

JL

I would never consider checking an accordion.
I have an ATA approved Anvil case, but I never use it on airplanes.

Between the heat, cold, shock, rain and vibration, it's a very poor environment for an accordion.

I have two soft cases that fit in over head bins.
I have often traveled with the two accordions without trouble.

Others in the band with guitars were hastled multiple times, regardless of having a copy of the AMF letter in hand. It was not pretty.

DP

like i said, that letter doesn;t mean anything

you are lucky they didn;t make you check it, when
you had a soft case.

wle.

Yes, truely so.
But I made sure that the soft case would fit in the overhead bin before I bought it.

Hey Jean,
Take it with you on the plane if you can. I had an experience with an airline coming back from Augusta a few years ago. I was on my last leg of the trip in Cincinnati, Ohio. When I got ready to board the plane, the lady at the door told me I will have to check in one of my accordion as baggage. I had 2 of them, one in hardcase and another in a softbag that I purchased from Jr Martin store. It was the softbag one she wanted me to check in. So I gently protested and ask for a supervisor. The plane we were boarding was a smaller plane, thus smaller overhead bins. While we were waiting, she took another look at my softcase, and it was the kind that had side pockets on it. Well I had a couple of books in them for reading on the flight. She said if you take the books out is should fit. So I glady took them out and got my ass on the plane quickly. The case fit easily with no problem. So plane size is a thing to check. Make sure you know the measurements they allow carrying on items.
Later
Mark