The Rouillard Case is most compact of shipping cases

http://cellofun.yuku.com/topic/18525#.VKReLicqRzN

I travelled for many years buying seats until it was forced to be checked by overbooking. After that time, I used a number of shipping-type cases, and the best of the lot was the Rouillard. http://www.rouillardcases.com/#!our-products/c1w3p I see that one of the links you saw doesn't like, and I will explain why that person doesn't know what they are talking about.

No insulation will keep the cello warm, the cello does not generate heat, unlike your body, and insulation will not generate or preserve room temperature. Foam padding is not an insulator, regardless, so that alone is totally BS. When I first saw the maker demonstrate the aluminum case, he put a guarnieri cello into it, closed it, and then jumped up and down on it (it was lying on its back). No problem. The problem that any case will have is if the neck or pegbox is restrained in any way. If the case bounces or is significantly dropped, the body of the instrument can move around a bit, but the neck will not, therefore, it can break off. You can imagine how I know this. This did not happen in the Rouillard case, BTW. The Rouillard is the most compact of any of the shipping cases, which makes it easier to handle, and it is made of exactly the same materials and density as the airplane itself. It has wheels which can be removed and stored inside the case, making it less likely to get caught in any automated systems. As to the case scratching the inside of a vehicle, I have experienced this in regular hard cases, too. The cello was not designed to fit cars, it was designed to be an instrument. Any sharp metallic pieces (or fiberglass, etc.) can be smoothed with super-fine polishing grade sandpaper. Yes, they use this stuff to polish automobile paint, so relax.

Airline policies and the regulations that govern them are changing slowly, and almost any airline will have their own rules posted on the luggage section of their website. here is a link that addresses some of this

http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/musical-instruments

https://www.futureofmusic.org/article/fact-sheet/traveling-instruments

http://internationalmusician.org/instrument-carry-on/

BAM flight cover more affordable, though not 100% guarantee

Flying with Your Cello
The cello case options mentioned above will definitely withstand a lot of walking around andtraveling by car. But what if you have to fly somewhere with your cello? You will want to consider getting a dedicated cello “flight case.”
There are a couple options:
1. You could either purchase a flight case that’s intended to protect your instrument if you check it, or you could purchase a cello case flight cover. If you purchase a flight case, it will likely be really heavy but that’s because it’s meant to withstand the rigors of touring, rough handling, and being checked underneath the plane (with the passenger luggage). They’re usually made from durable Kevlar and fiberglass.
Pros: You won’t have to buy an extra seat or deal with the hassle with the airline.
Cons: No case will ever fully protect or 100% guarantee against super rough handling by an airline employee, and you might worry that the cello will be in one piece when it arrives at its destination. Also they can be costly.
2. If you’re going to choose to fly with your cello and you own a Bam case, there is an option now to cover your cello case with a Bam cello case flight cover in order to protect it when it’s checked as baggage. This flight case cover is a thick cordura cover with approximately 2 inches of insulating polyurethane foam. This is an indispensable addition to the Bam cello case for travel. The cover is molded to fit most Bam cases (Light, Flight, American, Shuttle, Voyager and Newtech models). The cover may fit other brands of cello cases but we cannot recommend its efficiency when used with non-Bam cases. If you end up purchasing one of these Bam case flight covers, here’s a little trick we found on the Bam website: “Fit the cello case, head first in the Flight Cover, zip around the head, adjust the bottom of the case inside the Flight Cover and zip around the bottom part, the zipper pulls meet in the middle.”

Pros: Very protective. You won’t have to buy an extra seat or deal with the airline. More affordable than a “flight case.”

Cons: No case or case cover can ever fully protect against super rough handling or bouncing in checked baggage, and temperature could also be a concern if you’re checking your instrument.

 http://blog.sharmusic.com/blog/bid/111988/Traveling-with-Your-Cello

Buying a ticket the safest way

 opuscellomusic.blogspot.com/2013/02/flying-with-your-cello.html

In the light of the recent accident encountered by German cellist Alban Gerhardt on his way from Germany to the US, and having experienced a similar incident, I wanted to share my view on how to approach the daunting task of flying with your cello.


Let's first get some important myths out of the way:

-My cello is not that expensive so it doesn't matter that much.

It does matter. Even if your cello is not a Stradivarius, I promise you your heart will break once you see it damaged.

-I never had any problems with my cello case and I used it to check my cello for years.

All you need is one accident to see how wrong this is. My bet is that anyone who has an accident checking their instrument will buy extra tickets for the rest of their life.

-I am saving money by checking my cello.

Once your cello has an accident and you are forced to buy an extra ticket for your return trip, or make changes to your travel plans, and eventually pay for the repair of both the cello and the case, you are not saving money anymore. And your cello might not sound the same ever again.

How to fly safely

Buy a ticket for your cello.

This is the only answer. Any trust put in any cello case checked under the plane is just like rolling a dice. It might work and it might not.
Check your airline's policies before buying the ticket. Some may give you a 25% discount on the full-priced ticket, some will charge you the full price. Note that you should not be paying any tax on your cello's ticket.

What should I remember from this article?

Buy an extra ticket for your cello. Check the guidelines of your airline carrier before purchasing it. Get an ATA Carnet if you plan to fly to Europe, especially Germany.

Good luck, and safe travel!