BAM case might not fit in car, perhaps not very rollable

http://cellofun.yuku.com/topic/5971/master/1/?page=1

I can't comment on the Rouillard but I travel a great deal with a BAM hitech and the large black BAM flight shell which you buy seperately. I've probably taken 40 international flights with my cello in the last 2 years and have a couple of things you should think about before you buy. 

Weight: 

A Hitech with cello inside and flight shell on weighs 16 kilos. Normal luggage allowance for flights that DONT go via the U.S.A. (ie anywhere in Europe, Asia, Pacific etc) is 20 kilos. That 4 kilos plus my cabin bag give me just enough for my Tux, tshirts, and a couple of jeans... nothing more. Fine for a week, tough for a month! Weigh the thing with the cello in it before you buy! If it's over 20 kilos your airline life will be hell. 

Portability at the location: 

Being able to remove my smaller lighter case from the flight shell to use in foreign cities is great. Taking any kind of large instrument/luggage through crowded subways like London, Hong Kong, or Tokyo can be extremely difficult - ticket gates and passageways are narrow, London has miles of winding stairways, no lifts, and elevators that would feel claustrophobic to a Singapore Airlines Flight Hostess with a 12 inch waist... 

Rigidity: 

The one thing I really like about my current flight case is that it's not actually very ridgid at all. The black rubbery plastic shell is flexible and combined with the 3 inches of foam act like a giant shock absorber. I could throw my cello out a 3rd story window and it would probably be OK (no I'm not going to try!...). Cases that are too hard can transfer shock through to the instrument. 

Wheels: 

A must have. Airport gates in some cities can be 30 minutes walk from each other. Backpack cases that weigh any more than 10 Kilos just wont do. Make sure the wheels are well positioned and that the handels make it easy to "drive" (definately NOT the case with the BAM... serious design flaws in this department). 

Safety even when upside down: 

Slapping a "this way up" sticker on your case will do nothing. The same goes for fragile stickers, and telling people NOT to put it through the conveyor belt. One or all of these things will be ignored every time. Make sure the case is designed so that, even when upside down, the cello never ends up resting on its bridge. 

Bow fasteners: 

Make sure these are secure - also make sure they are simple enough that the clever people in the TSA can safely put the bow back should they decide to remove it for whatever reason. A bow loosened by security wound up putting pressure on the belly, causing a substantial soundpost crack for a friend of mine who had the Accord carbon fiber case with the white flight shell. 

Hope this helps 
Charles brooks (who will fly Taipei-Seoul-Hong Kong-Auckland-Melbourne-Adelaide-Melbourne-Auckland-Hong Kong-Taipei next month with 1 cello and 4 kilos of clothes...)

I forgot to mention that the BAM flight shells, for all their good points, sometimes just refuse to fit in a car... they're often too wide to sit up like a person, too long to lie across the back seat, boot is out of the question. They seem to be about an inch too large in every direction (although in most hatchbacks they're OK - but how many cities have htachback taxis?).

overhead bin when flights are relatively empty

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Reticent CelloChatter Posts: 1678 Dec 28 12 2:50 PM Active CelloChatter	It happened twice, once on Republic Air (operating a Frontier flight from Denver) about 4 years ago. I don't remember the second airline, Sun Country, maybe, but it was the same year. I don't remember what type of planes I was on, it's not something I generally pay attention to. The flights were relatively empty, and the attendants were asked that I store it in an overhead bin. The bin dividers alternated between ribs and walls, so the body of the cello fit in one side of the double bin, and the scroll stuck into the second. I checked that the case couldn't shift around, and that there was no other luggage in those sections. I always buy a ticket for my cello, so it felt like a bit of a waste, but I had the entire row to myself, so I could stretch out and sleep at least. I have a Brack case.
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New CelloChatter Posts: 3 Dec 30 12 8:29 PM	Aack! My polite reply vanished. Second try, less polite this time (and I'm copying it into my clipboard first, to be on the safe side): - don't count on overhead -- it's often quite crowded, what with new checked baggage charges - if you want to study far away, I suppose you'll want to invest in a travel case, which will come in handy for visiting your folks. - for now, try to arrange to borrow a cello in the far-away school. Post something here, on craigslist, and as a piece of paper on a bulletin board there (ask a secretary to put one up for you). - or audition via CD. Good luck!

TSA opening the cello then not putting back in properly

F,O,H, says:

March 15, 2014 at 5:28 pm

I came from Europe to the USA. I can’t afford a seat for my cello, so it went down with the luggage. I always ask, at the check-in, if somebody can carry it instead of putting on the belt. My best experiences are with KLM and British Airways. Unfortunately, when I got my cello at my final destination, there was a card stating that it had been opened and checked by the TSA. 2 of the corners (on the top plate) were smashed. One other corner was half cut. It was clear that they closed the case in a hurry and didn’t fit the cello properly. The cello was loose (unstrapped) inside, and one of the bows was also loose. When I opened the case, it looked like the bow was broken in half. Luckily it was not, but could have easily damaged the cello further. I didn’t know where to complain, The attitude of people working at the passport control was very, very, very aggressive. I have travelled all over Europe, South and Central America. This was my worse experience in airports.

BAM took some hard hits

Hank Roberts says:

April 2, 2012 at 8:05 pm

Hi Greg, Thanks for this great informational page. I’ve been flying with my cello since the 80′s, and have been fairly lucky with checking it. The past 10 years I’ve been using a Bam outershell case, in addition to my bam hardshell cello case. After the cases took some hard hits on the last few tours, I’ve finally decided to always purchase a seat for the cello from now on. I don’t always have the opportunity to use the travel agent of my choice, so I’m putting together an info attachment about it to give booking and travel agents who’ll be arranging flights for the cello and me together. With all of the specifics that you give about certain planes, I’m a bit nervous that an unexperienced travel agent may not set up tickets in the correct way for me and the cello. The statement below that you wrote seems to be the most important one. Can you suggest any other info that I should give an unknown travel agent to understand the logistics of booking flights for the cello. also, do you like Eric Friedlander’s idea of naming my cello "CBBG Friedlander" for cabin baggage.. ?thanks so much, hank robertsbook the cello into a window seat that is at least 1 row away from an exit row. Use the name "cello yourlastname" as in "cello beaver". Always book your seat next to the cello. On planes with 1 – 2 configurations like the ERJ-145, book the cello into the C seat, not the A seat.

they have let me put the cello in the overhead compartment (soft case)

possible to fit the cello in the overhead compartment in a soft case

they have let me put the cello in the overhead compartment (soft case) but did not give me a refund for the purchased ticket. That happened on a full flight, and the flight crew still managed to find a space for the cello in the overhead compartment simply by moving things around! Ironically, being a full flight, there was an empty seat at my side that could have been resold to another passenger, someone who needed to get somewhere, and who could (being human) not sit in the overhead compartment. In this case, restricting the use of their free overhead space is obstructing their service to other potental passengers.On one occasion, with AirTrans, a flight attendant was sweet enough to ask if my cello would fit in the overhead compartment (yes), and came back with a ticket agent to give me a refund. That was in 2000, and I was left speechless.In my opinion, airlines should be able to accept a certain number of celli/guitars/etc onboard, with a previous reservation.

UK jet has cello-friendly policy but not US

EasyJet now has that policy after UK musicians made a stink. Unfortunately, they do not fly to the USA. The good part for EasyJet is that they will corner the market on musicians’ travel! Why don’t airlines in the USA want to jump on the bandwagon? Why are they ready to put up thousands of dollars to support an orchestra, but not ready to help those same musicians travel? How can an airline "proudly" offer our music on board, while making our lives so difficult? Do they support culture or are they just interested in the tax write-offs? Perhaps there would be a way for airlines to make a tax write-off for allowing instruments to be carried in the overhead bins?

A musical instrument is a work of art, part of our cultural heritage, and will continue being played by other musicians if they manage to be protected and to last. Whose job is that protection? Do we trust Musician X to care for this rare Y violin? What happens if Musician X does not care for that violin? Whose loss is it? I would say it is the loss of humankind, future violinists to come. Private vs. public property…instruments fall into private property, however, they are really public heritage. Airlines, by helping (sometimes poor) musicians to protect that heritage, make a very important contribution to culture. Musicians travel extensively for their work, and need an airline that understands and respects their needs. There are even "pet airlines" charging reasonable fares to transport pets…but there are no such musician-friendly options. If airlines cannot guarantee that our instruments will be treated with the utmost respect and care in their holds, and if they are unwilling to pay for a damaged or lost instrument, isn’t it their job to find the solution (besides charging us for another ticket!)? Many cellists have been comfortable with gate-check, and now, in many cases, it is not an option. How is it possible that a company make MORE money due to their incompetence? It’s really insane, if you think about it. I’ve tried to get creative with travel, thinking that if I travel with 3 other travellers, and they "give me" their overhead compartment space, doesn’t that make enough space for a cello? Evidentally not, because that overhead space ("you may only bring a bag of x dimensions") is not actually yours. You are not guaranteed an overhead compartment space on any flight. So…why make these specific dimensions, which seem to be imposed so that everyone will have space? I have seen carry-on baggage exceptions made for someone traveling with 3 rollerboards and not for someone with a fragile item that cannot be well taken care of by the airline’s own baggage handlers…We are, unfortunately, a minority in the music world, which is why we are being persecuted. If all musicians were equally affected, or if unaffected musicians would feel as indignant as we cellists feel about our own plight, perhaps we would see some change.

http://greg.chiaraquartet.net/another-199/

David Gage case: Takes 8 weeks to make, costs $2000

Gage Case for Cello

Product Info

Click to enlarge $2,000.00

Le Gage Flight Case pour le contrabasse c'est magnifique!! Francois Rabbath Bassist View All Reviews

Whether in flight, in the luggage compartment, in the back of a truck, or riding the rails, you can be sure that your instrument is completely protected. Click to enlarge the last image to the right for weights and dimensions. Though you may purchase your Gage Case online, shipping costs are not included; we will bill you for them separately. To avoid this, we strongly recommend ordering by email to info@davidgage.com. All Gage Cases are manufactured to order, so please allow 8 weeks for order processing and delivery. Please indicate the size and, if applicable, the date by which you'll need it.

Made of durable Kevlar and fiberglass.

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Neoprene gasket lining seated in top lip retaining trough to seal out moisture.

All latches and handles recessed to guard against damage.

Spring loaded, rubber grip, strategically placed handles that recoil below the surface of the trunk.

Interior fitted with unique air bag and suspension system. Each bag has two connected chambers that conform to the instrument's shape.

Tough rubber sling that cradles the scroll and absorbs vibration and impact.

Humidifier in all trunks; necessary when traveling in high altitudes and through different climates.

Cases designed to have padded cover over instrument while in the case, affording extra humidity and temperature protection.

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