Stevenson cello case not safe, fitting a cello with soft case overhead

1. Even Stevenson case for cello not safe underneath the plane What would be a safe case tested and proved?:

I've been a loyal Delta Airlines traveler since 2008 when I moved to Boston. The sheer size of the airline makes Delta the easiest airline to travel. Unlike United, Delta has never forced me to check my cello at the gate - and then leave it on the tarmac - and they often upgraded both me and Cello Dougherty to first class on many flights. Until recently. In 2010, flying direct from ATL to BOS, I volunteered to put my cello underneath the plane to open a seat for a traveller flying on a standby ticket. I received a free flight and an upgrade in exchange. My cello was in a Stevenson flight case - kevlar AND carbon fiber - and I felt secure with the decision. Getting off the plane, I found the indestructable case destroyed and a large crack on the top of the cello. Delta paid for the repairs but not for the depreciation of the cello. 
http://www.justin-dougherty.com/blog/cello-on-board-traveling.html 




2. Does a cello fit in overhead compartment in international airplanes only if it is in a soft case?

Since then, Delta has removed Cello Dougherty from their SkyMiles program, often refused me the opportunity to board - claiming everything from a full flight (despite my holding two tickets) to seats that are too small to accomodate the poor cello - and never even offer Cello Dougherty a refreshing beverage if we both actually get on the plane! A cellist acquaintence of mine carries his cello on to the plane in a soft case, without buying a ticket, in hopes that it will fit in the overhead compartment. Even though I hate buying a ticket for my cello, I'll take the general security of the boarding pass over the uncertainty of the overhead bin size any day of the week!
This is not to say that Delta is the worst airline to travel with; they certainly aren't. But there are pros and cons to each airline. For example, US Airways will NOT allow a cellist to check their instrument with regular baggage, whether or not a liability waiver is signed. We found this out when my teacher, Rhonda Rider, was forced to purchase a seat AT THE COUNTER for her Luis & Clark carbon fiber cello for a trip to Arizona. United DOES offer frequent flier miles to cellos, but is generally incompetent with baggage handling if you choose to check. Continental used to be the easiest and best airline to deal with, at least as far as onboard customer service was concerned. I find that Southwest (with their cattle call boarding process) and JetBlue (with their general awesomeness) are at the top of the heap right now, of course, I haven't flown either airline enough to make a decision quite yet.

http://www.justin-dougherty.com/blog/cello-on-board-traveling.html 

3. Are there any four wheeled cello cases? If so, what are they, and would that help with the cello not cracking?

What kind of suitcases get damaged least? The most?
Cheap bags that you buy at the discount store break very easily. If your handle is sewn on or is very flimsy, it's probably going to break. If you travel a lot or pack heavy, make sure you buy a quality, durable bag. Hard-sided suitcases will get less damage, but also look for well-designed handles that are attached with rivets and some sort of protection around the wheels. Speaking of wheels, the best bags to get are the "spinners" with four wheels on the bottom. We like these because we don't have to throw them when loading. We just roll them down the belly of the plane so your bag and its contents will suffer much less damage. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/george-hobica/why-you-should-buy-a-four_b_1115011.htmlhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/george-hobica/why-you-should-buy-a-four_b_1115011.html

4. This law signed by president Obama seems to say that even cello can be carried on the baggage compartment in the aircraft cabin if it fits and there is space for it at the time. Does a hard cased cello usually fit in an airplane and are there usually space for it?

"An air carrier providing air transportation shall permit a passenger to carry a violin, guitar, or other musical instrument in the aircraft cabin, without charging the passenger a fee in addition to any standard fee that carrier may require for comparable carry-on baggage, if

(A) the instrument can be stowed safely in a suitable baggage compartment in the aircraft cabin or under a passenger seat, in accordance with the requirements for carriage of carry-on baggage or cargo established by the Administrator; and(B) there is space for such stowage at the time the passenger boards the aircraft." http://aristake.com/?post=87

I use the new bam flight case, and it protects my cello very well. just make sure to pack undershirts or something around the cello and try to get pieces of foam or something to put on either side of the bridge. When I take the cello out on the other side of the trip it's still in tune! You don't need a bam case for it to work, since it works with most shaped fiberglass or abs cases. I have never had a problem with instrument damage and I've flown with it on 14 flights so far. But they may charge you for oversize baggage, which sucks. So if an extra plane ticket is around $100, then I'd just get an extra seat because airlines have charged me $100 one way for oversize baggage before. But it is kinda hit and miss. 

However, it may be very hard to get one. It took me forever to find a shop that had one in stock. Apparently Bam makes cases in limited quantities and has set distribution dates for everyone, so if a shop runs out of flight cases, you're out of luck until the next distribution.