Re: carry ons & gear AND a letter to help get things into the cabin

["loop.pool" <looppool@cruzio.com>]

Travis said:
"That letter only gets you past the security folks in the terminal (no
mean feat!), the cabin crew on the plane is the final arbiter of what
goes inside the plane.
> >>>I have a PDF of a letter from the US Dept. of Transportation from Jan 
> >>>17,
> 2003 that you may do well to carry with you. Basically the letter states
> that in additon to one bag and one carry-on, people can take into the 
> cabin
> one instrument.>>>>>>

What I've found (and I take extra gear onboard on every flight I ever take)
is that if you get there early and ask to speak with the cabin crew and 
explain
that you are a musician and have discovered that they won't insure your 
very
valuable instrument that people are almost always freindly and helpful.

Oddly enough, but I've found that if you chat up anyone at the airport and 
tell them
what you are doing that they will bend over backwards to accomodate you.

I can't tell you the number of times that check in clerks have waived 
excess 
baggage fees
for me out of the kindness of their hearts.

I can't stress enough though:   GET THERE EARLY!!!   If you are late you 
are 
screwed.

That being said and done,  you can't count on it ever and the airlines 
have 
gotten exceedingly
more uptight since 9/11.