Baltimore Recorders.org
About Traveling with Musical Instruments
Whether you are going on vacation, or traveling to a musical workshop or performance there are always a multitude of preparations to be made. Some that may escape your notice are the preparations for safely transporting your musical instrument. The following paragraphs give a brief introduction to the subject.
During transit your instrument may be exposed to various hazards including
- Extremes of temperature
- Wet conditions
- Excessive force
- Thieves
- Government regulations
Safe transport begins in a sturdy case. Ideally the instrument should be transported in 'hard' case, as opposed to a soft bag or roll. Fiberglass and carbonfibre cases are desired for their weight to strength ratio. The hard shell helps protect the instrument from damage that would be caused by physical impact. It also helps shield it from the weather. The case does not necessarily have to have an air tight seal. However, having a good seal protects the instrument if you are taking it in inclimate weather for a short period of time. Some cases have built in hygrometers and humidifiers. Given the changes in humidity that typically take place during travel, having a humidifier is very important. Stringed instruments may benefit from having the strings slightly loosened, as this reduces the risk of damage from increases in the tension of the strings on account of changes in temperature or humidity.
Do not leave the instrument in a car. Cars get very hot, even in mild weather, as they act as a small greenhouse. They are also very cold in the winter. Lastly, an instrument left in a car is a target for theft.
Traveling on airplanes:
Prior to purchasing your tickets, write to the airline and inform them that you wish to travel with your instrument. Obtain written confirmation that you will be allowed to carry the instrument on the plane and not have it placed in the hold. They will need to consider the specific aircraft that will be used, as well as the specific dimensions and weight of your instrument. (In the USA, section 403 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 requires that airlines let you carry a small instrument on board, but the law has many restrictions. Thus, written confirmation is desirable.) Note that the instrument will likely count as your carry on bag. Thus, be prepared to check your other luggage. Ideally, you want to keep the instrument below the seat in front of you, as the overhead compartments are not as well climate controlled. For larger instruments this is not possible. They may have to be placed in the overhead luggage racks. These racks can fill up, and there is no preference for musical instruments. In such a scenario, the flight crew may place your instrument in the cargo hold. Thus you may want to purchase a pre-boarding option, so that you are one of the first passengers on the plane, and thus there will be room in the racks. Another alternative is to purchase a seat for the instrument. This is known in the industry as seat baggage, or cargo in the cabin. The other possibilities are not nearly as safe. The first is to bring the instrument on board, and then have the cabin crew put it in the cargo hold. They will then retrieve it for your when the plane lands. The second and most dangerous is to have the instrument put in checked baggage. There are innumerable horror stories regarding this. Even the most durable cases have not held up to the destructive forces of ground crews. Even if you do not intend to check the instrument case, it should have a tag with your name address and phone number on the inside and outside of the case. It should also be marked as fragile. If you are having the instrument placed in checked baggage, try to obtain a nonstop flight. If none are available try to obtain a direct flight (one that makes stops, but you never have to leave the plane). These minimize the hazards of ground crews, and the possibility that your instrument will not make the connecting flights. One last point regarding travel on airplanes (or ships for that matter). When you are on a plane, the captain has ultimate authority. For all intents and purposes, he is the law. If the captain does not honor the airline's promise to let you carry your instrument on board, you have few options. You can request to be allowed to leave the plane. Even that may not be possible.
I mentioned that government regulations could result in the destruction of your instrument. This is most likely to happen on account of CITES, which stands for the Convention of International Trade of Endangered Species. This convention regulates the import and export of various materials that are used in some musical instruments. The five regulated materials that are most commonly found in musical instruments are ivory, rosewood, pernambuco, mother of pearl, and sea turtle shell (tortoiseshell). Under the convention authorities can seize your instrument. In extreme cases it can even be destroyed on the spot. Under ideal circumstances you would obtain a travel permit or import and export papers for your instruments for each country that you visit. Hopefully, you will not need the permits, but having them does afford some piece of mind. The EU states that you can bring such items for personal use without any paperwork. In the USA you can obtain a multi use or single use CITES permit from the Fish and Wildlife Service. However, your instrument will have to leave and enter the country from specific ports. Further, the USA issued CITES permit, may not fully cover all of the regulations in other countries. Short of having official paperwork, you want to have a receipt of when you purchased the instrument. If the receipt does not contain documentation of the materials used in your instrument, you should try to obtain that information from the manufacturer of your instrument. The purpose of the documentation is to show that the materials used in the instrument were not obtained illegally, or were obtained prior to the laws going into effect. My advice is to avoid traveling with instruments that contain such materials, and to bring documentation for your instruments to show that they do not have any such materials. (Fortunately, since first writing this document, the CITES regulations have changed. The restrictions on rosewood which is not Brazilian rosewood, have been lifted on musical instruments. However, as you can imagine, it is still very easy to run afoul of the regulations. It may not be easy to prove that your instrument is made of non-Brazilian rosewood.)
In the USA damage to an instrument by an airline is capped at $3,500. Some airlines have clauses that further limit their liability. Thus, you may wish to purchase insurance for your instrument. This can reimburse you for its value in the event that it is damaged or stolen.
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