Heading to Seattle soon, wanna bring a few cues with me, 3-4 in a hard 4x4 case. What is the best way to plan for this, i've never flown with them before? Any advice/experiences in this, that may assist me? Please help! Thanx! 
Air Travel with Cues..Help!?
- Thread starter PickPocket
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Heading to Seattle soon, wanna bring a few cues with me, 3-4 in a hard 4x4 case. What is the best way to plan for this, i've never flown with them before? Any advice/experiences in this, that may assist me? Please help! Thanx!
Fed ex them to yourself.
My last few trips I have used this - http://www.rei.com/product/747916/rei-wheely-beast-rolling-duffel-35 - I just throw my 3x6 Justis inside and throw my clothes on top and check it in. There are other makers that aren't so pricey (this one was a gift).
Check em
Just check them as regular luggage in large suitcase. Probably cheaper than shipping to yourself. Might consider insuring that piece if possible.
Heading to Seattle soon, wanna bring a few cues with me, 3-4 in a hard 4x4 case. What is the best way to plan for this, i've never flown with them before? Any advice/experiences in this, that may assist me? Please help! Thanx!
Just check them as regular luggage in large suitcase. Probably cheaper than shipping to yourself. Might consider insuring that piece if possible.
Coleman
Coleman makes a wheeled duffle bag that is 36 inches long. It was the perfect length for my Murnak case. Very good quality and a good price at about $65.00 from Overstock.com. Big enough to carry all of mine and my wifes clothes and 2 body pillows.
Coleman makes a wheeled duffle bag that is 36 inches long. It was the perfect length for my Murnak case. Very good quality and a good price at about $65.00 from Overstock.com. Big enough to carry all of mine and my wifes clothes and 2 body pillows.
Heading to Seattle soon, wanna bring a few cues with me, 3-4 in a hard 4x4 case. What is the best way to plan for this, i've never flown with them before? Any advice/experiences in this, that may assist me? Please help! Thanx!
To my understanding and travel experience,you can check them,but cant take them as a carry on. If you do check them I strongly suggest you insure them .FedEx is the other alternative,but again make sure that you insure them .
ever since I saw the check-in folks push a couple of stuck bags thru the carousel window...with karate, I would prefer to pay a bit extra for mail service.
Cant.. Against TSA regulations..
I second this, baggage workers don't care whats in the bags.
How much does this option cost? Is there some underlying assumption here that fedex doesn't throw packages around like an airline?? Maybe this is all just common knowledge i'm not aware of.
Last time I went I jammed my cues into a hard shelled checked bag, and carried my empty cue case on the plane. It worked, and there were no fees, but I only have middle of the line cues.
I think my new "solution" will be to buy a hard shelled bag large enough to fit my entire pool case into, and then check that.
Send your case AND cues via USPS or Fedex and travel with only a carry-on.
If you are staying at a hotel, get a delivery conformation/tracking number and have a signature required (at the hotel). Call the hotel ahead of time and let the front desk know a package is coming for you. Send the package out early enough before your flight so that it arrives the day you check into the hotel.
A fully loaded 2x4 case, USPS Priority Mail (2-3 days) from NY to Las Vegas, including delivery conformation, set me back about $30-$40 roundtrip ($15+ each way, and this was only a couple of years ago).
You can insure the package for what you think it's worth. With the airlines you have to prove what was in the suitcase.
It's going to get there and require a signature (unlike the airlines where if it's lost, the only recourse you have is to hope it shows up). IF the package disappears at the hotel, you've got proof that it arrived, and have a recourse for reimbursment. Ever try to get an airline to pay for a missing bag ?
Even if it costs a few more bucks, throw some of your clothes in the box with your case. That's fewer clothes you have to take in your carry-on.
Check into the difference between what shipping it ahead will cost against checking it at the airport. You CAN purchase insurance for your luggage, but that starts at about $50 per bag. The flip side is that $50 is one heck of a motivator for the airlines to get your suitcase to where it's going.
But if you travel with only a carry-on (and no checked baggage), your options open up a lot more. You can take an earlier connection if it's available, or get voluntarily bumped (because now the airline doesn't have to worry about your luggage getting there on a different plane. You HAVE no luggage !!).
And having only a carry-on will make negotiating around the airport a lot easier once you reach your destination.
If you are staying at a hotel, get a delivery conformation/tracking number and have a signature required (at the hotel). Call the hotel ahead of time and let the front desk know a package is coming for you. Send the package out early enough before your flight so that it arrives the day you check into the hotel.
A fully loaded 2x4 case, USPS Priority Mail (2-3 days) from NY to Las Vegas, including delivery conformation, set me back about $30-$40 roundtrip ($15+ each way, and this was only a couple of years ago).
You can insure the package for what you think it's worth. With the airlines you have to prove what was in the suitcase.
It's going to get there and require a signature (unlike the airlines where if it's lost, the only recourse you have is to hope it shows up). IF the package disappears at the hotel, you've got proof that it arrived, and have a recourse for reimbursment. Ever try to get an airline to pay for a missing bag ?
Even if it costs a few more bucks, throw some of your clothes in the box with your case. That's fewer clothes you have to take in your carry-on.
Check into the difference between what shipping it ahead will cost against checking it at the airport. You CAN purchase insurance for your luggage, but that starts at about $50 per bag. The flip side is that $50 is one heck of a motivator for the airlines to get your suitcase to where it's going.
But if you travel with only a carry-on (and no checked baggage), your options open up a lot more. You can take an earlier connection if it's available, or get voluntarily bumped (because now the airline doesn't have to worry about your luggage getting there on a different plane. You HAVE no luggage !!).
And having only a carry-on will make negotiating around the airport a lot easier once you reach your destination.
Really? Didn't know that. I carried on two big musical instruments without a problem last February. But probably rules are different with musical instruments.
I usually pack my cues in my suitcase with my clothes and do this but on my last flight the security agent would not allow me to bring my empty cue case on board. I have been carrying my cues around in a predator sleeve that was given to me by another local player.
If you ship fedex/ups/usps make sure you clearly understand the rules on insurance. There are threads on AZ about this, how they will sell you insurance but not payoff because you didnt ship in an approved manner. Search for more specifics on this.
I use to think Fedex was the way to go until Fedex lost my Szamboti for 3 days in Atlanta. They were very unhelpful although they did eventually find the cue. The cherry on top of this event was when I said to the very indifferent Fedex guy at the counter "What do you mean...that package is insured (I think i had it insured for 7k)...dont you track stuff that is insured like that?" His response: "Oh thats not really insurance yknow?" Me: "Hunh? Im talking to the wrong guy...I want to speak to your manager". My buddy was with me and his jaw fell open too at the complete attitude like, what do i care, im not paying for that!
Anyways, after that episode I decided the Gus was taking a break for while from airtravel. Instead I got a cue that i can live with the possibility of never seeing it again (scruggs titlist). Ive used the 36" wheeled duffel like cowboy395 mentioned. Mine is a swissarmy one and I recommend it. I also suggest that you wrap the case in bubble wrap and then shrink wrap that puppy up like your mummifying it. The shrink wrap makes it so that if the luggage guys are looking to rip you off, they have to take the whole shebang and not just slip your case open and make off with a cue down their pants. They have cameras alot back in the luggage handling area and trying to make off with a mummified case is a little more of a mission.
Here is what my case looked like last time I travelled.
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I use to think Fedex was the way to go until Fedex lost my Szamboti for 3 days in Atlanta. They were very unhelpful although they did eventually find the cue. The cherry on top of this event was when I said to the very indifferent Fedex guy at the counter "What do you mean...that package is insured (I think i had it insured for 7k)...dont you track stuff that is insured like that?" His response: "Oh thats not really insurance yknow?" Me: "Hunh? Im talking to the wrong guy...I want to speak to your manager". My buddy was with me and his jaw fell open too at the complete attitude like, what do i care, im not paying for that!
Anyways, after that episode I decided the Gus was taking a break for while from airtravel. Instead I got a cue that i can live with the possibility of never seeing it again (scruggs titlist). Ive used the 36" wheeled duffel like cowboy395 mentioned. Mine is a swissarmy one and I recommend it. I also suggest that you wrap the case in bubble wrap and then shrink wrap that puppy up like your mummifying it. The shrink wrap makes it so that if the luggage guys are looking to rip you off, they have to take the whole shebang and not just slip your case open and make off with a cue down their pants. They have cameras alot back in the luggage handling area and trying to make off with a mummified case is a little more of a mission.
Here is what my case looked like last time I travelled.
Nice. Anyone wanting to know "what's in the case" if gonna have a heck of a time getting into that !!
But I believe that Miami is currently the only airport in the US that allows you to shrink wrap your luggage. But it would be great if all the airports allowed that.
I think that airlines should look into putting Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) chips on luggage. With those, I doubt a piece of luggage would ever get lost again.
This has been asked so many times. Why can't we make a this a sticky linking the best responses. As far as I know there have been exceptions made by an individual TSA, unwittingly or other wise overlooked, doesn't mean TSA have changed the policy.
I wanted to put forth that we should create a forum for frequently asked questions, that have been been previously answered.
I wanted to put forth that we should create a forum for frequently asked questions, that have been been previously answered.
