Carry On or Ship It

Scott Brazier

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Will the airlines allow us to carry on our cue cases? I would hate to let it go through with the other luggage.

Thanks
 
Nope...gotta check it. Best to get a large duffel bag, put your case in that and surround with the rest of your clothes/items. Done it that way for over 10 years both domestic and international and never had an issue. Even had the airlines tell me at ticketing/check in that I could now carry on, only to have TSA stop me and make be go back and check it. You can't even get them to check it at boarding.
 
Thanks for the info. I think I'll overnight it to the hotel and then ship it back to myself.



Nope...gotta check it. Best to get a large duffel bag, put your case in that and surround with the rest of your clothes/items. Done it that way for over 10 years both domestic and international and never had an issue. Even had the airlines tell me at ticketing/check in that I could now carry on, only to have TSA stop me and make be go back and check it. You can't even get them to check it at boarding.
 
I always check it.
Have been doing it for years without an incident.
I like the idea that once it's been checked I don't have to think about it.
No way I'm gonna carry this stuff or ship it.
 
I checked my case once going to Vegas for nationals and my shafts and butt's were in the wrong places and some upside down. I was very upset.


I always check it.
Have been doing it for years without an incident.
I like the idea that once it's been checked I don't have to think about it.
No way I'm gonna carry this stuff or ship it.
 
I would hate the thought of someone going through my cues like that...
When I fly, I make sure to wrap a bunch of packing tape around the top of my case and sign it with a big black marker (I use my cheap vinyl case, wouldn't do that with my pricey leather case). If you make them feel like it's too much work to open it, they'll generally leave it alone.
 
Id ship it.

I lost a cue (IN MY SUITCASE). Somebody swiped it. Direct flight. Fought with the airline for a year. Lets just say I got about 25% of value.

Can you say Xray technician?
 
I checked my case once going to Vegas for nationals and my shafts and butt's were in the wrong places and some upside down. I was very upset.

I've had something like that happen to my stuff too.
No big deal.
Long as they don't crack or ding my cues I could care less if they have to look at them and that's never happened.
Just a quick peek then put it back where it was.
I'm happy to know they're taking security so seriously that they'd even bother.
 
Check it?

I always check it.
Have been doing it for years without an incident.
I like the idea that once it's been checked I don't have to think about it.
No way I'm gonna carry this stuff or ship it.

I've only flown about a dozen times in my life, but the airlines lost my check in luggage on five occasions. I eventually got it, - once as much as a week later.

I say insure it and ship it USPS.
 
I've had something like that happen to my stuff too.
No big deal.
Long as they don't crack or ding my cues I could care less if they have to look at them and that's never happened.
Just a quick peek then put it back where it was.
I'm happy to know they're taking security so seriously that they'd even bother.

The problem happens when an inspector says "this is a security risk. I'd better remove it and take it to a pawn shop."
 
Any time you are not holding your cues, you're taking a risk. It doesn't matter if it's in your suitcase, you check your cue case or you ship your cues separately. The risk will always be there which is why every pool player on Earth would prefer to transport their cues via carry-on.

That said, in New York, there's about 50 of us that go to Las Vegas every year. Obviously, we all fly. In the 15 years we've been going with such large numbers, I can only name one instance where someone's cues were stolen. That's 1500 flights to and fro. That single instance, the person was flying stand-by. His luggage arrived hours before he did and someone stole his suitcase.

I'm sure if all of us shipped our cues, we'd see problems there too. The thing is, very few of us do so we simply don't have the same amount of information. The thing is, this is azbilliards and there are hundreds of active users every single day. If you're looking for a bad story, you'll find it here. In the end, there's a strong likelihood you can put your cues in your suitcase and arrive at the US Open without a scratch on them. Just wrap the tips in plastic wrap and place the cues in the middle of your clothing.
 
Any time you are not holding your cues, you're taking a risk. It doesn't matter if it's in your suitcase, you check your cue case or you ship your cues separately. The risk will always be there which is why every pool player on Earth would prefer to transport their cues via carry-on.

That said, in New York, there's about 50 of us that go to Las Vegas every year. Obviously, we all fly. In the 15 years we've been going with such large numbers, I can only name one instance where someone's cues were stolen. That's 1500 flights to and fro. That single instance, the person was flying stand-by. His luggage arrived hours before he did and someone stole his suitcase.

I'm sure if all of us shipped our cues, we'd see problems there too. The thing is, very few of us do so we simply don't have the same amount of information. The thing is, this is azbilliards and there are hundreds of active users every single day. If you're looking for a bad story, you'll find it here. In the end, there's a strong likelihood you can put your cues in your suitcase and arrive at the US Open without a scratch on them. Just wrap the tips in plastic wrap and place the cues in the middle of your clothing.

I agree. I've flown at least 50 times (internationally and domestic) checking my cue (inside a larger bag) and have had zero problems. I'm flying next month and will be checking my set up (valued at almost $3k)...you can always find a bad experience on here, and nobody wants to be "that guy"; but it's a very rare case. In fact, more folks lose or damage their cues shipping them then flying with them.
 
I fly all the time with cues.

I recommend getting a 36 inch rolling duffel luggage. This is what I have http://www.lordandtaylor.com/webapp...nd-taylor/ch-97-20-explorer-36-wheeled-duffel

Before you think about just shipping your cues, let me tell you a story. In 2007 I flew to Atlanta to play an event. I shipped my cue there via Fed Ex. I get there and the cue isnt there. I start freaking out. I say to the person working what do you mean you have no idea where my cue is (he just said that). I told him....I have insurance for like 5k with you guys, and you dont know where it is in your system? His response was "oh you know thats not really insurance...right? Turns out to collect on that insurance you had to have shipped in an approved container and have appraisal for collectibles. Maybe its changed since then, but when I last looked into it, it was true, i had bought worthless insurance that I was unlikely to ever be able to collect on. They eventually found my cues 2 days later. I borrowed a cue from a friend to play the event.

Here is my other thinking on flying with cues. Your highest risk of theft is one of convenience. The baggage guys have an opportunity alone with your stuff and they quickly open the case up, slip the cue and maybe shafts out and down the pant leg they go with them quickly putting the rest of the stuff back. If you take your cuecase and wrap it in bubble wrap and then buy yourself a roll of shrink wrap...those rolls last a long time. You can wrap a hundred cues with one roll or maybe much more. Ive had one roll for years now and it still has alot of life. So i wrap the cue up and it looks like an eqyptian mummy when im done. Very difficult to unwrap and to steal my cues, they would have to take the entire thing which is awkwardly bulky. Wrapped up, the cue case barely fits into the luggage. It takes some maneuvering to get it in and out of my luggage, particularly when the luggage is already stuffed with clothes, the shrink wrap roll and I usually even bring my own pillow too which sits on top, clothes at the bottom, cue case in the middle.
 
I fly all the time with cues.

I recommend getting a 36 inch rolling duffel luggage. This is what I have http://www.lordandtaylor.com/webapp...nd-taylor/ch-97-20-explorer-36-wheeled-duffel

Before you think about just shipping your cues, let me tell you a story. In 2007 I flew to Atlanta to play an event. I shipped my cue there via Fed Ex. I get there and the cue isnt there. I start freaking out. I say to the person working what do you mean you have no idea where my cue is (he just said that). I told him....I have insurance for like 5k with you guys, and you dont know where it is in your system? His response was "oh you know thats not really insurance...right? Turns out to collect on that insurance you had to have shipped in an approved container and have appraisal for collectibles. Maybe its changed since then, but when I last looked into it, it was true, i had bought worthless insurance that I was unlikely to ever be able to collect on. They eventually found my cues 2 days later. I borrowed a cue from a friend to play the event.

Here is my other thinking on flying with cues. Your highest risk of theft is one of convenience. The baggage guys have an opportunity alone with your stuff and they quickly open the case up, slip the cue and maybe shafts out and down the pant leg they go with them quickly putting the rest of the stuff back. If you take your cuecase and wrap it in bubble wrap and then buy yourself a roll of shrink wrap...those rolls last a long time. You can wrap a hundred cues with one roll or maybe much more. Ive had one roll for years now and it still has alot of life. So i wrap the cue up and it looks like an eqyptian mummy when im done. Very difficult to unwrap and to steal my cues, they would have to take the entire thing which is awkwardly bulky. Wrapped up, the cue case barely fits into the luggage. It takes some maneuvering to get it in and out of my luggage, particularly when the luggage is already stuffed with clothes, the shrink wrap roll and I usually even bring my own pillow too which sits on top, clothes at the bottom, cue case in the middle.

You make an excellent point about shipping. I've had plenty of packages arrive later than they should. If I ship my cues to Las Vegas and they arrive 3 or 4 days late, what difference does it make? I vote for fewer variables. Or as Mark Twain once said, "Put all your eggs in one basket AND WATCH THAT BASKET!"
 
I have the same type from Victorinox, and its one of the few cases for that length which doesn't go over 62" inches overall. It's a great case for traveling with cues.

In the past airlines weren't strict on over-sized luggages, unless it was blatantly obvious. These days with the pressure to squeeze out more revenue, more airlines are looking for excuses to slap on an oversized luggage fee.

I fly all the time with cues.

I recommend getting a 36 inch rolling duffel luggage. This is what I have http://www.lordandtaylor.com/webapp...nd-taylor/ch-97-20-explorer-36-wheeled-duffel

Before you think about just shipping your cues, let me tell you a story. In 2007 I flew to Atlanta to play an event. I shipped my cue there via Fed Ex. I get there and the cue isnt there. I start freaking out. I say to the person working what do you mean you have no idea where my cue is (he just said that). I told him....I have insurance for like 5k with you guys, and you dont know where it is in your system? His response was "oh you know thats not really insurance...right? Turns out to collect on that insurance you had to have shipped in an approved container and have appraisal for collectibles. Maybe its changed since then, but when I last looked into it, it was true, i had bought worthless insurance that I was unlikely to ever be able to collect on. They eventually found my cues 2 days later. I borrowed a cue from a friend to play the event.

Here is my other thinking on flying with cues. Your highest risk of theft is one of convenience. The baggage guys have an opportunity alone with your stuff and they quickly open the case up, slip the cue and maybe shafts out and down the pant leg they go with them quickly putting the rest of the stuff back. If you take your cuecase and wrap it in bubble wrap and then buy yourself a roll of shrink wrap...those rolls last a long time. You can wrap a hundred cues with one roll or maybe much more. Ive had one roll for years now and it still has alot of life. So i wrap the cue up and it looks like an eqyptian mummy when im done. Very difficult to unwrap and to steal my cues, they would have to take the entire thing which is awkwardly bulky. Wrapped up, the cue case barely fits into the luggage. It takes some maneuvering to get it in and out of my luggage, particularly when the luggage is already stuffed with clothes, the shrink wrap roll and I usually even bring my own pillow too which sits on top, clothes at the bottom, cue case in the middle.
 
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I just got a book called "The 4 hour chef", that is about learning things. Anyway, just flipping through it, it had a couple of paragraphs on flying with high end items, particularly 1000's of dollars worth of camera gear, where you do NOT want to lose it, insurance or not. I liken that to our cues.

The tip was: purchase a flare gun. Put it in your luggage. Declare that you are checking in a weapon. (The flare gun counts as a weapon). This declaration means that the luggage receives special care during its travel, and is closely monitored at all stages of movement.
 
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