Suggestions on what case to use on airplanes

I travel a lot and I use an instroke 2x4. I put it in a porper travel bag and pad the instroke with my jeans / towels etc. Has worked pretty good for me so far. Prior to me having an instroke I used a giuseppe with the same formula and it worked well too.

Deacon has some Hager Cases for sale that I imagine would work great on plane flights. However, they look like cuecases so anyone in the know might try to snag it on the conveyor belt. If you get one of those make sure you get out of the plane quick and you eye the conveyor belt at all times. Same thing with the Haliburton and Predator Layani cases. The Porper Travel case on the other hand, doesn't look like a cue case.

Or you could get a 3-piece cue made...I am getting one from Sheldon Lebow.
 
This is going to sound strange, but I worked for TSA for 18 months and the safest and least expensive way is to make your own. You use PVC pipe. Glue one end on and a threaded cap on the other. You can write your address on with a perm. marker. You can make it wide enough to fit your case or use a smaller diameter and bubble wrap your cues. I saw this used a lot with cues and expensive fly rods (orvis, etc). Any case is going to get trashed by the baggage systems and airline personal. I did a google search and found something like i'm talking about, but I do not think the bolt and decals are necessary, but you get the general idea.

http://www.mexfish.com/sjdc/sjdc2004/sjdc040614a/plozizka.jpg

Might not be pretty , but it looks better than a damaged cue or scuffed up case. and yes cue cases will get stolen as it is obvious what they are, not so with the pvc.
 
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Best idea I read here was to place your cues in a padded and locked rifle case, tell the airline you are a competitive rifle shooter. Firearms get very special treatment with minimal risk of theft.
 
pwd72s said:
Best idea I read here was to place your cues in a padded and locked rifle case, tell the airline you are a competitive rifle shooter. Firearms get very special treatment with minimal risk of theft.
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They will request to inspect the firearm during the check in process. At least they have every time I've traveled on hunting trips. What I do is use one of those big wheeled rolling duffle bags with a bottom compartment. The bottom compartment has some tie down straps in it. I wrap my Swift 2x4 case in a robe and tie it down with the straps in the bottom compartment then cover it with some clothes or shoes etc. I have yet to see evidence of that bottom compartment ever being searched. Always the top one.
 
Mail it. ;o)

A lot of travel experts say, mail you luggage to the hotel, 3 day air. You can insure it with the mailing company. Plus you don't have to show, wait at check-in or wait on your luggage at the airport, once you arrive.

Also you don't have to wait at the airport or airline "lost luggage." :eek:

I know, this is not the answer you were looking for, but it is another option.

Buggs.
 
I have 2 methods whic have worked pretty well for me:
1- I have a Longoni hard case which I wrap with towels and it fits in my LL bean rolling duffel bag which I check

2- Longoni case wrapped in towels in a Porper travel case. This also has to be checked.

I travel quite a bit and have had no problems either way.
 
Bingo!

Randy9Ball said:
They will request to inspect the firearm during the check in process. At least they have every time I've traveled on hunting trips. What I do is use one of those big wheeled rolling duffle bags with a bottom compartment. The bottom compartment has some tie down straps in it. I wrap my Swift 2x4 case in a robe and tie it down with the straps in the bottom compartment then cover it with some clothes or shoes etc. I have yet to see evidence of that bottom compartment ever being searched. Always the top one.
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This is exactly the thing to do. You don't need one of those Porper travel cases. Your regular hard case inside the wheeled duffle works fine, making sure to pad it as per Randy9Ball.

*** KEEP A RECEIPT from when you buy your cue. If its from a custom cuemaker get them to fudge it upward. When the airlines loses your baggage (just like United did with my old Robinson in it) they will reimburse you but will prorate the value.
 
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I do not like the theft risk. I simply ship them where I'm going USPS Express mail (next day service).
It may be a bit more hassle, however I've never lost a cue :)
 
Borrow or buy a hard case golf travel bag, bubble rap your case (with cue inside it). these come with locks. you wont get anymarks or dings on your cue or case.
 
If its a higher end cue, ship it. Almost all hotels have shipping service. Lower end, many of the other recommendation may be appropriate, depending on how much you love your cue.
 
golf club hards shell case...

I agree with the hard shell golf case... have used it for team travel, with no issues... just make sure to use an ATA approved lock on the case that way only personnel who are supposed to access the case can get inside...

GP

bob b. said:
Borrow or buy a hard case golf travel bag, bubble rap your case (with cue inside it). these come with locks. you wont get anymarks or dings on your cue or case.
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Well all are good ideas, I am traveling a couple hundred days a year and I take my cue everywhere. If you buy an Easton baseball bat bag your cue case will fit in the "bat" compartment and you can put clothes in the upper part and only take one bag which is really nice. the bag is only about $35-$40 at Big 5 sports where I bought mine and it is very durable black canvas.........
 
Randy9Ball said:
They will request to inspect the firearm during the check in process. At least they have every time I've traveled on hunting trips. What I do is use one of those big wheeled rolling duffle bags with a bottom compartment. The bottom compartment has some tie down straps in it. I wrap my Swift 2x4 case in a robe and tie it down with the straps in the bottom compartment then cover it with some clothes or shoes etc. I have yet to see evidence of that bottom compartment ever being searched. Always the top one.
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Thats because firearms don't go through the x-ray machine (you can't see) built into the baggage system when you declare them. You can just take the bag to the TSA oversize station (like it was golf clubs) after you get it tagged by the airlines. they will inspect it on the spot and it goes down to the apron by passing the in-line xray. If its locked you are wise to wait until the tso completes the inspection. Also they only put one TSA love note in each bag, not each compartment , your bottom campartment is at least being swabbed, they use a 40-40-20 protocol on oversized bags.
 
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eagle creek

i bought a large eagle creek duffle that's a little longer than a standard cue case... that way you can use any 1x2 case that you have and just wrap your clothes around it .. i never check in a case on its own ...

here's the link
http://www.eaglecreek.com/bags_luggage/duffels/ORV-Super-Trunk-36-20210/

travelled across the states, singapore and china this way.. no problem whatsoever...

good luck,
kam
 
I was gone about 320 days last year, have not been home this year, I always use a hard suitcase for clothes & cue "hard cue case of course". Then a small duffle for shoes & bath, or anything else that could damage cue or case. Its big but with wheels no problem. I'm always buying cues so there is plenty of room for more. Hope that might help
 
I would like to thank all the participants in this thread. It was really very helpful and believe me, i couldn't have ever imagine how huge is the problem carrying a cue in an airplane. A rep to all of you as a bonus :)
 
MY only advice is place the cue in the middle of your suitecase or duffle bag that way your clothes work like an insulator for varing tempeture's. Some airlines dont heat or pressurize the luggage compartment's unless thier is live stock ie. cats and dogs traveling on the airplane....

I do the same with my case when I put it in the trunk some cars have heaters in the trunk or bad insulation from the muffler heat..

My friend left the heater on in the trunk and after 2-3 hr drive he pulled the cue and case out it felt about 100+deg.

Craig
 
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