How to Pack a Cello for Airplane Flights

Going on a trip? Taking your precious cello with as "luggage"? This can be very unnerving for many musicians, as the airplane hold is not particularly kind to delicate instruments, but pack well and you should be able to reduce much of the risk of harm to your cello.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• hard cello case
• towels or old rags
• cello

1. Tune your cello down one full pitch. The pressure changes in the cargo hold of the plane, and if you don't do this your strings may snap. Do not, however, loosen the strings so much that the bridge is liable to move.

2. Go look up the details of your flight online. Is it a long international flight or a local flight? Large planes for international flights usually have temperature-regulated holds, so you don't have to worry as much about drastic temperature changes. If it is a short local flight, however, pay attention to steps three through five.

3. Pad the bottom of your cello case with some towels or old cloth.

4. Put the cello in as usual, making sure that the towels do not disrupt how it fits into the case.

5. Cover the top of the cello with towels/cloth as well, tucking it in. Treat it gently, like a newborn child. This is not, as most people think, for shock-absorbing purposes, because most good cases do that already. It is to insulate your cello from drastic changes in temperature, which can cause the wood to crack.

6. Close the case and click the latches shut. Important: If your latches are lockable (they come with a little key), DO NOT LOCK IT. Airplane officials will sometimes open the case to check what's inside, and if your case is locked down they will not hesitate to pry it open with force and DAMAGE YOUR CASE AND/OR INSTRUMENT in the process.

7. If your cello case is the type with removable backpack straps on the outside, take them off and pack them separately in your luggage. Those often fall off or get lost due to rough handling during transport.

8. (Optional) Plaster your case all over with large, glaring "FRAGILE" stickers. Maybe a "THIS SIDE UP" sticker to indicate which is the front and which is the back. There is no foolproof way to ensure that the handlers will not bang your cello around while transporting it, but the stickers should help, at least a little.

Tips & Warnings

• A good way to check whether the hold is temperature-regulated is to look up the plane's policies on pets. If pets are allowed into the hold, you can bet it's not only temperature-regulated but also pressurized!
• A hard flight case is preferable, but a normal hard case can usually survive the trip. Good companies to look into are BAM!, David Gage, Kolstein, and Valises Aluminum Rouillard.
• If you're really concerned about insulation, consider getting a flight cover, which goes over a normal case.
• If you usually put small items in your case with your cello, such as rosin or a tuner, take them out and pack them in your luggage. You don't want them rolling loose during the flight and denting your cello.
• Do not, under any circumstances, attempt to take a cello onto a plane in a soft case. That is suicide.
• These precautions can greatly reduce the possibility of harm to your cello, but are by no means foolproof. The only 100% certain way of getting your cello through the trip unharmed is to suck it up and buy an extra ticket for it.

Resources

• Internet Cello Society

[elmechino]

on 10/10/2009 yes.

[survivoryea]

on 9/4/2009 Very good info on packing a cello for a flight! 5*

[goodselfme]

on 9/4/2009 Tx for the tips on packing a cello for a flight 5*