Too late for Spring Training but...

[xandandl]

Oh sure, now that auditions and winter camps are over, some p.r. person (not the PR in Rockford) decides that their airline will make nice and look like a good corporate citizen.

And because 99 per cent of Texas teenagers are band kids and 88 per cent of them flee that hot State in the summer to march DCI elsewhere (the other 12 percent being Crossmen, Guardians, Genesis and Revolutionaries,) that airline has to be called American based at D-FW.  But it might still be helpful for auditionees and winter campers for the 2020 DCI season.

Perhaps those that are really Friends of DCI, the front office staff in Indy after they finish unpacking their boxes at the new airplane hangar they are calling HQ, and those DCPers who believe they have fiscal contacts and executive pull might persuade the other US Airlines and Air Nippon to follow this same generous policy for even tuba players as reported today on Yahoo News.

"American Airlines has eliminated the extra fees for common sporting equipment and musical instruments, giving bicycle riders and cello players the standard bag fees – $30 on domestic flights – instead of the oversize fee of $150. {edit note: $120 savings per tuba player; average tuba line of minimum 12, is almost $1500.00 in savings. Now 6 or 7 winter camps per corps...}

American isn’t the first airline to depart from its previous stance charging extra for these bags. In 2017, Alaska Air changed its policies, and began charging $30 for sports equipment like windsurf boards and bicycles.

A few items will still require the full $150 oversize fee. Antlers, hang gliders, scuba tanks, and windsurfing items are not exempt from the new policy.

Of the other airlines in the big four, Southwest has the most moderate overweight policy, charging a $75 fee for baggage that is outside of normal dimensions. United subjects sporting equipment that is oversized to its fees, except for surfboards that are going to and from California directly. Standard oversize rules apply for Delta.

The decision could provide American with an edge over its competitors, albeit in a niche fashion. For those who do fly with sports equipment like a bicycle, traveling has become an elaborate game of figuring out how to game the system.

For bicycles, for example, a small industry of special bicycle bags that manage to come in close to the standard 62-inch total-dimension maximum has popped up to help people fly with a bicycle as regular luggage. At $150 each way, a bag costing around $400 pays for itself in just a few trips.

As of now, however, American Airlines is in the minority. In general, it remains inconvenient to fly with weird-sized baggage."

Edited May 22, 2019 by xandandl

[WaxDCIFan]

 For what it’s worth or winter camps arent quite over yet. BK has about 6 inches of snow on the ground right now at spring training

[Fran Haring]

46 minutes ago, WaxDCIFan said:

 For what it’s worth or winter camps arent quite over yet. BK has about 6 inches of snow on the ground right now at spring training

Strange weather in that area.

You'll get shirtsleeve weather in January... then it snows like crazy in April into May. 

[xandandl]

14 hours ago, Fran Haring said:

Strange weather in that area.

You'll get shirtsleeve weather in January... then it snows like crazy in April into May. 

when I worked with the Loveland h.s. band there that one season I found you could get those contrasts all in the same day!