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To add a bit more confusion to the subject,
I have had many different responses to carrying my horn on board, but one was
probably the most honest.
After having to buy an extra seat for my horn on a flight to a concert series
in Banff that I was playing, I finally got fed up with all of the regulations
that I had encountered and decided to try to go to the source of who knew
what.
I spent about 5 hours one day on the phone with United staff people (read
flunkies) until I frustrated one individual to the point that she gave me the
phone number of their Vice President of International Baggage.
When I finally got through to this person she asked me how I had obtained her
number?
I explained to her that I had coerced it out of one of their staff after much
persistence.
She then said that since I had made it that far, she would give me the
information I was looking for and be very honest about it but that I probably
wouldn't be very happy about it.
She said that whether or not I was able to carry on my horn most likely
depended on the attitude of the last person (usually a flight attendant) that I
would encounter before I boarded the plane.
If that person was in a good mood and feeling in a helpful mode, I would
probably get the horn on.
If the person was feeling harassed and having problems getting people on the
plane, it would take some gentle (or more) persuasion.
If that person was having a bad day, forget it.
Her comments have proven to be quite on track.
So my advice is to keep your horn as much out of sight as possible -- for
example, if you are with someone at the ticket counter who is with you but not
going on the flight, they keep the horn while you are checking in. If you can
make it to the boarding platform with your horn, it is generally more of a
problem for them to send you back to baggage counter than it is to stow it
inside
the plane.
I have even had a stewardess put my horn in her own personal carry on space
using this technique.
I know other players who have used this method and it generally works out
O.K.
Paul Navarro
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