Reunion Blues or Mono M80 case for gate checking?

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westcoast

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If you have a RB or M80 case, would you trust it as checked luggage? That is, where you hand carry it to the plane, and then they gate check it for you? Or would you only use it if you could put it in the overhead?

I'm trying to decide if I can just get a RB or M80 case, or if I need a standard hardshell case, like the Oahu ones from Hawaii Music Supply.
 
Never, ever, under any circumstances check as luggage. Always carry onboard. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
 
always carry on the plane...
even if it was in an Ameritage case....I would never send with regular baggage...you are asking for trouble...
 
I've got a Flightcase from Toby Chennell I would trust to send a uke as luggage. But it weighs a ton.

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I'll gate check my computers (usually have 2 or three with us when we fly) before I'll gate check ANY of my ukuleles. Even those ukes I paid less than $100 for.

-Kurt​
 
gringo said:
Never, ever, under any circumstances check as luggage. Always carry onboard. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Click to expand...

When I'm at an airport with an ukulele, I keep this video cued up on my phone in case I get any flack for taking my ukulele on the plane as a carry on. Fortunately, I've haven't yet had to show this video to anyone at the airport.

 
I've gate checked an acoustic guitar in a SKB case a few times and it's been ok, but I agree you want to avoid checking it as much as possible.
 
mds725 said:
When I'm at an airport with an ukulele, I keep this video cued up on my phone in case I get any flack for taking my ukulele on the plane as a carry on. Fortunately, I've haven't yet had to show this video to anyone at the airport.

Click to expand...


Good fun. Thanks for sharing!
 
I frequently travel with either a ukulele or a small guitar in a gig bag and have never had any trouble getting it on the plane and into the overhead. To answer your question, I do have a RB uke case and would not want to gate check it.

Mitch
 
I own both, and as I've mentioned each month when this same question is asked on a new thread: I prefer, overall, the RB. It's a better case for build and protection. I use the M80 only if I already have my RB holding another uke, and only if I'm going car to gig/home.

I wouldn't let the airlines check a case if it was made by Samsonite, so I wouldn't choose to check these (but, forced to do so, the RB case is at least twice as protective as the flexible M80... my opinion, my scale. Lol.)
 
Perhaps it all boils down to what catastrophic possibilities are likely when checking a uke at the gate. Under most scenarios, where the uke case would be subjected to tossing or bumping as it made its way from the gate to the baggage hold, my guess is that either the RB or the Mono would do the uke justice (I own one RB and two Monos).

But, there is also the very real possibility of very hard tosses at the hands of a completely idiotic jerk baggage handler and/or a significant shift of large and heavy items in the hold that could present a crushing blow to a uke case. Like I suggested earlier, either bag would likely protect a uke under the vast majority of handlers behaving badly scenarios, but I wouldn't want any of my ukes to have to withstand a heavy and potentially crushing force while riding in anything other than a very structurally sound shipping case. Since I don't own such a container, my ukes ride with me in either the Mono or RB (or Access Stage III; I consider all three of these bags pretty much equally protective under all but crushing forces).
 
Can someone measure the external depth of the Reunion Blues case vs the M80? It claims here that the http://reunionblues.com/product/217/RBTUK that the RB is 9 inches deep? The photos of the M80 make it look much thinner.

Side by side comparison photos would be really great! :)
 
westcoast said:
If you have a RB or M80 case, would you trust it as checked luggage? That is, where you hand carry it to the plane, and then they gate check it for you? Or would you only use it if you could put it in the overhead?

I'm trying to decide if I can just get a RB or M80 case, or if I need a standard hardshell case, like the Oahu ones from Hawaii Music Supply.
Click to expand...

There's only one type of case that I would even consider putting into luggage, and then it would only be 'gate checked' at boarding, and THEN it would only be after raising a stink just short of getting kicked off the flight (after all attempts at sweet talk had failed, of course).

That would be my Ameritage cases. You could pretty much run over them with a truck, but still, I wouldn't want them in baggage.

Any type of RB case? NEVER! I would wait and catch another flight to try to have better luck with the next gate person. But my ukes are worth thousands of dollars, and I would not take a chance with them in any kind of gig bag.

Just my opinion of course. YMMV.
 
consitter said:
There's only one type of case that I would even consider putting into luggage, and then it would only be 'gate checked' at boarding, and THEN it would only be after raising a stink just short of getting kicked off the flight (after all attempts at sweet talk had failed, of course).

That would be my Ameritage cases. You could pretty much run over them with a truck, but still, I wouldn't want them in baggage.

Any type of RB case? NEVER! I would wait and catch another flight to try to have better luck with the next gate person. But my ukes are worth thousands of dollars, and I would not take a chance with them in any kind of gig bag.

Just my opinion of course. YMMV.
Click to expand...

One of the good things about the RB though, is you can use the backpack straps to make it much less noticeable. If wearing it on your back when going throught the gate, it's very doubtful the gate person would notice it, much less ask you to check it.
 
I'm leaning towards the M80 because:
1) Other people who have expensive ukes use it, including Craig Chee, Sarah Maisel, Matt Dahlberg
2) Although the RB is probably more durable than the M80, that means it's thicker and maybe a little more noticeable. The website says the RB is 29x9x11.5 which is slightly over the 45 linear inch limit for carry-on luggage. The M80 seems to be thinner than the RB so maybe it gets under that limit. It also has a shoulder strap, so it should be pretty unobtrusive when slung over your shoulder.
 
westcoast said:
I'm leaning towards the M80 because:
1) Other people who have expensive ukes use it, including Craig Chee, Sarah Maisel, Matt Dahlberg
2) Although the RB is probably more durable than the M80, that means it's thicker and maybe a little more noticeable. The website says the RB is 29x9x11.5 which is slightly over the 45 linear inch limit for carry-on luggage. The M80 seems to be thinner than the RB so maybe it gets under that limit. It also has a shoulder strap, so it should be pretty unobtrusive when slung over your shoulder.
Click to expand...

Here's my question:

Are you looking for convenience, protection, or a combo of the two? Truthfully, when travelling on an airline, and even thinking of the possibilty of having to check, or gate check your instrument, there's no compromise.
 
I have a tenor RB case and I'm impressed with the level of protection it seems to provide - it's like having your uke in a big rubber ball. But it is considerably larger than some of the fitted hard cases.

Duk
 
westcoast said:
I'm leaning towards the M80 because:
1) Other people who have expensive ukes use it, including Craig Chee, Sarah Maisel, Matt Dahlberg
2) Although the RB is probably more durable than the M80, that means it's thicker and maybe a little more noticeable. The website says the RB is 29x9x11.5 which is slightly over the 45 linear inch limit for carry-on luggage. The M80 seems to be thinner than the RB so maybe it gets under that limit. It also has a shoulder strap, so it should be pretty unobtrusive when slung over your shoulder.[/

I have a concert M80 and it is perfect for travel. I really like the sling strap and the protection is fantastic. You don't want anything piled on top of it, but for normal bumps, falls, tips... I find it way more protective then a regular hard case. I would say the advantage of the mono is the smaller dimensions and tighter fit. My concert covered bridge fits like a glove. Not too tight, but no play. That said, I have not used a reunion blues, and believe others who say they offer more protection. However, I'm very happy with my mono for this uke.

Not that it matters, but what uke is this for?
Click to expand...
 
consitter said:
One of the good things about the RB though, is you can use the backpack straps to make it much less noticeable. If wearing it on your back when going throught the gate, it's very doubtful the gate person would notice it, much less ask you to check it.
Click to expand...

Ditto on the wearing it like a backpack. When I fly for work I have my purse crosswise, my uke slung across my back and a small carry on in my hand. Never an issue...
 
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