9-Ball
Topic: advice please - planes & cues

To all those who play overseas - what do you use to transport your cues? Do you just take your normal playing cases and put them in the hold, or use cue case travel bags or special travel cases?

What's the easiest and safest way?

Thanks all.

why where u off m8


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Player in the making!!!!!

On 2008-02-26 23:08 , Jump_Shot Wrote:

Going to start playing euro tour events later in the year.

First of all you have to put them in the hold i.e you can't take them as hand luggage. They are on the prohibited list and all airlines have no choice in that respect.

"Hard" or "stiff framed" carrying case are the safest from the point of view of avoiding accidental damage, though I have seen some people with two/three piece cues and very big stiff framed luggage suitcases break their cues down, wrap the pieces in towels/clothes and put them in the suitcase.

Wrap the carrying case in a couple of places with strong masking/adhesive tape to stop the cue pieces falling out if the clips get accidentally nudged during handling and open up.


All a waste of time if the airline lose them of course, still waiting for 3 that I took with me to Shanghai two years ago to arrive back here

I have a large travel bag which is long enough to put my cue case in with my clothes.

Just means you do not have to pay any extras for additional baggage.

On 2008-02-27 08:06 , Buckster_uk Wrote:

Have you never had any probs with the airline opening up the bag and case to check what's inside?

Cheers.

I have taken one of these abroad a few times and had no problems. I lock it with a small pad lock and when I check in, it gets carried on the plane instead of chucked into the cargo hold. May take longer to collect at the arrival end (as it did in Prague....nightmare!) but it came and it was safe. Alternatively, check it in as normal.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c116/the_diamond/Justis/233_3301Small.jpg

They cost about £70.

yeah if i remember rightly i think it goes through something called excess baggage?? instead of straight through with cases.

your case is so nice Si, might have to get another one made... lol

wr did you get that case bag from mate??

still remember the security guards face as phil burford and jonny coopers cues went through the x ray machine at luton airport last summer, he was all smiles when we explained who they were and what the sticks were for but initially i thought we were all going to be arrested!!!

On 2008-02-27 16:05 , thediamond Wrote:

Where can I get one of those Si. Sorry I know I'm being a bit dim here but do you just check that in as per a normal suitcase with no probs?

I am using the porper case, locked and I also have a "fragile" tag on it.
Cue cases go through a different entrance for "oversize luggage" with golf and skiing equipment and other weird things people think is wise to carry on a plane.

I have seen people check in a predator 2x4 with no protection just removing the strap and it still came out fine.

It's all about luck at the end of the day. Just treat it as an extra suitcase.

P.S. Avoid transit flights as this is where the majority of luggage gets lost and arrive early at the airport.

On 2008-02-27 14:19 , nicknameless Wrote:

Other than staff possibly stealing it, why would there be any problem with them finding a cue inside a case that's being checked in for normal baggage carriage in the hold?

You can put as many cues as you like into your checked luggage, you just can't take them in the cabin with you as hand baggage. You can even put all kinds of weapons into your checked luggage, just not into your hand luggage.

i just bought 6 butts and 10 shafts back from usa in cue cases in my suitcase....no problems.

just make sure you buy a suitcase big enough...

On 2008-02-27 18:12 , nicknameless Wrote:

I can't get the diamond's link to work so don't know what kind of case this is but am assuming it is some kind of package that gets checked in as abnormal sized/shape/nature. I am probably also being dim over your post and a couple of others as well, but here goes with some comments anyway......

If you check something in as 'normal baggage' it automatically goes "in the hold", same as any other piece of checked luggage.

I also don't understand what the diamond means by "carried on the plane instead of in the hold" and no matter what is meant by that I've no idea what the connection can possibly be between that and "excess baggage" as mentioned by JonnyC

Abnormal shaped/sized/nature packages being checked in are often subject to different check in formalities to accommodate and simplify the various different handling procedures to load and unload the plane but these packages still eventually get stowed and carried in the cargo hold. In most commercial aeroplanes there isn't anywhere else to carry them other than in the cargo hold. When they come out of the hold these separately checked in abnormal packages often come up into the baggage reclaim hall at a different time from the normal sized checked luggage, sometimes even on a different carousel or even in a lift. This doesn't mean they haven't been in the hold, it just means they have been handled differently at loading/unloading times.

The different handling procedures during loading/unloading of these types of packages from the plane are there for a number of reasons, including health and safety issues regarding the staff who handle them and the avoidance of damages, but there isn't any question of these packages not being carried in the hold.

"Excess baggage" only concerns charges and procedures for checking in bags over and above the maximum number of cases or maximum weight of free baggage allowed under your ticket class. Maybe JonnyC meant oversize baggage?

Its not excess baggage...when you check in just explain you want the bag to be carried on, instead of going in the hold.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c116/the_diamond/Justis/233_3301Small.jpg

yeah i probably meant oversize baggage, was a while back when i took cues on plane! sorry for confusion.

Jonathan, you should definately follow bucksters lead, absolutely no question! Just get a long 'cricket style' bag that will fit your cue inside. Also instead of just putting your clothes inside loose put them in another smaller lightweight sports bag. That way if you do find you are overweight you can just take out the lightweight bag and carry it as hand luggage.

I've never had any problems since I started putting my cue in my bag like this and never heard of any but I've heard of countless problems from people who check their cues in separately. Also as buckster mentioned it's the most cost efficient way as there's no extra baggage charge.

Soething like this:
http://www.holdall.co.uk/product/22079/145/gray_nicolls_nitro_cricket_bags