This summer’s terror scare in the UK resulted in some high-profile difficulties for musicians attempting to bring their instruments on airplanes in the country. But in point of fact, when there isn’t a terrorist threat going on, it’s always been far harder for musicians to travel with their instruments in North America than anywhere else in the world, and that hasn’t changed. “The federal Transportation Security Administration and each airline have separate policies that can be confusing to musicians who wish to travel with their instruments. While airlines without specific musical instrument policies frequently welcome them aboard, some violin and viola cases may not meet strict size limits: limits that can be enforced at any time.”