I always take my pipes on as hand luggage.
If I'm only allowed one piece of hand luggage then pipes sit on the floor by my feet and the check in person never even sees it.
By the time you get to the plane you walk on confidently and I've never been questioned.

I would never let my pipes go in the hold or even out of my site!

happyguitar can't get away with that though!
So he carries his guitar on board and the cabin people put it somewhere safe, he then carries it off again.

Letting either my pipes or HG's guitar get into the hands of baggage handlers puts a shiver down my spine.

Get a hard case and then carry it on yourself!!!
Don't trust them, don't do it!!!!

lol!
:-))
Vix