Actually I will be headed to play the Homecoming gig with my college marching band. I'm kind of hoping the airline really will lose my starter flute. Even though there is sentimental value there, I could use a new one ;-).
"I'm kind of hoping the airline really will lose my starter flute."
What brand and model is it? Flutes are a glut on the market on eBay. I saw a decent open-hole Selmer go for $50 the other day. You can't sell a flute on eBay these days. All the nasty Chinese imports are taking up all the space, and nobody's wading through the listings at all. Do a search on misspellings of makers' names. This was was listed as a "Selmar." Since nobody's looking through the listings, they aren't seeing these bargains.
Me, I'm searching for a "Powel" or a "Hanes" flute that way. I just gave my old one to my wife's niece who needed something better than the crummy Bundy she had.