Taking Guitar on Plane? (Nov-26-02)

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Best to rent a guitar in the location that you are flying to, that is, if you don't have family or friends that you are visiting that could lend you one.

The cost is well worth the aggravation that you will experience on the entire flight, wondering how your guitar may be transmutated into an unrecognizeable instrument. Of course, the restriction is you need to be flying to a city that has a large enough music store that provides this service. It's best to call ahead and reserve one.

The domestic airlines are not as friendly since 9/11 in terms of storage, as the recent restriction of one carry-on has been the mother of invention of larger pieces of luggage on wheels that are designed to just fit into the overheads. One passenger can take up more than half the compartment.

On the flight to California last week, flight attendants were having the last dozen or so people check their carry-on baggage upon boarding, as there was no more room on the plane!

-Geraldine

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Wow! Glad I asked! My trip is not until Christmas so I have time to think and prepare. I was also wondering about this in case at some point I find myself flying to New York or somewhere else for one of Jamie's workshops.

Thanks to everyone for your very informative reply's. I'm sure alot of other forum users now have a very good idea of the best way to take or not take a guitar on a commercial plane.

-Ken K

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I visited Rotterdam last year and intended to rent a guitar. I ended up finding a great deal at the guitar shop and then ended up having to travel back to the US with it. I boarded as early as I could and put it in the overhead. I used to check guitars, but after having a case destroyed I gave up on that.

-Steve /S.

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I fly quite often with a guitar and have an ATA (Airline Transportation Association) certified case for my Gibson Les Paul. I got it from "Cases2Go" which you can find on the web. They carry several brands but the one they recommend for checked luggage is the Anvil brand. It is custom built to fit the guitar and is extremely protective although rather large.

Since it is ATA certified, the airline will pay for the guitar if they crush it, although with this case they would have to run over it with the airplane. The alternative...learn to play the ukelele and put it in the overhead.

-Gerald Hunter

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Hey all you scaredy cats!

I just flew not once but twice, Brussels-JFK & JFK-BWI with my Stratocaster onboard!

I was not asked to check the guitar into baggage on the International leg of my journey, however I WAS asked to do so on the JFK-BWI leg. They said, "Sir you must check that into baggage", I replied "Like HELL I do, this is a $20,000 guitar", & walked right onboard the plane and stowed it in the overhead compartment!

They never said another word.

ALWAYS INSIST on having it YOUR WAY and NEVER show fear or hesitation - ACT LIKE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING!

-Relic Strat

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Maybe the fact that you look so much like Sting has something to do with it!

-Geraldine

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Ken,

I fly all over the world for my work on Northwest Airlines. I have brought my Big Babby Taylor with me in her soft case. She will fit in the over head compartment in coach and in first class. If you fly coach, you make sure when they start boarding passengers you are one of the first to get onboard. Ignore the fact that they are boarding by row or how ever they are doing it. They usually ask if you need special help or something along that line. That is you. You have a special piece of equipment. You get on board and put her away in and coach overhead compartment with another small carry on bag that has your music in it (that is a different story), and close the compartment door. Do not let anyone else put anything in there. And no it is not being rude to the other passangers. Most of the the time the people in coach bring bags too large to fit in the over head so they are put down below anyway.

That is another trick of flying. I have been using my Taylor soft Gig bag to carry my classical. My classical is smaller than my Big Babby Taylor and fits well with padding in the soft case. If for some reason they make you check your guitar, you check it at the door of the plane. Like a stroller. You waite for the Baggage handler to take it from you. You get his name and employee number and ask him to put it where it will not get hurt. Tell him that there will only be one other person touch your guitar before you see it again. It gives him RESPONSIBILITY for the guitar. Remember thought. The airlines will not insure a guitar. Any damage....your out of luck. Happy Flying.

-Alan

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I play a classical guitar mostly but I also have a Squier strat that I have traveled with several times. It goes in the baggage with a hard case (rectangular case), a wrap around baggage strap to hold it closed and a strip of international fragile stickers on each side. It has survived several trips to Spain, including national flights within Spain. In Barajas (Madrid) I cringed to see it projecting far out of the side of a speeding baggage cart. After I added the fragile stickers (the wine glass symbol) I observed (in La Coruna) it was carried by hand from the plane to baggage belt. I recommend the stickers. I wouldn't treat a fragile acoustic this way, but a plank makes a good travel companion.

-George