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I’m going to pick up a new (to me) guitar. Is there any way to insure that there will be room in the overhead or that they will allow me to carry it on short of buying the guitar a seat?
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06-20-2024 03:46 PM
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Upgrade to early boarding, talk to the person at the desk and cross your fingers. It's also got to fit in the overhead, so if it's a 17" archtop, you are S.O.L.
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Buying a seat is absolutely the best approach, if you can do so.
See this JGO thread from 5 years ago for lots of good advice. The thread is pre-pandemic, so a lot may have changed.
Flying with a guitar: what’s the best strategy?
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Cabin crew can usually find a safe spot in their own quarters (or who knows, in a toilet that's out of commision). Maybe discuss this with the cabin crew on your inbound flight, supposing you're certain you'll be flying with the same company on the return flight?
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It is a 17” I’m driving to pick it up!
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In a word, "no". The suggestions offered thus far all depend on airline employees breaking or bending the rules. Currently, the carry-on size limit for most domestic airlines is 22 x 14 x 9 inches. A few airlines like Frontier and Southwest allow for a slightly bigger bag (24 x 16 x 10 or 11 inches). Here's a link to a recent article: Carry-on Luggage Size and Weight Limits by Airline (2024). Good luck!
Originally Posted by Prossi@cozen.com
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I retrieved my vintage Gibson that I loaned to a friend for several years in Minnesota. While I visited there last summer, I packed it in the original case with cashmere fabric to completely cushion and stabilize the guitar. I taped the case closed with multiple bands of fibered tape, especially over the buckles. Labels printed in bright red lettering, placed on a each surface at every angle, read "FRAGILE: MUSICAL INSTRUMENT!". It cost an extra $50 in addition to my return flight ticket to check it in as baggage; that is a cheap way to ship. American Airlines treated it like gold. When I arrived back home at San Diego International Airport, I went to the luggage carousel to retrieve my luggage. LOW AND BEHOLD -- AN ATTENDANT WAS CLEAR ACROSS THE FACILITY WITH MY GUITAR CASE IN HAND, WAITING FOR ME. He personally protected my guitar. It's noteworthy that a security check had to open the case, but they CAREFULLY put everything back the way I had it; even taping the case closed as well as I had done.
Last edited by ArchieHollow; 06-23-2024 at 10:36 AM.
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@Archie that's a pretty great experience!
@OP, if you don't buy a seat for the guitar, getting to the gate super early and being VERY nice, polite, cooperative and appreciative of the cabin crew will get you a long way. But... if the flight is super-full, you may still wind up having to check the guitar as baggage. Hope all goes well. Let us know what happens!
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I don’t remember the last time I was on a flight that wasn’t “completely full”, as they always announce. Originally Posted by starjasmine
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After being forced to check in with luggage my first electric guitar (a Welson SG copy) and picking it up with its neck snapped in two at the other end I'm not risking it again.
Tenor sax players do get to board the plane with their instrument as a hand luggage.
So my final solution when traveling by plane or train: a small, headless (luthier made) electric guitar that fits in a (pedalboard) bag that's the size of a tenor sax case.
Last edited by frabarmus; 06-21-2024 at 06:14 AM.
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If you wanna make sure it stays safe and arrives whole with all its parts: Hardcase and buy it a seat.
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I only fly with a telecaster with the neck taken off or with my Aria Sinsonido that fits in the overhead bin on top of the suitcases.
For a big band gig in Lithuania they reserved me an extra seat for the guitar. That's the safest option, but of course also the most expensive.
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That’s why I got this. Cheap, great looks, name and sound, fits in the overhead compartment.
Gesendet von iPhone mit Tapatalk
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Or fly in, ride the dog home? (I guess we're all assuming the OP is in the US?) Originally Posted by Prossi@cozen.com
Do you think (or know) that there's a rule for cabin crew that "thou shalt not accept to stash passenger luggage somewhere else in the cabin", or rather one to help passengers when they have trouble with a particular item? Originally Posted by jazzshrink
Last time I flew with a bulky, delicate item was to a conference for which we all carried tubes with big posters inside that for most of us didn't fit in the overhead bins. Neither the Air France nor the Delta personnel on the 4 flights in total had any troubles storing those in (IIRC) one of their own clothes lockers. Of course that was in '99 (and 2 of the flights were trans-atlantic) - I doubt you'll still find flights were even Air France crew just leave the drinks caddies out so everyone can serve themselves ^^
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Thanks for all the thoughtful responses. I’m definitely making the 11 hour drive!
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I fly often with instruments. My policy is hope for the best but plan for the worst. I carry my guitar in a Hiscox case (it's been a real road warrior) and if possible, I bring it to the gate. Show up early and look and act as politely and professionally as possible (we should always do this anyway right?) and I say something like this to the person at the gate.
"Hello, I'm a professional musician flying for work today. I am very happy to gate check my guitar if I need to but, it is a fragile and expensive instrument and I am wondering if it might be possible for it to fly warm and safe with us somewhere in the cabin today please."
This has worked quite a lot of the time. The worst thing that happens is that it gets gate checked which is ok because I have an appropriate case.
By the way, all the above information might be useless sometimes because it is not always possible to even get your guitar past the check-in/baggage drop area these days. So definitely get something you can safely check your guitar in. Our goal is to minimize the chance that a guitar gets damaged in the middle of a tour or something right?
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By the way, all the above information might be useless sometimes because it is not always possible to even get your guitar past the check-in/baggage drop area these days.
I've found that the secret to getting the guitar past the baggage drop off is to agree with them completely that it will be IMPOSSIBLE to take it on the plane itself, You're only looking to take it through security yourself and gate check it. Then once you're at the gate, and hopefully have an early/priority boarding, you can inform the cabin crew that 'they' said you could probably find space in the closet, thanks so much...
Best wishes for everyones travel and music!
PK
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That's very good advice. Originally Posted by paulkogut
However, last time I flew out of JFK on Delta there were Delta agents guarding the entrance between the Delta check-in/baggage drop area and the entrance to the security lines. They were unbelieveably rude as hell to me and absolutely would not let my guitar past them. Stupid me, I passed up the offer to check an extra bag for free earlier when I was first checking in at the kiosk. Instead I had to go back and it cost me something like $100 to check my guitar. I played my cards all wrong that day. That sucked.
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BTW When I packed up my guitar in its case, I made sure it would survive being shoved around and banged about, before sending it off in someone else's hands.
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I'm sorry Delta put you through that Overzealous gate-keepers certainly make it a challenge. I have a Calton case with a Colorado cover, the backpack straps kind of disguise it as a gig bag, and wearing it rather than carrying seems to make it a little easier to sneak it through checkpoints on the way to security. But if an airline employee is determined to be an impediment, there's sadly little you can do beyond having it in a good case and hoping for the best..
PK
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Just came across those on Amanda Monacos Facebook page:
Ciari Guitars Pro-Play Folding Guitar
She had posted this photo:
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Passengers should never be allowed to forget their anything but a barely tolerated justification for those transport professionals' jobs... Originally Posted by paulkogut
When flying, best take an air guitar I suppose
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I have heard that those Calton cases are fantastic. I imagine that the case cover backpack would help keeping it low key. Thing is that I'm mostly an alto player and so the backpack/gig bag position is already taken for me. (No way the alto gets checked!) So yeah, it's hard to sneak a guitar in a 335 sized hard case past anyone. Originally Posted by paulkogut
You're absolutely correct about the luck of the draw so to speak as to who you are dealing with. Even though there was legislation signed some years ago that said something like airlines had to allow musical instruments on board flights in the US, it still was left to the final discretion of the flight and cabin crew as to wether or not a particular instrument would be allowed on or not. Not much you can do if you get someone determined to not help.
Just as an aside, I was flying on British Airlines from JFK to somewhere in Europe (2017?) and I gave my little speech (as described above) to the person at the counter. She looked over the kiosk down at my guitar and frowned while shaking her head side to side. I thought "oh well, can't win them all" but then she said "Nope, no, we're not checking that. You're first onboard the flight. Just stick around close to the gate here for a bit". Dreams can come true!
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My experience with a Calton case was super positive. I flew from Europe to Japan and return, checking in an ES 175 type luthiery-archtop inside a Calton case and the guitar was in perfect condition when I nervously opened the case upon arrival. The case was a little scratched and bruised, here and there, other than that no problem at all. Originally Posted by gggguitar
Only thing: that case was super heavy (even empty!) so carrying it for long stretches was bothersome (for a tiny guy like me). That guitar I've sold years ago. Now my GB10 size archtop has a Hiscox case which apparently is supposed to be even more protective (and is much lighter) than the Calton. I still haven't taken it on a flight... my concern now is eventual damage to the case because, apparently, the case gives in to shock absorption while perfectly protecting the guitar inside. And I've heard stories about Hiscox cases that saved guitars but were damaged to a point where they could no longer be used (or repaired). I'd prefer not to have to buy a new Hiscox case after each flight! Has any of you had any flight-experience with a (checked in) guitar inside a Hiscox case?
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Box it as if you are shipping it and check it as baggage if you don't want to splurge for a tour-type travel case. At this point in my life I never rely on being able to carry on. Policies have change based on airlines and who actually makes decisions for you. Not reliable at all.
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