taking aeroplane w/ guitar
emerge
Posts: 22
how do you do when you take an aeroplane and you need to take your guitar with you?
do you send it on the rolling carpet when you check in? i once did this but i had to worry about it the whole flight. the guitar was alright but who knows i was just lucky that time?
ive also taken my guitar on board but it was hell. i had to beg the stewardesses to use their uniform wardrobe to keep it.
but it was last last summer that i started to never take anything big on an airplane cause i got my acoustic guitar taken away while entering the gate.
but after many experiences, it looks like every airport, every airline and every plane have different rules and different people (...duh?) some people let you do it because the rule says its okay, some nice people let you do it despite the rule, some people strictly follow the rule that says its not okay.
so what do you do?
tell your stories
now im too scared to take my guitar on planes.
but this summer i HAVE to bring it with me
do you send it on the rolling carpet when you check in? i once did this but i had to worry about it the whole flight. the guitar was alright but who knows i was just lucky that time?
ive also taken my guitar on board but it was hell. i had to beg the stewardesses to use their uniform wardrobe to keep it.
but it was last last summer that i started to never take anything big on an airplane cause i got my acoustic guitar taken away while entering the gate.
but after many experiences, it looks like every airport, every airline and every plane have different rules and different people (...duh?) some people let you do it because the rule says its okay, some nice people let you do it despite the rule, some people strictly follow the rule that says its not okay.
so what do you do?
tell your stories
now im too scared to take my guitar on planes.
but this summer i HAVE to bring it with me
Post edited by Unknown User on
0
Comments
What I used to do when I toured was pack in flight cases and keep one with me on the plane. Now you never know where they're going to want you to put it.
You have to have a GOOD hardshell case. Detune the guitar a bit, maybe down to "C" rather than "E". Don't loosen the strings completely, because most travel injuries are from the guitar falling over flat and breaking at the neck/ headstock. You want some tension on the neck to battle inertia. Pack crumpled newspaper around the peghead area on the front and the back so the headstock doesnt' move at all in the case.
Acoustic guitar, take the endpin out if you can, or pack around it so if it's dropped it doesn't push through the bottom.
Put a little duct tape over the latches on the case so they don't get forced open, I put the tape over a bit of paper so it doesn't leave goo on the latches.
Don't put the duct tape on until you know you HAVE to check it on. They may let you carry it on, and you don't want to have to hassle with it when you run it through the xray. Only put it on if it has to go on the conveyor belt.
It depends on the flight, too. If you're flying straight through, then it's not going to be handled as much, your damage risk is lower. Call ahead and see if the plane is full or not. (They always seem to be full, now)
If the plane isn't full, go to the check in with a smile on your face an a good attitude and ask if you could PLEASE carry on your guitar, it's your baby. They may say yes and let you carry it on and it's WAY worth that hassle. If they put it into the coat closet, all the better.
If you have to run it through baggage at the check in,,,get insurance, wave bye and hope for the best!
If you have a multi plane journey on full planes, go to the guitar store and get a box and pack it in like you were shipping UPS, fill the box with some bubble wrap, not peanuts. They're a mess if they have to open it. Cut a handle in the box so it's easier to carry in the airports.
I brought an acoustic over to Austria, last summer when I visited the Squirrel from this board. I flew Swiss Air, and I had a good case for it. I was prepared to check it on because the plane was full. The woman at the check in was really nice, we were chatting about how crazy the airport was that day, I didn't even ask her about carrying it on, but she said, "you should keep that with you" and called ahead to the gate and told them to keep a spot for a guitar in an overhead bin. Best airline I've ever flown on.
Usair? pack like it's 15 dozen eggs!
Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
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I have an SKB 75 Strat case, and it will fit inside an ATA spec keyboard case. This will keep it about as safe as one can get, mark it fragile. hope they let you carry on if you can.
Large planes like 747's have baggage compresses. (huge pistons that cram baggage) I've seen a hard shell Taylor Baby case snapped from this (and the beautiful walnut top underneath) The good thing is the passenger was forced to check it and was assured nothing would happen and he made them sign on the line which is dotted, so Delta was liable for the repair.
Good luck, don't check it if you can help it. If you have to check it, ATA spec keyboard case for electrics on the outside of your regular case, ATA spec acoustic case for acoustics. You can probably rent them from an instrument supply company.
i guess the best i could do is to be at the airport the earliest possible
more chance to get nice and kind service haha
http://www.robstokes.com/carryon.html
I brought a Les Paul home from Boston (long story) in a gig bag, and had trouble at every flight. I just told them they could take it, but the instrument was fragile and worth $1000, so if they could promise it wouldn't get broken... anyways, ended up keeping it in the coat closet of the plane the whole trip home.