Thanks all. And for bringing in the restaurants, just be prepared to have to ask for an extra seat just for your instrument (but if they make you pay for a plate for it that might be a tad extreme!).
Travel with the instrument
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Traveling with my guitar has been an adventure! Cabin all the way - never risked the check-in drama. I invested in a sturdy case and havenāt faced any damage. Also, getting cheap business class tickets helped. People love some in-flight serenades, too!
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I have a question about traveling with a guitar. Iām heading to a camp and need to take my guitar with me. I have a connecting flight, and both planes are relatively small: one is a Boeing 737-900 and the other is a Boeing 737-800. Iāve looked up the size of the overhead bins, and they donāt seem to be big enough to hold a guitar. Are these considered small regional planes.
If I manage to get it on one plane, Iāll have to worry about it again with the connecting flight. I only have one guitar, so I donāt want to take any risks with my Martin. United Airlines says it needs to be in a hard shell case, which I donāt have. However, Iāve been told by others that a soft case might actually be better because it helps fit in storage better.
Additionally, I have two flights coming back home, so Iāll face the same challenges on my return journey. Iām probably overthinking it, but any advice or experiences you can share would be greatly appreciated!
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Howdy Greg! I have travelled with a guitar quite a bit. I always try to carry it on. The vast majority of the time they have accommodated me. Iāll either check everything else or only bring a small carry on that can fit under the seat to make my request more palatable. I nicely ask the lead flight attendant if he/she may have room for it as I board. I think I have put a guitar case in an overhead on a 737, but I may be remembering wrong. Being you have a connecting flight, that makes you have to do the dance twice each way. I did have one guitar case take pretty good damage when it ended up checked. There were big chunks of wood missing in several spots. Thankfully, the guitar was fine, so the case did its job perfectly well.
I try to carry it on, BUT I always plan for it to be checked (sometimes, there just isnāt room upstairs). That means I de-tune by a few notes and pack it as if I were shipping it (stuff newspaper or similar to eliminate wiggle room for the body), and remove all loose items (capos, tuners, etc.) from the general storage space. I have never used a soft guitar case (other than my folding guitar) on a plane, but a true soft case in the baggage compartment sounds to me like a disaster would not be a surprise. If it has structure, it would probably be similar to a hard case except in absolute shear. If it is really just a bag with light padding, I would borrow a hard case for the trip. If that isnāt an option, I honestly think Iād ship it. Get a guitar box and with enough fill material, it is pretty bombproof.
Just my thoughts. Best of luck!
Edit: I wouldnāt be shocked if you are going to camp that you could find someone driving in who would bring an extra instrument for you. That seems like a great option.
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Thanks Mike! @Mike_R
Iād pretty much come to the conclusion that I needed to come up with another plan. Thank for verifying this for me. Iām going to go get a Yamaha FG800j at a store near the airport and then ship it home to myself at the end of the week. With two flights and a close connection Iām tired of stressing about it. Thanks for saying finding another plan is the way to go.
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