I am getting ready to fly with my banjo soon and am a bit nervous about keeping it safe and sound during the process. Any recommendations or helpful
Insights would be appreciated!
I have. TSA approved hard case. Does anyone know if you can check that as a carry on and leave it up front with the stewardesses?
Thanks in advance!
Traveling with my banio
@teresbern I traveled with my banjo to the Montana camp last summer. Flew Southwest Airlines. I purchased a Carlton case in an effort to ensure my banjo would survive the trip. But I was able to carry it onto the plane as a carry-on and store it in the overhead bin. Worked just fine. However, I can’t speak for how other airlines handle this. Hope that helps, or at least gives you a little peace of mind.
One word of caution…I purchased early boarding. Turned out to be a good thing, because when I boarded there was plenty of room for my banjo in the bins. I don’t think that would have been the case if I had boarded late…
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I’ve had a lot of different experiences and used to travel a lot with my banjo as I work on ships and used to fly all over the world with one. I bought an open back one specifically to travel with as they are a bit smaller. Anyway, I’ve found that it is easier now to travel than it used to be and what @rspillers said is good advice. Board as early as you can, even if you’re in economy, try to get in line to maximize your chance of getting a good spot in the overhead. I have had luck in the past asking the stewardess if I can store it in the closet but I’ve found this doesn’t always work. Sometimes they happily do it, other times they won’t. I’ve even been told it’s against regulations which I know isn’t true (if it was, then there are a bunch of stewardesses/arilines breaking this regulation). If all else fails you will have to check it. (note, according to the article below, you will only have to check it if there was no overhead space when you board ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS). I know this may sound risky but I’ve had to do it a lot and I’ve never had a problem (and I’ve even had to check it in just a soft case) but make sure you pack it well just in case. Here’s a very good article written by a performing musician. I’d suggest reading the whole thing. Everything You Need to Know About Flying With Your Musical Instrument (sonicbids.com)
One very important piece of advice that’s in there :
Since many gate agents and flight attendants may be unaware of the official policy regarding musical instruments, it’s important that you have a copy of the official rules printed and ready.
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