kelly campbell Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 Any advice on how you fly with your guitar?? It scares me to fly with a guitar and let airlines handle it, any advice on how you all do it? any stories of damage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 I fly with a guitar occasionally, perhaps 3 times a year. I do NOT check them as baggage. I bring them to the gate, nd "Gate Check" them, along with all the mom's with strollers. The gate folks put a little tag on it, then I leave it on the ramp- usually waiting so I can look the airline employee straight in the eye and tell them to "take care of my baby", and so far so good. When I land, its there ready for my pick-up, along with all the strollers. :) I do not have a "flight case", just the regular old scuffed up cases. I'd like a flight case someday, but at $1,000 + I can't make it work in my head. I suppose I better look into insurance too, someday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 Be incredibly charming and try to get it on board, worked for me 90% of the time. Once we had to play for Lufthansa air hostesses 30,000 feet in the air, true story. Closest damage story was once flying to Croatia, having to put it below as it was a small plane, got it back with a 1 cm puncture mark in case, but luckily didnt penetrate the inner lining. General approach: 1) do your best to get it on board 2) gate check it 3) send it below and pray for the best Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly campbell Posted August 23, 2014 Author Share Posted August 23, 2014 Good stuff....thanks for the advice..yes at 1,000.00 a pop for an airline case I would rather buy another guitar for that.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 I've seen those flight cases for sale used art about $600..If I was a pro and needed to fly, this would be the way to go……if you are visiting family or something like that, a one shot deal, maybe fly to that location, buy a guitar at a local shop for the duration of your stay, then have the shop ship your new guitar back to your home!!! Two birds….. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly campbell Posted August 23, 2014 Author Share Posted August 23, 2014 That thought has actually ran across my mind, anything to get a new guitar LOL I am sure my wife would roll her eyes...I have also thought of renting one but have had no luck in finding a place near where I travel that rents any.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR GIBS Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 I flew with a guitar several times. When I do that I don't take my most expencive instruments. Last two times I got my Gibson J35. I put the guitar in a gig bag and I check it in as a hand luggage. I try my best to get one of the first passengers in the plane and I put the guitar abowe my head in the coffer for the hand luggage.It works for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR GIBS Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 Sorry about the double post - I was in Greece and the internet was awfull... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSchooner Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 It's been many years since I've flown with a guitar. I used to try to get the attendants to put it in the coat closet; do airplanes even have those anymore? If you waited until the last minute to board they sometimes were too busy to mess with you and would let you put it in there. I doubt any of mine would pass the carry on restrictions these days. Once I was arguing with an attendent who insisted I would have to check the guitar. The captain walked by and said "Whatta ya got there?" "Martin D-28," I said. "Ah," he said. "That's a nice guitar. Better let it ride up here in the cockpit with me." That was pretty sweet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mking Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 There are a lot of regional jets now being used in the states so on those flights I gate check the guitar, NEVER check it as you do your luggage unless you have a Calton case or something of that caliber. The other thing to is like folks here have said, be nice, ask to get on first and that always helps. Last week I came back from Colorado and the flight attendants offered to strap it in an empty seat. Sometimes I take my expensive guitars that all have Calton cases and I still gate check it. Shawn Mullins plays a J-200 and that guitar will not fit in any overhead so he checks it like luggage. He uses the Calton cases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 I give my guitar my seat and check myself as baggage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSchooner Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 I give my guitar my seat and check myself as baggage. Good choice! I had to buy a seat for a cello once, although I had a seat for myself as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly campbell Posted August 23, 2014 Author Share Posted August 23, 2014 I flew with a guitar several times. When I do that I don't take my most expencive instruments. Last two times I got my Gibson J35. I put the guitar in a gig bag and I check it in as a hand luggage. I try my best to get one of the first passengers in the plane and I put the guitar abowe my head in the coffer for the hand luggage.It works for me. See that would make me nervous as I watch people shoving, cramming and slamming stuff into those to make theirs fit...LOL I would have a heart attack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vw1300 Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 I would add make sure you choose an airline that lets you gate check or carry on. We just got back from our vacation today and flew United, which absolutely does not let you carry on or gate check. They require you to check it as luggage. I took the old resonator, which is very sturdy - loosened the strings and packed old tee shirts around it in the hardshell case - put a piece of duct tape with my name and cell phone # on the case. The guitar made it thru luggage OK, but I wouldn't try this with a delicate and/or valuable guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly campbell Posted August 24, 2014 Author Share Posted August 24, 2014 United was involved in the incident in 2008 here is a wikipedia article on it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Breaks_Guitars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwillplay Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 get an skb flight case and check it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonderful remark Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 I don't fly with my guitars anymore. Call me a chicken if ya want.... I don't like when my friends play my guitars, and the thought of some transfer manhandling my guitars scares me... Plus http://theunofficialmartinguitarforum.yuku.com/reply/1742720/Re-Anyone-fly-with-the-640-case Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wee Davy Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 I'm flying to Egypt next week with my ukulele. No way is that going in the hold! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaiser Bill Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 This is perfect timing... I am flying home to do a benefit concert in October. I've never flown with a guitar before. I was leery about it until someone told me about the "gate check" option. I see someone else has had that experience also. Looks like I'm going with that option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 I would add make sure you choose an airline that lets you gate check or carry on. We just got back from our vacation today and flew United, which absolutely does not let you carry on or gate check. They require you to check it as luggage. I took the old resonator, which is very sturdy - loosened the strings and packed old tee shirts around it in the hardshell case - put a piece of duct tape with my name and cell phone # on the case. The guitar made it thru luggage OK, but I wouldn't try this with a delicate and/or valuable guitar. I fly United all the time, and regularly gate check my guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mking Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 Last week I flew United back from Colorado Springs to Norfolk VA and on one leg they offered to strap it in a seat and on the second leg from Houston I gate checked it. Same thing when I flew United back in May. They have no issue with guitars what so ever. THE most friendly guitar airline in my opinion is Southwest. I have a song writing buddy that told me Frontier would not let him carry it on or gate check the guitar. I have never flown Frontier so I've not experienced this. Lastly, I have been flying with guitars for a lot of years on just about every airline (except Frontier) and none of them have ever not let me at least gate check it. All of the times I had to gate check it was because of the aircraft overhead not being big enough; never because they did not want to be accommodating. Fly United and don't worry about not being able to gate check your guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vw1300 Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 @ Duluth & Kingme: This is very interesting - ticket counter people in Houston and Baltimore were adamant that I could not gate check like I used to, which made no sense to me. Perhaps I have to call United to find out what the official policy is - although they may just say it's at the discretion of the people on duty at that time. Regarding Southwest, my experience is that they are relaxed about gate checking, as one other poster has mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 @ Duluth & Kingme: This is very interesting - ticket counter people in Houston and Baltimore were adamant that I could not gate check like I used to, which made no sense to me. Perhaps I have to call United to find out what the official policy is - although they may just say it's at the discretion of the people on duty at that time. Regarding Southwest, my experience is that they are relaxed about gate checking, as one other poster has mentioned. Maybe that's the difference, I have never even mentiobed it at the ticket counter. My experience in asking for permission has never been good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonderful remark Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 I've had the ticketing agent tell me I couldn't gate check guitars.(Korean Air, Singapore Air, Air Canada, Cathay Pacific and Asiana Air) I used to be able to pull a such BS at the gate as "yeah the ticketing agent didn't say anything". But now days more often than not(at least at YVR), the ticketing agent mans the gate too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mking Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 VW1300, yes this is interesting because the second leg of my flight to Norfolk last week was out of Houston. And I never, never mention anything about my guitar to a ticket counter agent. They have no say so in the matter. You get to the gate and if you are on an aircraft with a large enough overhead, carry it on. If not, you gate check it. There is no need to ever ask a ticket counter person about your guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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