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Will my guitar get damaged from traveling in an airplanes cargo hold?

Manubro1

By Manubro1
in The Gibson Lounge

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Manubro1

Manubro1

Posted
Posted

This will be a very long flight, about twelve hours. It would be inconveniant for me to take it as carry on since I am going on a trip with an organized group and we have to deposit our luggage before the flight. My guitar is an acoustic guitar. How safe is it for the guitar to be in the cargo of the plane along with the other luggage? Obviously it will be in a hardshell case.

 

Thx.

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jimmiJAMM

jimmiJAMM

Posted
Posted

My brother's acoustic got all smashed up in the cargo hold on a flight once. The airline replaced it but still...

 

Guess you never know for sure. Sometimes old lady's pampered pooches come out like frozen turkeys.

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Twiz

Twiz

Posted
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Make sure you loosen the tension on the strings before you put it in the case. It also wouldn't hurt to throw some bubble wrap in there just to make sure everything doesn't move around. -Make sure the headstock is protected. Is there any kind of insurance you can purchase from the airline just in case the bag throwers break something? I don't fly very often, so I'm not sure if that kind of thing is offered.

 

I'd recommend carrying it on the plane if possible. I know that's probably more of a pain in the a$$ though. I heard BB King just buys the seat beside him when he flies with Lucille. That seems like the best option. -Not very practical though. Haha.

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NeoConMan

NeoConMan

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The cargo hold is pressurized and climate controlled same as the cabin.

Only a floor separates the two.

 

That being said, I've heard women b!tch about cosmetics being ruined from the cold, etc.

 

The baggage handler gorillas are always careful and considerate 100% of the time on every airline - not.

I see people all the time that fly with guitars, said they've always had good luck - but they're cheap guitars.

My guess - the odds of something happening are directly related to the value of the guitar.

Murphy's Law is a m@therfxcker.

 

And yes, detune half a step before flying.

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DanvillRob

DanvillRob

Posted
Posted
This will be a very long flight' date=' about twelve hours. It would be inconveniant for me to take it as carry on since I am going on a trip with an organized group and we have to deposit our luggage before the flight. My guitar is an acoustic guitar. How safe is it for the guitar to be in the cargo of the plane along with the other luggage? Obviously it will be in a hardshell case.

 

Thx.[/quote']

 

Three words:

 

united_breaks_guitars_tshirt-p235644166871767881qzad_325.jpg

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SweetMarie

SweetMarie

Posted
Posted
Didn't that guy do a song about that?

Taylor I think it was....

 

Probably a YouTube video of it...

 

The Sons Of Maxwell...the video is a hoot!

 

You can take your guitar as a carry-on if it fits in the overhead bin (they usually will). If you're going to check it in get an ATA case (also called a flight case). A regular hardshell guitar case is not generally up to the abuse baggage handlers dish out.

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Silverbursted

Silverbursted

Posted
Posted

I fly with mine all the time. Don't check it, it will fit just fine in the overhead bin. And don't ask the airlines ahead of time, they will always tell you no, but as I said, nobody seems to care. The only airline that has given me a hard time about carrying a guitar is US Airways. As a minimum, do a gate check, that way it will be placed in last. It is true that the cargo hold is pressurized and temperature regulated, but things do get banged around down there.

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jamman

jamman

Posted
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I have flown a number of times,alot, long flights 8 + hours on the 1st leg. than 2:30 on the 2nd. I always have put my guitars in the holds. I've never had any issues. Get the Airline to put "fragile" stickers all over your case. I use A.A. and TAM (brazilian).The guitars were not very exspencive ones (Strats. and a good old Ovation) so that would be something to factor in. Buying the seat next to you is the best option. Detune, pack well,always very important. As far as i know the airlines do not sell insurance,so pray. When checking in, i always explain that it's a valuable guitar and that they need to take special care with it.

I've been lucky so far hope you are to.

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daveinspain

daveinspain

Posted
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I have flown many times and brought my guitars on board with me. They can either go in the over head compartments or in the closet in first class... The one time I had to check a guitar was on a small shuttle flight from Boston to Newark. The plane was extremely small, was actually more like a private jet, and there was no space to carry it with me. When I got to Newark and they brought me the guitar, the case had a big rip in the vinyl across the top... I was so pissed. They obviously jammed it in with all the other stuff forcing it to fit. There was no time to complain because I had to catch a connecting flight.

 

No matter how inconvenient it may be insist that your guitar travels with you... This may be more difficult with an acoustic because of the size though...

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retrosurfer1959

retrosurfer1959

Posted
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If you don't want to carry your guitar on or can't for some reason then a solid well made flight case is required - A regular guitar case is not a travel case and there is a big difference between the two. A heavy walled rigid case with airport approved locks so they can check it is required. I have a old original aluminium plate Coffin flight case that was one of the first products Coffin sold and it's pretty much indestructible. It's also covered in cGouges, scrapes and dent's that would have done horrible things to any guitar that was in a soft wood factory case.

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Silverbursted

Silverbursted

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Good point about the flight case. I have 2 SKB cases, one for an LP the other for a Strat. Both have the TSA locks. Even going in the overhead bins, the still get beat up. I am very cautious, but still have scars on the cases that probably would have destroyed a regular case. Guitars came out unscathed.

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