Question: Flying with an Acoustic Guitar

nuke_diver

Riding Solo
I've never done it (or flown with any guitar for that matter). I'm heading back east in the Summer for a guitar camp (Tommy Emmanuel camp) and would like to bring my guitar. It has a lot of sentimental value but is not an expensive guitar. I do have a hard case for it which is old and beat up but is solid (and heavy) plywood construction. If I don't bring it I will have to rent something.

I know the ruling on flying with guitars but I see that there is a caveat that there needs to be room for it and it seems like every flight I've had recently is full. Additionally at least one leg will require a smaller commuter type jet so it wouldn't fit in the overhead there anyways. I'm not too worried about it being knocked about a bit but I am looking for opinions on the hassle of bring it in the first place. A rental could get dinged up accidental and I would be responsible for that while on my guitar a few more scratches would just be more war stories which there are already a lot.

:grin:
 
There's almost always room in the closet. Last time I flew (this month) all flights were booked solid, but there was plenty of room in the closet. Plus, it feels good smashing first-class passengers Brooks Bros coats....
 
Many newer planes don't have closets these days, so don't rely on that. I've tried every manner of subterfuge to get guitars on flights. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It depends on the airport, and sometimes the airline. Having a copy of the new FAA rules with you means nothing -- I've shown it to gate workers, they don't give a shit about it. Be prepared to gate-check your guitar.

Bottom line -- it's a crap shoot.
 
Ok, so this happened last month when I went on tour...

Flew JetBlue international out of JFK in NY. Usually I'm out with a crew of 10 -15, so it's easy to make a case for not annoying the people in seats around you with a guitar case. This time, it was just me as I was joining guys already on the road. What gets you on a plane first besides buying "early boarding"? Being in a wheelchair! So, I requested one at the gate. There I sat clutching my guitar case -- me and a few old ladies, all of us in wheelchairs. They announce boarding, and wheel us to the ticket takers, where they tried to take my guitar for gate-check. I immediately whip out the FAA rules allowing me to carry it on. They admitted that they didn't care what the rules are, I wasn't getting on the plane with it. They wheel me down the jetway where a gate supervisor was waiting for me and proceeded to inform me of the same. I argued that he's violating Federal regulations, etc, and tried to show him the FAA rules that I had with me, highlighted to easily show the pertinent language. He was uninterested and said, "Either you give me the guitar, or you don't get on the plane!". I said, "Let me put the guitar here for a sec while I talk to the flight crew!"...."Nope, it's going under the plane!"...As soon as I step on the plane, the pilot comes out of the cockpit and asks what the problem is. I tell him, showing him the FAA rules. He takes it from me and RUNS off the plane to argue on my behalf. Comes back a few minutes later and says. "Sorry -- I'll personally hand it to you when we land! Let me buy you a drink.[at 7:embarrassed:0 AM???]", and explains that until the plane door closes, the gate people are in charge. I was in the 2nd row of the plane. As soon as we landed, he RAN off the plane to get my guitar and deliver it to me, apologizing some more and urging me to complain about my treatment. I haven't yet, though. JetBlue at JFK is ALWAYS a problem for me. Every. Single. Time.

In my experience, the flight crews are almost always accomodating, even breaking the rules on a few occasions. It's the folks at the gate that are the problem. Remember that.
 
It’s easier with a small guitar—I never had trouble flying with a Les Paul in a typical Les Paul case. If I was going to fly with an acoustic it would be a parlor guitar or an undersized classical. If you also have a carry-on bag make it a SMALL bag that can go under the seat or on top of the case (I’ve used small duffels for this). If you have to take a laptop it better be a tiny one that goes in a tiny bag under the tiny seat. Another trick is to take the guitar and a carry-on suitcase. Then they’ll usually let you take the guitar and make you check the suitcase.
 
I figured one was at the mercy of the gate crew...pretty much you always are. One time they threw away my boarding pass...said they didn't and argued with me until the plane left...then found it in the trash :mad:

I'm not going to buy a travel guitar. I don't travel enough to warrant it and I'd like to bring my guitar because I'm comfortable with it. If I don't bring it I'll just rent one for the camp which is logistically the easiest thing to do. I think in a hard case a gate check would be ok. I'm 100% sure I will have to gate check on the shorter commuter jet flight that I'll need to take. I just want to be sure if I arrive my guitar arrives :P
 
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