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Okay guys I need some help with this. I am travelling home next week and I need to take my 1992 PRS Cu 24, mint condition guitar with me as I am selling it to my brother. ( Why you ask, I have been bitten by the rosewood neck bug after my Brazilian Rosewood Santana model, so I need to make room for the McCarty soapbar rosewood that I have on layaway.) Anyway back to my problem/question. What is the best/safest way to travel with my guitar. I guess my options are to try and carry the guitar on board, if I get stopped at the gate I can always request it to be gate checked like strollers etc. (I will be tavelling with the guitar in it's hardshell case). The other option is to box it up in the original cardboard shipping box (I always keep one on hand) and check it either with regular baggage or as oversize. I need some advise, I have always been too nervous to travel with one of my guitars before.

I think I would probably put it in a good quality flight case and check it.
ROck On - kac

Man i think you'd almost be better of UPS'ing it then try a normall flight..... Flight cases are the best of course and they have been known to fail as well... good luck..

PS if it will fit above in the luggage compartment try it that way

Check with the airlines ahead of time - they may be able to accomodate you.

My first choice would be carry-on.

Where are you flying from-to and what type of aircraft? A guitar will definately fit in an overhead compartment on a 747, but other than that it gets tighter and tighter. I believe some rule/regulation/law was inacted saying that you are allowed to bring an instrument onboard as your carry-on. Do a search and print that out, or contact the airline in advance.

You could buy it its own ticket and buckle it up.You'd also get double the snacks that way.

1 on using a shipping company ... the airlines are MOST inconsistent when it comes to applying the carry-on rules .. it comes down to how crowded the flight is, how anal the security detail is, and what mood the flight crew is in ... if yo uget to the door of the plane and someone says 'no' they toss it down to the monkeys on the ground and it gets the 'special treatment' in the hold and on the ground at you destination ... bumpity bumpity on the carousel ...

for $20-$25, i recommend shipping it after you pack it able to withstand a nuclear blast .. scott_f shipped me the PRS McCarty BLE in it's hard case and shipping box .. arrived perfect .. fed ex ground, a little less than a week ...

best of luck
and congrats on the new McSoapy Rose ... clips when you get it !!!!

cheers
t4d

This is the best advice I have seen on flying with a guitar. Check it out!

from : localhost/www.acousticguitar.com/Gear/advice/flying.shtml


Originally Posted by WhoFanMan i think you'd almost be better of UPS'ing it then try a normall flight..... Flight cases are the best of course and they have been known to fail as well... good luck..

ACK UPS tried to deliver my PRS to me AFTER I already had had it in my possession....for 3 days. Yeah they said they came and I gave a bogus address, but no one came.

I've flown on 2 trips with guitars, and carry it as a carry on. Staff is always understanding, and I can usually put it in a closet.

Luke

I fly with my guitar 2-3 times per year, on various airlines, usually on American, Delta, or Southwest. I've been able to carry on every single time.

I've flown on all sorts of planes, and they've all had ample room in the overheads... surprisingly more than you'd think. And fwiw, I'm bringing my acoustic in a hard case, which I assume takes up even more volume than any electric axe would. The only types of planes I've seen that wouldn't have proper overhead space are those little prop shuttles. but just about any jet will have ample space.

Even though I've always been carryon, I think its wise to be prepared to be ready for a gate check. We have small kids, so we travel with strollers, and its a very simple process and if I *had* to gate check my axe, it wouldn't be a big deal. So I do all the recommended things... detune the strings, pack bubble wrap or newspaper around the headstock, and I put a towel on top and bottom of the guitar body so that its extra snug in the case. And then I put a bungie chord or 2 around the case, because those latches will always flip open when you don't want them too.

Tips to glide right on...

- don't even mention it to the curbide/counter folks. If they ask are you checking it, just say no, its a carry on. That's if they notice the guitar at all. Usually they just want to know how many bags your checking and that's that. A few times they've said quot;flight crew may tell you to gate check it if there's no more room in the overheadsquot;. Just smile and say ok.

- When I get initially get to the gate, go and ask the desk clerk if the flight is full or not. If its not a full flight, you'll probably have no sweat getting it on. at all. relax and enjoy the wait.

- if it is a fully booked flight, best move is to stay near the gate. get ready to get on board asap as soon as they start calling the rows. for you, its a race to the overheads with all the other folks that want to put their bags up there. you don't want to be shut out of that.

- Once you board, try looking down the rows at the overheads that will be approximately over your seat. If you are a bit late and notice they are filling up, then just stash your axe in the first available spot and then go find your seat. Its better to have it in front of you so you can get off the plane with out going quot;backwardsquot; (always a pain).

- If things are really jammed already, ask the flight attendant to store it in the coat closet at the front of the plane. those things are huge, and the coat rack is only in the front half anyway, with a hole quot;hollowquot; section behind it for storing guitars!. I've only had to do it once because I got to the airport late.

- The only reason they would need you to quot;gate checkquot;, is if you get there so late that there's no room in the overheads or closets for you.

I strongly believe you're better off with a hard case, than a gig bag. once its in the overhead bin, there's always some monkey that wants to shove something on/near the axe, and at least I know its not going to be harmed by any shuffling about. Also, just in case you gate check, you'd much rather have it in the case than the bag.

hope this helps. relax. you'll get it there

Ask the lady (or man) at the desk if you can cary it on. If you can, do that. If you can't, have it in a hard case and ask them for a garment box (they'll know what you mean). Put the hard case inside the cardboard box they give you and tape it up. Then do everything you possibly can to gate check it rather than giving it to them right then and there.

Edit: I used to always be able to carry on, but lately several airlines have said their new policy is to not do that.

Treat Sabe's words as gold. He's 100% right on the money.

Hmm, maybe I should try to get in on the plane more often, 95% of the time I end up gate claiming my guitar with the strollers. They just stop me before I get on the plane. And I'm always stressed out after the flight waiting around for someone to bring it back to me, and I know it's just a matter of time until my #1 guitar magically disappears.

Besides that, you might consider dressing well and looking more quot;professional,quot; you'd be surprised how differently people treat you based on that alone. Make sure that you don't have anything inside your case that will throw off the xray, like wire cutters. Sabe pretty much covered the rest; and did a good job! Good luck with your flight, it sucks that musicians have to deal with a more stressful travel experience than everyone else.

Here are a couple of interesting sites:First a letter about carrying instruments as carry-on

from : localhost/travel tips for musicians

from : localhost/www.afvbm.com/Travel.htm

I carried my guitar on when I flew to UGD...that's my prefered way. I'd check ahead of time with the airline and make sure of the rules. Many (but not all) of the planes still have a small closet up front to store stuff in. I was on a 24 passenger plane that had one, then a full size job that didn't....but then it fits in overhead.

If I had to check it.....then I'd go Fed Ex and insure it.

I've flown my Gamp;L 2-2000 in it's SKB case in baggage. No extra padding, no extra precautions other than taping the latches shut. It came out fine all 6 times. That's called pushing your luck.

I check my guitars and I generally have no issues but I may carry one and check one next trip.

My SKB case was beat pretty badly but my LP Special suffered no issues when I checked it. My Coffin Flight case with LP Standard has suffered no issues in 3 round trips and my Line6 Duoverb head was in a flight case and made it fine from NY to FLA. I fyou don't have flight rated cases try to carry it on. Tell the TSA Agents you are a performing musician and they are usually much easier to deal with but be prepared. Make sure everything is out of the case, make their lives and in turn yours a lot easier.

Thanks all, great advice.


Originally Posted by RW James...

First a letter about carrying instruments as carry-on

from : localhost/sure to have your union membership card if you use that letter .. it only applies to union members .. trying to pass it off to airport / airline security if you cant prove you are in the union will likely result in an extensive delay / investigation / and maybe even confiscation of your axe while they determine why you were trying to get it onboard under false pretenses

cheers
t4d