Can You Take a Guitar on a Plane

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If you're worried about whether or non yous tin take your guitar on a aeroplane or whether information technology would survive travelling as checked luggage, don't worry! It'southward actually your legal correct to carry a guitar in the motel of a airplane with no extra fees, provided that yous follow some guidelines regarding size and safe. In order to avoid any at-gate arguments, you lot tin can impress out and carry Sec. 403 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Deed of 2012, which describes how you are allowed to travel with a guitar on a plane. Note that at that place will e'er be exceptions, such as when you lot're flying on a pocket-sized plane that only simply doesn't have room onboard for your guitar.

1. ane

   Volume a seat at the back of the plane in society to lath offset. People at the back of the plane commonly get to board first, so you're less probable to have problems finding space in the overhead bins. Cull a seat every bit far back in the plane as is available when you're purchasing your ticket to make the procedure of storing your guitar onboard easier.^[1]

   • If you're purchasing an actress seat for your guitar instead of storing it in an overhead luggage compartment, it doesn't matter whether the seats are towards the back or non.
   • If you're flying on an airline that assigns priority groups and lets yous choose your seat when you board, attempt to check in equally soon as possible to increase your odds of boarding first. In this case, it doesn't matter where your seat is, just choose 1 that has storage infinite bachelor.

2. 2

   Bring your guitar as standard behave-on luggage if it fits in an overhead bin. Sec. 403 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Human activity of 2012 permits passengers to carry a guitar or another musical instrument in a plane's motel instead of a carry-on bag, as long as it volition fit in normal luggage storage bins. Ensure your guitar is not longer or wider than the airline'southward overhead bins before you travel with it if yous want to conduct it on at no extra cost.^[two]

   • You can telephone call an airline's customer service line to verify the verbal overhead bin size for your flight.
   • Note that there must be space in the overhead bins at the fourth dimension you lath the plane or the airline can require that yous check it at the gate. Flying attendants won't remove other luggage to make space for your guitar.
   • Try to acquit your guitar as discreetly past holding it down at your side on the side furthest away from the agents when yous're boarding your flight to avoid getting hassled by the agents at the gate. If they do say something, politely explain that y'all're bringing it instead of a slice of carry-on luggage, as permitted by law.
   • Keep in mind that if you go your guitar onboard, but there isn't any room for information technology, yous might still have to give information technology to a flight bellboy to ship it below.

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3. 3

   Ask a flight attendant if you can shop your guitar in a glaze closet. There are frequently coat closets at the front and back of a plane that flying attendants shop things in. Politely explain to a flight attendant that yous're worried about your guitar getting damaged during the flying and ask if there is any extra room in a closet to store it upright.^[3]

   • You lot can also try this option if there's no overhead room when you lot're boarding your flight and the gate attendants are telling y'all that yous tin can't have your guitar on.
   • Go along in mind that flight attendants are not required to store your guitar in a closet, and so if they do so, they're doing you lot a kind favor.
   • Don't fight with the flight attendants if they won't put it in a closet for you. Yous won't achieve annihilation this style.

4. four

   Identify your guitar carefully into an overhead bin if you can't put it in a cupboard. Head to your seat and put your guitar horizontally into the closest available overhead bin. Place it on superlative of other passengers' overhead baggage if the bins are already filling upward and continue an eye out to brand sure nobody puts annihilation on top of it.^[4]

   • If y'all're having trouble plumbing fixtures your guitar into partially-filled luggage bins, politely enquire nearby passengers if y'all tin accommodate their luggage differently in order to fit your guitar in.

5. 5

   Purchase a ticket for your guitar if you can't take it as carry-on baggage. Purchase an additional ticket for an next seat and take your guitar on the aeroplane as if it'southward a person in the seat side by side to you. This is the but fashion y'all're allowed to take a big guitar on a plane with you that is too big to fit in an overhead bin.^[v]

   • If you lot aren't sure whether your guitar will fit in an overhead bin, this is the safest way to avoid problems when y'all're boarding the flight.
   • Make sure that you lot are able to choose 2 seats next to each other if y'all're purchasing tickets online or to request 2 adjacent seats if yous're ownership your tickets in person.
   • Naturally, this isn't always going to exist realistic, particularly if your flight is expensive. Other options you can consider are getting a smaller, cheaper guitar just for travel or shipping your guitar to your destination.

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1. 1

   Use a soft case to make your guitar fit into cabin storage more easily. Place your guitar in a soft gig-style case to minimize its footprint for travel. These types of cases don't usually add a lot of majority, then your guitar volition still be able to fit into an overhead bin.^[6]

   • These types of cases will also make your guitar look less beefy when you carry it on. You lot're less likely to get hassled by a gate attendant or flying bellboy while you're bringing it onboard that way.
   • If y'all want a little extra protection, you tin get a fortified gig instance. These are still soft, but have a piffling more grade and structure to help pad your guitar during its journey. Keep in mind they are also a little bulkier than totally soft cases, but this will at to the lowest degree provide more than protection than a standard soft case if you finish up having to bank check your guitar.
   • Your guitar legally must be covered in guild for you to accept it on a plane as carry-on luggage. This is required in social club to prevent injury to other passengers. This applies regardless of whether you buy an extra seat for it or plan on storing information technology in the baggage compartment.

2. 2

   Put your guitar in a hard travel case if you have to put it in the cargo hold. Choose the hardest, sturdiest case possible for your guitar if information technology's as well large to put in an overhead bin and you don't want to pay for an extra seat. This will provide the most protection while it'southward existence tossed around by baggage handlers and stored in the hold with other luggage.^[seven]

   • For example, if yous called your airline and found out that your guitar is too big for your flight'south overhead bins or if you're flying on a small driver plane, put information technology in a hard instance.
   • If you program to fly with your guitar a lot, invest in a heavy-duty flight case. These cases are expensive, but they are fabricated of very hard, reinforced materials and take a lot of cream padding for maximum protection.

3. 3

   Pack your guitar with paper to fill actress infinite and end it from moving. Loosen the strings slightly and put crumpled upwardly paper or packing paper in between the strings and the fretboard. Wrap newspaper or packing paper around the headstock, cervix, and heel to protect them. Fill in any empty spaces in the example with newspaper also.^[viii]

   • Yous could also use soft items of habiliment like T-shirts instead of paper. Doing so tin can even save you a fiddling room in your other luggage.
   • Bubble wrap would likewise work well for this.

4. four

   Avoid putting any prohibited objects inside your guitar instance with the guitar. Remove annihilation from the case that is not allowed inside a airplane's cabin. Don't put annihilation in the case that you wouldn't put in a normal piece of comport-on baggage to avert problems with airport security.^[9]

   • For example, annihilation sharp, bottles of liquids over 3 oz (88.vii mL), and lighters are things that are prohibited from plane cabins.

5. 5

   Ensure the total weight of your guitar is within the airline'southward limit. The standard motel luggage weight limit is 165 lb (75 kg), so your guitar won't be overweight for a standard commercial flight. Counterbalance your guitar in its case to make sure that it falls nether the airline's weight limit if your flight has a lower limit.^[x]

   • You tin can telephone call your airline's client service line alee of time or look on their website to find the verbal weight restrictions for your specific flight.
   • Y'all are probably only likely to take problems with weight if you are flight on an extremely minor plane, since no guitars counterbalance anywhere nigh 165 lb (75 kg).
   • Note that flights also have weight limits for checked luggage, but information technology is extremely unlikely a guitar will exceed such a limit.

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• Depending on how expensive your guitar is and where you're flying to, ownership an actress flight ticket for it might be cheaper than risking damaging information technology past sending it as checked luggage.^[11]

• Consider ownership a cheaper guitar specifically for travel if you lot have an expensive guitar that you lot're really worried about damaging.^[12]

• Call up that every airline and fifty-fifty every flight bellboy or gate bellboy may not treat you and your guitar the same. Impress out a copy of Sec. 403 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 and carry it with you to help resolve any disputes.^[13]

• If you lot're flight on a minor aeroplane or your guitar is too big to fit in a storage compartment, exist prepared to ship it equally checked luggage and pack it properly in a hard travel case or flying case.^[fourteen]

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• Avoid checking your guitar unless you have absolutely no other option. Luggage handlers are notoriously rough with baggage and are unlikely to brand an exception for your guitar. Too, the changes in temperature and pressure level in the cargo concur tin damage your guitar during the flight.^[15]

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