guitar as hand luggage?

acid

I need to bring an electric guitar with me on an aer lingus flight.
Anyone know if I can bring it with me as hand luggage?
I don't have a hard/flight case and even if I did I'd be very reluctant to leave it with normal hold baggage.

Lenny

Doubtful it will fit into the over head, you won't be allowed to have it beside you though,
there is usually basket things that let you measure your hand luggage and see if it will fit in the over head in the airports,
knowing security they wouldn't let you take it on because the strings could be used as a weapon(don't be suprised)

ferdi

get your guitar and wrap it in foam and bubble wrap and such (especially the sensitive areas), then put it in a hard case and close that securly by winding masking tape round it

feylya

And AFAIK, you're always charged for excess baggage if you bring a guitar with you.

bovril

I brought an acoustic guitar back from the US last year in a hard case, I had towels filling the gaps at the sides of it. I checked it in as I would a suitcase. I was not charged any extra for it. It arrived back in Ireland fine. If you check it in it is seen as a suitcase so it depends on where you are travelling to and luggage limits to the destination with the airline. On a transatlantic flight you are allowed 2 suitcases as check in luggage and I item of hand luggage + a laptop/handbag on most carriers, this is how much I travelled with all the time last year. Check on the airlingus website or ring them

the_corpo

it's vitally important to completely loosen your strings before putting them on a plane also. the sudden changes in temperature can do all sorts of things to the wood and you don't to risk any permanent damage by the string tautness adding extra stress.

parsi

Originally posted by Lenny
knowing security they wouldn't let you take it on because the strings could be used as a weapon(don't be suprised)

Not just the strings Ever hear of "death by accordeon" on the Paris Metro where 2 guys get on with accordeons and won't get off until everyone is deaf..

Mr E

I know someone who has a €2,000 guitar, and always buys a SEAT for it when he is travelling by plane (He doesn't trust the baggage handlers - they aren't called 'throwers' for nothing!)

- Dave.

acid

Originally posted by the_corpo
it's vitally important to completely loosen your strings before putting them on a plane also. the sudden changes in temperature can do all sorts of things to the wood and you don't to risk any permanent damage by the string tautness adding extra stress.

d'oh - never thought of that. thanks a lot! - might as well remove the strings completely i suppose.

I reckon i'll just detach the neck (not something i relish doing) and fit it into a smallish bag.

Gordon

If you can detach etc then cool but I've never had a problem on planes.

You can just about always bring the guitar up to the boarding gate with you, I don't think I've ever had to give it to check in when I had a soft case.

When at the boarding gate you can plead with them to bring it on the plane. In this case sometimes the gorgeous stewardesses will place it in their one and only upright closet or they will set it next to their drinks trolley if you flutter your eyelashes.

Otherwise they will make a priority with the hold for your guitar. You may have to give it up to them so that they will put it in the hold on top of all the hold bags. If this is the case you will most likely get it on the baggage escalator unless you expressly ask the big breasted stewardess for it before you start to land - she may get it for you when the plane lands.

But pack a jumper or coat around it just in case, you don't need to fully take off the strings though.

Have a nice flight.

irishman_abroad

I brought mine on boards the plane with me and they made the rear loo "out-of-order" so they could store my guitar

Slaan.

feylya

When I was bringing my LTD back from America, I took off the neck, wrapped it in a leather coat, stuck it in a bag, wrapped the body in the lining from the coat and stuck that in another bag. No harm came to it.

davros

I've brought an acoustic all over the world without trouble. I was sometimes allowed stow it up the front of the plane in a tall press. But I stopped bothering even with that after a while. A proper form-fitting hard case is what you need, and loosen the strings as was mentioned earlier.

Slap "FRAGILE" stickers all over the outside of the case and check it in with normal luggage (they might ask you to bring it to the oversized baggage counter).

I have never been charged extra for my guitar.

One thing, though: if you have one of those moving-needle tuners, take it in hand luggage. They are far more fragile than the guitar and won't survive normal luggage-handling. (After losing a few of them, I now use a solid-state tuner - much more rugged.)

Your electric is mainly a slab of solid wood. If my acoustic (it's a good one) survived, your electric should be fine.