Acoustic guitars on Ryanair

Andrew Flexing

Hi all posted this in the travel section but maybe its better duited here...

Im heading on a Ryanair flight this weekend, I have only decided that I'm bringing hand luggage only but now I will try to take my acoustic guitar. Does anyone know if I tell them in advance or can I just bring it and pay for the extra luggage on the day?

I only have a soft case has anyone put a guitar through like this?

thanks

youtube!

I think you should be OK to just tell them on the day but not100%, best thing to do is simply ring the customer service line

0818 30 30 30

Mountainsandh

Hi, Mr Mountainsandh is a professional musician so he knows these situations and they're a nightmare.
With Ryanair you are going to have to book another seat for your guitar if you want to take it on board the aircraft.
If you had a hard case and trusted their baggage handlers, you could check it in as an instrument, that would have to be done online beforehand.

Mountainsandh

youtube! wrote: »

I think you should be OK to just tell them on the day but not100%, best thing to do is simply ring the customer service line

0818 30 30 30

Mr M's take on the customer's phonelines is that again, you will be told to go online and sort it all there, that's if you do manage to get through to someone who can give you that much advice.

edit : he's been trying to get one of the band members (he also manages bands) to carry a fiddle on board, but Ryanair are not allowing that much, he is now suggesting to said member to maybe hide it in a rucksack or something. They just don't want instruments on board, I think insurance etc... is probably an issue for them.

una_profesora

Andrew Flexing wrote: »

Hi all posted this in the travel section but maybe its better duited here...

Im heading on a Ryanair flight this weekend, I have only decided that I'm bringing hand luggage only but now I will try to take my acoustic guitar. Does anyone know if I tell them in advance or can I just bring it and pay for the extra luggage on the day?

I only have a soft case has anyone put a guitar through like this?

thanks

CAN I CHECK-IN A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT OR PURCHASE AN EXTRA SEAT TO CARRY IT IN THE CABIN?

Large musical equipment (including but not limited to cellos, harps, double bass and drums) are inherently unsuitable for carriage by airlines operating fast turnarounds, such as Ryanair. However, these items may be carried in the hold of the aircraft in addition to your personal checked baggage allowance up to a limit of 20 kilos per item upon payment of an additional discounted fee per item, per one way flight if booked online. If the item is not booked until arrival at the airport or through a Ryanair call centre the full fee will apply click here for rate details. Any musical instrument weighing more than 20 kilos will be charged for the excess weight at the applicable rate per kilo.

Smaller musical items, such as a guitar, violin or viola which exceed our cabin baggage dimensions may be carried in the cabin, if an extra seat has been purchased.

To book an extra seat for a musical instrument go online and select 2 seats the first seat should be booked in the actual passenger's name and the other seat should be entered as ITEM SEAT as the Last Name and EXTRA as the First Name. The name EXTRA ITEM SEAT will then be displayed on the online boarding pass - see extract of an online check-in boarding pass below. There is no cabin or checked baggage allowance associated with the purchase of an extra seat.

Please note that passengers purchasing an extra seat must use online check-in. The passenger's travel document details must be entered for both seats when checking in online. Online check-in is available from 15 days prior up to 4 hours before the scheduled times of flight departure.

Passengers who have booked an extra seat should arrive at the boarding gate at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled flight departure time. If you are unable to locate two seats together on the aircraft please contact our cabin crew as they will be in a position to ensure that you have two seats together.

http://www.ryanair.com/en/questions/can-i-check-in-a-musical-instrument-or-purchase-an-extra-seat-to-carry-it-in-the-cabin

iMADEtheBBC

Why on earth would you try to fly an acoustic guitar in a soft case ?
There is no way I would check a guitar unless it was in a proper case.

It has been a long time since I was able to bring a guitar onboard as carry-on. Not impossible but I haven't seen it done in over 10 years. There simply isn't the room unless you're travelling long haul in business class and even then I've been denied and had to put the guitar in the hold.

I travel monthly around UK & Europe and sometimes bring my guitar if I can find a gig or open mic in the city I'm travelling to.

My experience with different airlines is varied. Ryanair *might* let you take it to oversize baggage without charge but I only got away with that once because I was travelling with my family and the agent at the check-in desk was pleasant. I was already resigned to paying the additional baggage fee but they didn't request it.

Recently with Aer Lingus I haven't been booking the instrument specifically in advance and just bring it to the oversize baggage desk once I've checked in.

Andrew Flexing

I just thought that if they treated it as fragile cargo they wouldnt just feck it on the plane with therest of the bags. Im going to get a hard case! simplest solution!

Deco1983

Gigged a lot in the US over the last few years and some of the airlines in the US will base the extra luggage cost on the actual value of the guitar so be careful.

Ryanair are always piggybacking such US models/initiatives and it may end up costing you a lot of extra money to bring the instrument

I usually travel by boat now when the label sorts out gigs in the UK - saves that hassle

D