Air Travel with Acoustic Guitar

Gdphillips57 · #1 03-08-2022, 11:30 AM

I'd like to take my guitar with me on my next trip from AZ to WA. What is the best way to take it with me on a flight? I've read that I can take it to the gate and gate check it, then pick it up at the gate when de-planing at my destination. What about insuring it for the trip? Any suggestions are welcome.

Bridgepin · #2 03-08-2022, 11:43 AM

I would absolutely insure it, Pack the headstock cavity so that the headstock is supported, remove the end pin, detune the strings just a bit not so much that they can hit the top of the guitars. I hope you have a VERY good fight case.

HISCOX CASES
Liteflite PRO-II-GAD

Is a good investment if you travel, but you can spend a lot more like a Carlton case.

Gdphillips57 · #3 03-08-2022, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bridgepin

I would absolutely insure it, Pack the headstock cavity so that the headstock is supported, remove the end pin, detune the strings just a bit not so much that they can hit the top of the guitars. I hope you have a VERY good fight case.

HISCOX CASES
Liteflite PRO-II-GAD

Is a good investment if you travel, but you can spend a lot more like a Carlton case.

Where can I purchase HISCOX cases domestically? I searched online and only found them for sale in the UK.

CollingsPicker · #4 03-08-2022, 11:47 AM

You can take it with you to the gate and upon boarding, if there is room on board, they will generally let you stow it in the cabin. However, I would always prepare for the worst and have it ready to gate check if necessary. As for protection - all of my guitars are insured for any unforeseen hazard so whether I’m shipping, playing, recording or traveling, they are fully protected with no deductible and no questions. Or, very few questions. I’ve never had a problem. If you get concerned over it, you can always ship it ahead. I do that when I’m traveling a great distance to play & I don’t want the hassle of carrying it along with me.

Gdphillips57 · #5 03-08-2022, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CollingsPicker

You can take it with you to the gate and upon boarding, if there is room on board, they will generally let you stow it in the cabin. However, I would always prepare for the worst and have it ready to gate check if necessary. As for protection - all of my guitars are insured for any unforeseen hazard so whether I’m shipping, playing, recording or traveling, they are fully protected with no deductible and no questions. Or, very few questions. I’ve never had a problem. If you get concerned over it, you can always ship it ahead. I do that when I’m traveling a great distance to play & I don’t want the hassle of carrying it along with me.

Where do you get your insurance? I'd like to look into that. Also, what is your preferred method of shipping? Do you put it in a box, or just ship the case?

Deliberate1 · #6 03-08-2022, 12:14 PM

I just flew from Maine to Montana (and back). All the planes were full to capacity, as was the overhead storage. Moreover, some of the flights were on smaller, regional jets whose compartments may not even be big enough to accomodate a guitar case, even if empty. I think about these things these days, though I have never travelled with a guitar.

I am in the States and bought a Hiscox case from Anderton's in the UK. The prices plus shipping was in the $240 range. And it arrived in two days. It is a very fine case, though, as some may recall from my posts, there were some closure issues, even empty. Ultimately, the case material packed out, and it closed empty. And I removed some of the filling from the pad attached to the case cover above the lower bout. All good now. An absolute bargain. And I have a Visesnut case to compare it to.
Good luck.
David

TomB'sox · #7 03-08-2022, 12:24 PM

If you fly Southwest and pay the extra 15 to 20 bucks to board early, you can carry it on 100% of the time. I have done it dozens of times and it was never a question. One day I was standing in line next to a Bluegrass band and they had all their instruments except the stand up bass in line with them. They all boarded and stowed them in the over head.

JHey! · #8 03-08-2022, 12:32 PM

I fly with my Guild F-30. I really like it, but it’s the wood guitar I’d be least upset about losing, damaging, etc. I keep it in its usual hard shell case. I carry it on or gate check it. I haven’t checked it like normal luggage and don’t think I would. So far so good.

Graylocks · #9 03-08-2022, 12:48 PM

If you search the forum you'll find this has been discussed many times with detailed posting on best practices.

RLetson · #10 03-08-2022, 01:07 PM

A bunch of variables, starting with the particular airline and the specific aircraft and including the mood of the gate and flight crews. Flying Delta out of Minneapolis to Pittsburgh or Orlando, I've found the personnel to be accommodating and helpful at both ends. And I pay for early boarding. Nevertheless, I use my sturdiest cases and am prepared to gate-check when the plane is too full or (increasingly on the Pittsburgh route) too small to keep my big SuperCase in the cabin. I also insure my guitars via a homeowner's-insurance rider. (If I were a professional, it would require a separate, special policy.) Delta's gate-check procedure has been quite good--hand-loading with some care at both ends. But not all airlines are equally guitar-friendly, so ask around for anecdotes and experiences.

Rev Roy · #11 03-08-2022, 01:21 PM

I fly Southwest several times a year from OK to AZ. I always pay the little extra for early boarding. That guarantees space in the overhead bins when I board. So I’ve never had trouble getting my guitar (in its Hiscox Pro II case) onboard with me. I’m told Southwest is the most guitar-friendly airline. Sounds right to me given the wonderful treatment they’ve given me and my guitars over the years.

…and I have Heritage instrument insurance which IMHO is the best guitar safety net around.

TTiimm · #12 03-08-2022, 01:28 PM

Anyone use https://shipguitars.com/?

I've used a similar service for bicycles - bikeflights.com - to ship very expensive pro level bikes but not since Covid. I simply dropped it off a few days before travel and it was there when I got to my destination. They used to use UPS and were reliable but switched to Fedex and some have had issues.

I know there is a company that specializes in golf clubs as well.

Would love to hear if anyone has experience with shipguitars.

AcousticDreams · #13 03-08-2022, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gdphillips57

Where can I purchase HISCOX cases domestically? I searched online and only found them for sale in the UK.

Have no fear in buying from UK. You can buy from Andertons music. Myself and several others recently bought from them and I received mine in less than 7 days all the way to California.

The Hiscox ProII is around $250 shipped. And the Artist is a little over $420 or so(can't remember exactly). The Artist has the most protection but is also a lot heavier. You actually get the price slightly less than what they show because you do not have to pay for VAT(their taxes) But, then shipping is added. Which is extremely reasonable.

Some of the Hiscox cases are out of stock and take about a month to get in. But you can preorder in order to assure your position.

I own both the Hiscox ProII and the Hiscox Artist. I hope to do a review next week sometime and explain in detail what I like about each of these models.
https://www.andertons.co.uk/

lowrider · #14 03-08-2022, 01:41 PM

Question about gait checking; where do you pick it up?

I thought that if you gate-checked, it came out at the baggage carousel. That's not what was posted above.

The only time I ever was told to gate check a bag, I said OK, then as I walked down the jetway I tore off the tag, got on the plane, and put it in the overhead.

619TF · #15 03-08-2022, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowrider

Question about gait checking; where do you pick it up?

I thought that if you gate-checked, it came out at the baggage carousel. That's not what was posted above.

The only time I ever was told to gate check a bag, I said OK, then as I walked down the jetway I tore off the tag, got on the plane, and put it in the overhead.

Gate checked means just that. You get the tag at the gate, walk down the boarding ramp and turn it in with the strollers and such. End of the flight and your guitar is there at the jetway as you get off the plane and it never goes in with the general luggage. As to the legalities, how to best prepare and all the other stuff...asked and answered in many threads here at AGF. Use the search.