Does anyone have the current scoop on flying with guitars? Do they generally allow you to carry them on? I'll be flying to the Catskills this summer and I really don't want to check it...
I have this great little piece of paper in which the FAA clearly states after 9/11 that professional musicians can carry an instrument up to the size of a guitar on board as their carry on. Do not try to take it as extra! Use the baggage check for everything but your instrument and a small backpack.
There were a few years when I was travelling back and forth from the US to Japan, from Japan to Puerto Rico and various other places. I always took my fiddle with me. I only had to produce the actual document once and that was in Boston.
I found the document of the internet about 2 years ago. I'll see if I can't resurect it. I will need to go through my papers to find the paper document right now. Once I find it, I'll post back.
By the way, if you aren't a professional musician, don't volunteer that information. They also cannot make you play your instrument to prove you are a musician because of what happened in Nazi Germany to a Jewish musician. If someone suggests you play, just laugh it off as a joke.
Since I don't know where you are from I will also tell you that I heard some of the airlines in Ireland make you check your instrument, although Air Arran allowed me to take mine on board with me. It might have been my Yankee twang though.
I carry my flute on in a back pack and it often gets checked at the x-ray machine. I'm not sure why....
Maybe it looks like knives or a gun or something. Or maybe they just consider wind instruments to be dangerous weapons..
The thing about airport security these days is that it's always different.
I've only had trouble with getting my viola through security once (granted, I don't fly with it much) - the girl who was at the counter where I checked in told me that I'd have to check it as well, so I went over to the guys working security and they told me it was fine.
The document referred to was pushed through by the American Federation of Musicians, and should be accessible on their web site (www.afm.org). If you have trouble getting ahold of it, I should have a copy on one of my machines, and will happily dig it out - email me through the site, as I'm not resident here on the mustard-yellow board as much as I'd like to be these day.
Generally, I don't recommend lying to security people in airports. Partly out of politeness - they're doing their job, they want to get you on the plane, they're not there to ruin your day. Try to work with them, and ask them the one important question: "How do I get my instrument safely from here to there?" If you explain the considerations - pressure, temperature, humidity, and handling - that are in play, usually they'll decide it's easiest to get the instrument on the plane. If you're smiling and act like they're a human being, usually they'll actively want to get the instrument there in one piece, because they like you.
I usually explain that my guitar is harmed by the same things that harm babies and dogs, that being decompression, extreme cold, extreme changes in humidity, and being dropped on its head, and ask that they treat it like a large baby. Usually that gets it into a coat closet, which makes me glad I'm not travelling with an actual baby!
The last time I did this which was when the dinosaurs still roamed the earth.... I got a letter ahead from the airline that stated my dreadnaught could go on the plane and be held in a stewardess' closet for the duration of the flight. I had the letter for coming and going, showed it all along the way.
There were no terror threats back then, but I would imagine if you had an official letter it would be ok to show to all checkers.
I want to build at some point a travel guitar where the neck unbolts and there is a decorative screw at the end of the fingerboard, looking like an inlay with a little hole in it. You can put it then in a small suitcase with foam in two parts and fit it in overhead, and put it back together in about 20 minutes, including re-tuning.
My luthier teacher said no reason why not. You could also see if an adventurous repair person/luthier could adapt a guitar like that for you. I know some small builders make them but they are in the $5000-7000+ range. I may try to adapt an old Norman OM I have just for fun.
I took my anglo through Liverpool which got the reaction (scally accent here) "Eh, its one of those sqeezy things!" from the x-ray department.
You might have more luck with a guitar seeing as it is John Lennon Airport.
Usually, they will let you on board with a guitar, but it's best not to have any other hand luggage. You can always use the argument that you have travelled with it before on their line and there was no problem. That should work. Even if they are reluctant, it is usually feasible to negotiate with the check-in desk assistant, and after that is just as sneetch said. Just remember to remove any extra strings you would have in the case (put them in your standard luggage), because they will be confiscated by the security as a terrorist weapon. If they will try to force you to remove the strings you have on your guitar, you can either comply, or if you feel recalcitrant, argue that you have flown already several times and there was no problem, and that opening the case and unwinding the string takes enough time for the flight to finish.
I have had no trouble carying a mando on with me, however, try to carry a set of juggling pins/clubs and you have security following you around like nothing else! They are PLASTIC... while training I get hit in the head by them all the time, they are not dangerous objects!
*wanders away shaking head* arg.. I guess they just don't like us circus folk :(
Airline travel and guitars
Airline travel and guitars
Does anyone have the current scoop on flying with guitars? Do they generally allow you to carry them on? I'll be flying to the Catskills this summer and I really don't want to check it...
# Posted on June 3rd 2006 by ridgeback3
Re: Airline travel and guitars
Hide it when you're checking in your luggage then tell everyone else that the first person you spoke to said it would be ok
# Posted on June 3rd 2006 by sneetch
Re: Airline travel and guitars
I have this great little piece of paper in which the FAA clearly states after 9/11 that professional musicians can carry an instrument up to the size of a guitar on board as their carry on. Do not try to take it as extra! Use the baggage check for everything but your instrument and a small backpack.
There were a few years when I was travelling back and forth from the US to Japan, from Japan to Puerto Rico and various other places. I always took my fiddle with me. I only had to produce the actual document once and that was in Boston.
I found the document of the internet about 2 years ago. I'll see if I can't resurect it. I will need to go through my papers to find the paper document right now. Once I find it, I'll post back.
By the way, if you aren't a professional musician, don't volunteer that information. They also cannot make you play your instrument to prove you are a musician because of what happened in Nazi Germany to a Jewish musician. If someone suggests you play, just laugh it off as a joke.
Since I don't know where you are from I will also tell you that I heard some of the airlines in Ireland make you check your instrument, although Air Arran allowed me to take mine on board with me. It might have been my Yankee twang though.
# Posted on June 3rd 2006 by Meri-pixie
Re: Airline travel and guitars
I carry my flute on in a back pack and it often gets checked at the x-ray machine. I'm not sure why....
Maybe it looks like knives or a gun or something. Or maybe they just consider wind instruments to be dangerous weapons..
# Posted on June 3rd 2006 by sneetch
Re: Airline travel and guitars
The thing about airport security these days is that it's always different.
I've only had trouble with getting my viola through security once (granted, I don't fly with it much) - the girl who was at the counter where I checked in told me that I'd have to check it as well, so I went over to the guys working security and they told me it was fine.
# Posted on June 3rd 2006 by Toresica
Re: Airline travel and guitars
The document referred to was pushed through by the American Federation of Musicians, and should be accessible on their web site (www.afm.org). If you have trouble getting ahold of it, I should have a copy on one of my machines, and will happily dig it out - email me through the site, as I'm not resident here on the mustard-yellow board as much as I'd like to be these day.
Generally, I don't recommend lying to security people in airports. Partly out of politeness - they're doing their job, they want to get you on the plane, they're not there to ruin your day. Try to work with them, and ask them the one important question: "How do I get my instrument safely from here to there?" If you explain the considerations - pressure, temperature, humidity, and handling - that are in play, usually they'll decide it's easiest to get the instrument on the plane. If you're smiling and act like they're a human being, usually they'll actively want to get the instrument there in one piece, because they like you.
I usually explain that my guitar is harmed by the same things that harm babies and dogs, that being decompression, extreme cold, extreme changes in humidity, and being dropped on its head, and ask that they treat it like a large baby. Usually that gets it into a coat closet, which makes me glad I'm not travelling with an actual baby!
# Posted on June 4th 2006 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: Airline travel and guitars
The last time I did this which was when the dinosaurs still roamed the earth.... I got a letter ahead from the airline that stated my dreadnaught could go on the plane and be held in a stewardess' closet for the duration of the flight. I had the letter for coming and going, showed it all along the way.
There were no terror threats back then, but I would imagine if you had an official letter it would be ok to show to all checkers.
I want to build at some point a travel guitar where the neck unbolts and there is a decorative screw at the end of the fingerboard, looking like an inlay with a little hole in it. You can put it then in a small suitcase with foam in two parts and fit it in overhead, and put it back together in about 20 minutes, including re-tuning.
My luthier teacher said no reason why not. You could also see if an adventurous repair person/luthier could adapt a guitar like that for you. I know some small builders make them but they are in the $5000-7000+ range. I may try to adapt an old Norman OM I have just for fun.
# Posted on June 4th 2006 by irisnevins
Re: Airline travel and guitars
This might be worth considering:
http://www.casextreme.com/index.html
# Posted on June 4th 2006 by ridgeback3
Re: Airline travel and guitars
I took my anglo through Liverpool which got the reaction (scally accent here) "Eh, its one of those sqeezy things!" from the x-ray department.
You might have more luck with a guitar seeing as it is John Lennon Airport.
# Posted on June 4th 2006 by geoffwright
Re: Airline travel and guitars
Usually, they will let you on board with a guitar, but it's best not to have any other hand luggage. You can always use the argument that you have travelled with it before on their line and there was no problem. That should work. Even if they are reluctant, it is usually feasible to negotiate with the check-in desk assistant, and after that is just as sneetch said. Just remember to remove any extra strings you would have in the case (put them in your standard luggage), because they will be confiscated by the security as a terrorist weapon. If they will try to force you to remove the strings you have on your guitar, you can either comply, or if you feel recalcitrant, argue that you have flown already several times and there was no problem, and that opening the case and unwinding the string takes enough time for the flight to finish.
# Posted on June 5th 2006 by Janek
Re: Airline travel and guitars
I will be carrying my anglo on, so I suppose the guitar will have to be checked :( Perhaps I will spring for the Clam flight case...
# Posted on June 5th 2006 by ridgeback3
Re: Airline travel and guitars
I have had no trouble carying a mando on with me, however, try to carry a set of juggling pins/clubs and you have security following you around like nothing else! They are PLASTIC... while training I get hit in the head by them all the time, they are not dangerous objects!
*wanders away shaking head* arg.. I guess they just don't like us circus folk :(
# Posted on June 5th 2006 by Eveish