Hi all - any advice for flying with a guitar and banjo. Both will be in flight cases but should I loosen the strings off either of them? Or both? I've heard nightmare stories of necks bending due to lack of tension so interested to hear any advice from those who've experienced them.
Is your journey really neccessary ? Do you really need to take those instruments with you, or could you arrange for similar instruments to be available to you where you are going ?
That's the first questions. My advice is to check thoroughly with your carrier of choice, and not to hand these instruments to anyone else. Take them on the plane with you as hand luggage - this is supposed to be permittable. There should now be international agreements re musical instruments. The worst thing is that many more people these days seem to travel with the largest possible hand luggage, so the overhead lockers are often full. Try to get on early so you have the most options of where to place your luggage. Don't give them to any member of the cabin crew.
The strings thing is a myth. As are the stories about depressurised and freezing cargo holds except on small light aircraft.
The biggest danger is baggage handling, and not necessary how they handle yours , but what other pieces cannon into them.
A proper flight case should prevent any direct damage but make sure the necks are supported properly along their length as they can snap inside the case - a more rigid case actually makes this worse.
I don't want to argue with a man from Guernsey, but my recent experience of many international flights is that you are highly unlikely to be allowed the guitar and banjo as carry-ons, especially if they are in flight cases. Possibly one of them in a gig bag.
I do ocasionally see the odd traveller with a small guitar in soft bag allowed as carry-on, but many more who have to check the instrument in.
I get on OK with a mandolin in a gig bag which is *slightly* over the allowed cabin limit. Often they ask what's that? and I answer "small musical instrument", which is OK by most airlines.
Yes I don't see myself getting either on as hand luggage, although I'll try believe me. They'll be well packed in their cases so just wanted to check regarding the strings.
Bren, my banjo flew fine last year but that was only domestic for about an hour flight, so probably not as important as a big flight.
I may be FROM Guernsey, but I left there 47 years ago; I was in the US of A two years ago with my family on holiday; took my bouzouki in a not too heavy hard case, never left it out of my sight, played dumb on an internal flight and didn't hand it over to go with the folded baby buggies. No problems. Hence my advice.
But consider the first two questions I posed. Is having your instruments with you more important than taking chances on their surviving intact ?
And remember; "United Breaks Guitars". See it on Youtube.
I would remove the bridge from the banjo at least. The problem with trying to carry-on instruments, is that the official company line is often different to what they'll let you get away with. I was told over the phone by an Air New Zealand rep that there is now a blanket ban on carry-on instruments. But I have done it before. If you want to try and get away with it, you're much more likely to get it on with a small gig bag than with a large hard case, even with a smaller instrument like a fiddle. The problem with that is that if they say no, what do you do then? Best to bring along an accomplice with and emergency hard case, but if you get away with it in one direction, who's to say it'll work for the return flight.
I fly with a banjo pretty often. It's a nerve-wracking thing, but I always take it in a soft, padded gig bag. First off, you can wear it like a backpack, and it stays somewhat hidden from the gate attendants, and even when they see it, they know it wouldn't provide protection, so they don't make you check it. They book flights so full these days that it is sometimes hard to find overhead room (or keep people from shoving their carryon baggage into the hold where your instrument is...). I always sit in a window seat, and have been known to keep the banjo with me, against the wall, instead of overhead. I am a big enough guy that it can be pretty well hidden, with the body partway under the seat in front of me, and the headstock leaning against my seat, hidden by my legs and body... I also tend to book myself toward the back of the plane. You don't want the last couple of rows, because they sometimes have equipment taking up the overhead bins. But people don't like to sit in the back of the plane, and you tend to get to board first.
That doesn't help you with multiple instruments, much, I realize...
Guitar will be fine in the hold provided it's in a proper "flight" case and the guitar isn't too tight a fit, no need to de tune etc ( if the guitar can move around "a little" in the case the energy of knocks bumps and crashes is absorbed by the case).
The banjo is more problematic simply because it's a lot heavier. So, guitar in the hold and as Reverend says above for the banjo, good advice that, especially the bit about keeping an eye on the fellow passengers stuffing they're hand baggage roughly in and about your thinly protected banjer.
I usually manage to get one instrument on with me but if I have my guitar AND banjo then it's a problem. I believe Emirates now fly direct to Dublin so one option may be to put your instruments in the cage they have for fragile goods. I'm off to Ireland next year and will be taking my guitar but am thinking of hiring a banjo in Ireland. Whatever, I always surround the instrument with foam lining,packed in real tight, wrapped around the neck and headstock. And i de-tune the strings, just in case it ends up in the hold. And make sure your insurance policy is up to date!
Tony, that's Etihad that flies direct to Dublin from Melbourne, via Abu Dhabi, but the same plane (last I heard), so your instrument only gets baggage handling at Melbourne and Dublin, which does limit the risk somewhat.
My general impression is that they're not quite as strict in the USA about cabin baggage limits as they can be in Europe and Australia, so I'd be wary of drawing too many inferences from experience there.
Like Reverend, I carry my mandolin gig bag as a back pack, so they don't always notice it at check-in. A banjo sticks up a bit more. Maybe you could put on a top hat to hide it.
Ryanair in Liverpool told my friend Pat that he wouldn't be allowed to take his banjo on the plane at all, because the strings (!!!) might be usable as a weapon. This is true.
"Instrument of terror", I would have understood...
I've been waiting for that one, but it's never happened to me yet. "Are you going to garotte somebody with those mandolin strings?" Everything's a weapon if you think about it. I'm sure some martial art teaches that.
@Jerry and Bren - I've had no difficulty getting my mandolin onto the plane with Ryanair at Liverpool (6 times this year). But on my last return trip, security at Shannon went through my bag and found a couple of spare sets of strings. They had a bit of a debate about whether they were allowed, but OKed them in the end. (They completely missed the other spare sets in the mandolin case!)
I love the first bit of advice: "is your journey really necessary!"
The loosening strings thing on the guitar is more to take tension off the headstock, the thought being if it takes a hit, that's the most likely place it'll break & if there's less tension, maybe it won't. I wind them down a notch or two, because a) why not and b) I definitely want to get the battery out of there, since if that came loose, it would really do some damage.
Aaron Jones recently flew one of the super budget airlines (Ryan? Easyjet? don't recall) when they were having one of those "the ticket is really cheap but everything else is expensive" sales. He bought three seats. One for him & one for each instrument. Not sure who gets the miles.
International flying advice
International flying advice
Hi all - any advice for flying with a guitar and banjo. Both will be in flight cases but should I loosen the strings off either of them? Or both? I've heard nightmare stories of necks bending due to lack of tension so interested to hear any advice from those who've experienced them.
Any (sensible) advice appreciated
Cheers
# Posted on October 26th 2011 by camwebby
Re: International flying advice
Is your journey really neccessary ? Do you really need to take those instruments with you, or could you arrange for similar instruments to be available to you where you are going ?
That's the first questions. My advice is to check thoroughly with your carrier of choice, and not to hand these instruments to anyone else. Take them on the plane with you as hand luggage - this is supposed to be permittable. There should now be international agreements re musical instruments. The worst thing is that many more people these days seem to travel with the largest possible hand luggage, so the overhead lockers are often full. Try to get on early so you have the most options of where to place your luggage. Don't give them to any member of the cabin crew.
# Posted on October 26th 2011 by Guernsey Pete
Re: International flying advice
The strings thing is a myth. As are the stories about depressurised and freezing cargo holds except on small light aircraft.
The biggest danger is baggage handling, and not necessary how they handle yours , but what other pieces cannon into them.
A proper flight case should prevent any direct damage but make sure the necks are supported properly along their length as they can snap inside the case - a more rigid case actually makes this worse.
I don't want to argue with a man from Guernsey, but my recent experience of many international flights is that you are highly unlikely to be allowed the guitar and banjo as carry-ons, especially if they are in flight cases. Possibly one of them in a gig bag.
I do ocasionally see the odd traveller with a small guitar in soft bag allowed as carry-on, but many more who have to check the instrument in.
I get on OK with a mandolin in a gig bag which is *slightly* over the allowed cabin limit. Often they ask what's that? and I answer "small musical instrument", which is OK by most airlines.
# Posted on October 26th 2011 by Bren
Re: International flying advice
By the way, how did you get on with your banjo last year?
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/24413
# Posted on October 26th 2011 by Bren
Re: International flying advice
Yes I don't see myself getting either on as hand luggage, although I'll try believe me. They'll be well packed in their cases so just wanted to check regarding the strings.
Bren, my banjo flew fine last year but that was only domestic for about an hour flight, so probably not as important as a big flight.
# Posted on October 26th 2011 by camwebby
Re: International flying advice
I may be FROM Guernsey, but I left there 47 years ago; I was in the US of A two years ago with my family on holiday; took my bouzouki in a not too heavy hard case, never left it out of my sight, played dumb on an internal flight and didn't hand it over to go with the folded baby buggies. No problems. Hence my advice.
But consider the first two questions I posed. Is having your instruments with you more important than taking chances on their surviving intact ?
And remember; "United Breaks Guitars". See it on Youtube.
# Posted on October 26th 2011 by Guernsey Pete
Re: International flying advice
United Breaks Guitars; 11,000,000+ viewers and counting.....
# Posted on October 26th 2011 by Guernsey Pete
Re: International flying advice
Even though it's actually about something sad, "United Breaks Guitars" is such a hilarious song!
# Posted on October 26th 2011 by Mattias Holm
Re: International flying advice
I would remove the bridge from the banjo at least. The problem with trying to carry-on instruments, is that the official company line is often different to what they'll let you get away with. I was told over the phone by an Air New Zealand rep that there is now a blanket ban on carry-on instruments. But I have done it before. If you want to try and get away with it, you're much more likely to get it on with a small gig bag than with a large hard case, even with a smaller instrument like a fiddle. The problem with that is that if they say no, what do you do then? Best to bring along an accomplice with and emergency hard case, but if you get away with it in one direction, who's to say it'll work for the return flight.
# Posted on October 26th 2011 by fabphil39
Re: International flying advice
I fly with a banjo pretty often. It's a nerve-wracking thing, but I always take it in a soft, padded gig bag. First off, you can wear it like a backpack, and it stays somewhat hidden from the gate attendants, and even when they see it, they know it wouldn't provide protection, so they don't make you check it. They book flights so full these days that it is sometimes hard to find overhead room (or keep people from shoving their carryon baggage into the hold where your instrument is...). I always sit in a window seat, and have been known to keep the banjo with me, against the wall, instead of overhead. I am a big enough guy that it can be pretty well hidden, with the body partway under the seat in front of me, and the headstock leaning against my seat, hidden by my legs and body... I also tend to book myself toward the back of the plane. You don't want the last couple of rows, because they sometimes have equipment taking up the overhead bins. But people don't like to sit in the back of the plane, and you tend to get to board first.
That doesn't help you with multiple instruments, much, I realize...
# Posted on October 26th 2011 by Reverend
Re: International flying advice
Guitar will be fine in the hold provided it's in a proper "flight" case and the guitar isn't too tight a fit, no need to de tune etc ( if the guitar can move around "a little" in the case the energy of knocks bumps and crashes is absorbed by the case).
The banjo is more problematic simply because it's a lot heavier. So, guitar in the hold and as Reverend says above for the banjo, good advice that, especially the bit about keeping an eye on the fellow passengers stuffing they're hand baggage roughly in and about your thinly protected banjer.
# Posted on October 27th 2011 by Solidmahog
Re: International flying advice
I usually manage to get one instrument on with me but if I have my guitar AND banjo then it's a problem. I believe Emirates now fly direct to Dublin so one option may be to put your instruments in the cage they have for fragile goods. I'm off to Ireland next year and will be taking my guitar but am thinking of hiring a banjo in Ireland. Whatever, I always surround the instrument with foam lining,packed in real tight, wrapped around the neck and headstock. And i de-tune the strings, just in case it ends up in the hold. And make sure your insurance policy is up to date!
# Posted on October 27th 2011 by Tony O'Rourke
Re: International flying advice
Tony, that's Etihad that flies direct to Dublin from Melbourne, via Abu Dhabi, but the same plane (last I heard), so your instrument only gets baggage handling at Melbourne and Dublin, which does limit the risk somewhat.
My general impression is that they're not quite as strict in the USA about cabin baggage limits as they can be in Europe and Australia, so I'd be wary of drawing too many inferences from experience there.
Like Reverend, I carry my mandolin gig bag as a back pack, so they don't always notice it at check-in. A banjo sticks up a bit more. Maybe you could put on a top hat to hide it.
An unkind person in Manchester once shouted "Fookin 'ell it's ghostbusters" as I walked to a gig with my banjo bag on my back.
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ3E3We5mDL6z-p8KCZQzDLvOMIybXCls69hDFJBO6bJxLPw_OXrbtGl-elsg
# Posted on October 27th 2011 by Bren
Re: International flying advice
Never flown with a banjo, but if I have to with a guitar, it's got to be a Gibson Flying V
# Posted on October 27th 2011 by On Sabbatical
Re: International flying advice
or a Rickenbacker?
http://www.richthofen.com/rickenbacker/
# Posted on October 27th 2011 by Bren
Re: International flying advice
Ryanair in Liverpool told my friend Pat that he wouldn't be allowed to take his banjo on the plane at all, because the strings (!!!) might be usable as a weapon. This is true.
"Instrument of terror", I would have understood...
# Posted on October 27th 2011 by Jerry O'Donnell
Re: International flying advice
I've been waiting for that one, but it's never happened to me yet. "Are you going to garotte somebody with those mandolin strings?" Everything's a weapon if you think about it. I'm sure some martial art teaches that.
# Posted on October 27th 2011 by Bren
Re: International flying advice
I've just come across this link:
http://sauriansaint.wordpress.com/2011/10/17/tricks-for-getting-your-violin-on-a-plane/
The major drawback is that most of these tricks seem to work best only if you're a girl! But nevertheless there is some real practical advice in it.
# Posted on October 28th 2011 by Trevor Jennings
Re: International flying advice
@Jerry and Bren - I've had no difficulty getting my mandolin onto the plane with Ryanair at Liverpool (6 times this year). But on my last return trip, security at Shannon went through my bag and found a couple of spare sets of strings. They had a bit of a debate about whether they were allowed, but OKed them in the end. (They completely missed the other spare sets in the mandolin case!)
# Posted on October 28th 2011 by DaveL35
Re: International flying advice
I love the first bit of advice: "is your journey really necessary!"
The loosening strings thing on the guitar is more to take tension off the headstock, the thought being if it takes a hit, that's the most likely place it'll break & if there's less tension, maybe it won't. I wind them down a notch or two, because a) why not and b) I definitely want to get the battery out of there, since if that came loose, it would really do some damage.
Aaron Jones recently flew one of the super budget airlines (Ryan? Easyjet? don't recall) when they were having one of those "the ticket is really cheap but everything else is expensive" sales. He bought three seats. One for him & one for each instrument. Not sure who gets the miles.
# Posted on November 8th 2011 by matt