# Guitar as carry on luggage?



## glenn1000 (Jul 24, 2009)

Our daughter is planning to bring her guitar on an Alaska Air Boeing 737 this weekend when we fly from SFO to SEA. They say that small guitars can be carried on but she has a regular guitar in a soft carrier- no case. I'm worried that if they make her check it at the gate it will be unprotected and not survive the baggage handlers. We have no hard case and she really wants to bring it. Does anyone have experience carrying a guitar as carry on luggage?


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## DeniseM (Jul 24, 2009)

It will have to fit under the seat or in the carry-on bins.

Maybe you can have someone at the airport who can take it back home if they won't let her carry it on?


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## Laurie (Jul 24, 2009)

*United Breaks Guitars*

You might want to watch this youtube!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Jul 24, 2009)

I don't see why they can't put it in the storage place near where the flight attendants are. It should fit in an overhead bin, but even there I would put it in a hard case, so probably go get one and then measure it and call the airlines for overhead bin measurement. After seeing that utube video, I would not take a guitar and have it in stored luggage.
Liz


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## geekette (Jul 24, 2009)

I would buy it a seat of its own before I'd let anyone gate check it.  Even in an overhead bin, other people will be cramming stuff in there.  I suggest breaking down and getting the hard case or leaving it home.


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## PigsDad (Jul 25, 2009)

Look into shipping it via FexEx or UPS.  That is probably your safest bet, and may not be that expensive.

Kurt


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## tschwa2 (Jul 25, 2009)

From alaskaair.com 

Carrying Musical Instruments 
Standard baggage allowance limitations apply. A separate seat can be purchased to carry a large instrument instead of checking it.

Small musical instruments (e.g. violin, flute, clarinet, or a small guitar) provided they are of a size or shape that can be safely stowed in an overhead bin or closet. Any musical instrument (e.g. oversized or odd-shaped) that cannot be properly stowed, must be checked or travel as cabin seat baggage.

Lucky she is not traveling with a cello.  Delta would make her buy a first class seat for the cello.  They highly recommend that you buy a first class seat to sit next to your cello but if you insist you can sit in coach while your musical instrument enjoys "first class cabin service."


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## PigsDad (Jul 25, 2009)

Why would anyone buy a first-class ticket for their cello vs. having it shipped?  Boggles the mind!  (Unless, of course, you simply have money to burn...)


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## thheath (Jul 25, 2009)

The last thing I would want to do is make things more difficult when getting through security and flying.  Buy a hard case and take the hassle out of the trip.  Yes, I've seent he United video.

PS:  Remember the old days and the things people used to carry onboard?  I carried a 6' set of mounted Texas long horns onboard a flight when flying out of Dallas once.  I'm sure I was quite the site...


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## "Roger" (Jul 25, 2009)

PigsDad said:


> Why would anyone buy a first-class ticket for their cello vs. having it shipped?  Boggles the mind!  (Unless, of course, you simply have money to burn...)


A serious cellist would never consider risking their instrument being shipped, much less thrown into the belly of an airplane.  I suspect that the first class requirement comes from the fact that the instrument is too big to fit in the cabin class seats.


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## glenn1000 (Jul 25, 2009)

Thanks for the replies. We just got a hard case, will have it marked "fragile" and keep our fingers crossed that it does not get destroyed!


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## Keitht (Jul 25, 2009)

glenn1000 said:


> will have it marked "fragile"



Baggage handlers tend to see that as a challenge rather than a warning.


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Jul 25, 2009)

I was thinking that when you buy the hard case, you also call the airlines to see if it will fit in the overhead bins. It should be OK in the overhead bin, in a hard case.
Liz


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## glenn1000 (Jul 25, 2009)

Liz Wolf-Spada said:


> I was thinking that when you buy the hard case, you also call the airlines to see if it will fit in the overhead bins. It should be OK in the overhead bin, in a hard case.
> Liz



Good idea- they say that they will accept it as carry on. I wonder if that will really happen. At least it is in a hard case so if we have to check this it may survive.


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Jul 26, 2009)

You might want to measure the length of the case and call and ask the measurements of the overhead bin.
Liz


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## glenn1000 (Jul 26, 2009)

Liz Wolf-Spada said:


> You might want to measure the length of the case and call and ask the measurements of the overhead bin.
> Liz



It's too big for the overhead bin but they told me that it can be stored by the stewardess in some kind of area/compartment if it is a musical instrument. Still skeptical but we'll see in the morning.


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## glenn1000 (Jul 28, 2009)

It worked! They put it in a small closet but it would have fit in the overhead bin on the 737 pretty easily.


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## Talent312 (Jul 28, 2009)

glenn1000 said:


> It worked! They put it in a small closet but it would have fit in the overhead bin on the 737 pretty easily.



Congrats.
I once brought a wood carving of a bear that was about the same size home with me from the State of Washington to Florida.  The airline gave me a box to put it in and stored it for me on board in a such a place.  That was a few year's back.  I have to wonder if they'd be so accomodating today.


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## Gramma5 (Jul 28, 2009)

Our grandson plays the guitar and we had heard that you should not check the guitar because of the pressure changes and temperature in the baggage compartments. supposedly bad for the wood.  Anyone know the validity of this?


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## geekette (Jul 28, 2009)

PigsDad said:


> Why would anyone buy a first-class ticket for their cello vs. having it shipped?  Boggles the mind!  (Unless, of course, you simply have money to burn...)



World-class musicians would likely treat their instruments better than themselves.  I would be sure to "taste" the free drinks in first class to be sure it was ok for my cello.


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