Can you take instruments on a plane

Hawaiian Airlines Baggage Policy. JetBlue Airways Instrument Policy. A musical instrument is allowed in place of one carry-on item, provided it can be stowed properly under the seat or in an overhead bin at the time of boarding.

Musical instruments of a size that prevents the instrument from being handled as normal carry-on baggage will be accepted in the cabin and are subject to certain requirements. A musical instrument will count as one piece of checked baggage and are subject to all applicable baggage fees. Southwest Airlines Instrument Policy. Musical instruments do not have to meet sizing requirements for carry-on items and will be accepted if they can be stowed safely under the seat or in an overhead bin at the time of boarding.

In the event you are traveling with a musical instrument that cannot be stowed safely as carry-on luggage, or is fragile in nature, you may purchase a seat for the instrument and carry it in the cabin under certain conditions. Some musical instruments cannot be secured in a seat and must be transported as checked baggage, subject to applicable baggage fees. United Airlines Instrument Policy. A musical instrument may be carried on board as a carry-on item if it can be stowed safely overhead or in the seat in front of you at the time of boarding.

As such, it comes down to the individual airline and, often, will differ from one employee to the other. Therefore, when planning your international trips, it is best to do extensive research on the various airlines and see what each allows. Look into additional factors such as the size of the plane and usable storage space. Speak with as many people as possible within the airline to get confirmation, trying to get examples of precedent on how that airline has dealt with guitar carry in the past.

Whether past experience tells you it is not possible, or you are just an ultra-conservative person who does not believe that you will be able to sweet-talk your guitar into the cabin without buying a separate ticket, there are ways that you can go about protecting your favorite fiddle when traveling.

If you are concerned that the possibility of checking your favorite guitar will put it on the fast track to ruin, look into a backup guitar that can be used for travel purposes. While this is not a universal cure-all, and there will definitely be times when you need to travel with your main instrument, those musicians who fly frequently may benefit from the peace of mind of knowing that it is a lesser guitar clanging around in the cargo hold. The next time you are ready to make a guitar purchase, see if you can get a custom guitar with a detachable handle.

This way, your guitar can be taken apart to fit into a normal size carry-on bag, guaranteeing that your instrument is always with you. When dealing with oversized luggage that will not fit in cabin stowage, you are likely to hear two different phrases that sound the same but can have a vast difference in your guitar reaching its destination safely:. You want to avoid having your guitar gate checked.

This will come with an orange tag and lead to your guitar being thrown into the muck of checked baggage, available for pickup at the baggage claim area. If an agent says your guitar needs to be tagged, confirm that it will be a green tag and not an orange tag.

A green label means that your oversized item will be placed in the cargo hold after all other carry-on bags have been loaded. Upon arrival, it will be waiting for you at the top of the jet bridge.

This limits the potential damage that your instrument will be exposed to. Many musicians performing abroad may find it easier, cheaper and a lot less stressful to simply purchase, hire or borrow instruments for the shows.

Musicians purchasing instruments abroad may also find they are able to sell them before returning home. Musicians should store favourite pedals or important cables in their luggage since they can be hard to come by abroad. If you are regularly traveling abroad, consider purchasing a less expensive model to be your travel instrument, and upgrading some of the components for example, taking a cheaper model of guitar and upgrading the pickups to something like House of Tone can be a handy for getting a great sound out of a budget instrument.

At the very least, some like Last Minute Musician Terry Butcher , find it easier just to take cheaper kit. He says,. I tend to take cheap copies i. Original Photo: by Darren Garcia. Smaller musical instruments can be carried in the cabin as part of, but not in addition to, your free hand baggage allowance.

Our airport staff will make every effort to find space in the cabin for musical instruments that are within the dimensions of 80 x 30 x 25cm 31 x 11 x 10in , as we know extreme temperatures can damage these instruments in the hold. Larger musical instruments , such as guitars and cellos, can be carried in the hold or you can buy an extra seat to carry them with you in the cabin.

Please carry your musical instrument in a hard case and ensure you are properly insured. We cannot accept instruments in soft cases, e. If your musical instrument in its case is larger than 80 x 30 x 25cm 31 x 11 x 10in :. The maximum weight of musical instruments we can carry is 45kg 99lb. Latest instrument features.

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