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Air Travel with a Guitar
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Richard Jernigan
Posts: 3430
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA
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 RE: Air Travel with a Guitar (in reply to trivium91)
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Two potential hazards occur to me:
1. Damage to the instrument: My '67 Ramirez 1a blanca has about a million airline miles on it, as checked baggage in a Mark Leaf case. The cases are no longer made, but an airline ticket agent once remarked that she had been in baggage handling for 10 years, and had never seen an instrument damaged in one. She said she was going to buy one for her pro musician boyfriend's birthday. I have also used Karura and Visesnut, but they cost at least $800, and wouldn't be worth the expense for your travel guitar.
In your Gator case, make sure the guitar can't rattle around. If there are any voids, stuff them with underwear or something. Make sure the headstock is supported above and below, and the strings are completely loosened. The shock caused by a case dropped from an airplane's baggage door can snap the headstock if it is not supported.
2. Lost baggage: In all its travels the Ramirez has only gone walkabout once. I was returning from Bali to the Marshall Islands in the Central Pacific. The guitar went to Saipan instead of Guam. Rather than an immediate connection I had opted for an overnight stay in Guam. The guitar arrived in Guam before sundown. Of course I have heard of people having much worse luck.
If you have to buy a guitar in Mexico City, there are several music stores along the Calle Simón Bolivar in the Centro Histórico. Repertorio Wagner is the oldest, and used to have a stock of reasonably priced guitars. A decent looking one in the photos on Google Maps is tagged at 1813 pesos =$97. How it sounds or plays? ¿Quién sabe?
Good luck!
RNJ
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Date Feb. 13 2023 22:38:03
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trivium91
Posts: 208
Joined: Jan. 24 2022
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RE: Air Travel with a Guitar (in reply to Richard Jernigan)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Richard Jernigan
Two potential hazards occur to me:
1. Damage to the instrument: My '67 Ramirez 1a blanca has about a million airline miles on it, as checked baggage in a Mark Leaf case. The cases are no longer made, but an airline ticket agent once remarked that she had been in baggage handling for 10 years, and had never seen an instrument damaged in one. She said she was going to buy one for her pro musician boyfriend's birthday. I have also used Karura and Visesnut, but they cost at least $800, and wouldn't be worth the expense for your travel guitar.
In your Gator case, make sure the guitar can't rattle around. If there are any voids, stuff them with underwear or something. Make sure the headstock is supported above and below, and the strings are completely loosened. The shock caused by a case dropped from an airplane's baggage door can snap the headstock if it is not supported.
2. Lost baggage: In all its travels the Ramirez has only gone walkabout once. I was returning from Bali to the Marshall Islands in the Central Pacific. The guitar went to Saipan instead of Guam. Rather than an immediate connection I had opted for an overnight stay in Guam. The guitar arrived in Guam before sundown. Of course I have heard of people having much worse luck.
If you have to buy a guitar in Mexico City, there are several music stores along the Calle Simón Bolivar in the Centro Histórico. Repertorio Wagner is the oldest, and used to have a stock of reasonably priced guitars. A decent looking one in the photos on Google Maps is tagged at 1813 pesos =$97. How it sounds or plays? ¿Quién sabe?
Good luck!
RNJ
This a reassuring, though we are staying in Puerta Vallarta, i did find a shop that sells guitars. I would not be concerned about how the guitar sounds if i had to buy one, it’s basically to continue with my finger work and memory, as long as i can practice on it. Also hoping to start tackling aires choqueros, but we will see. I guess airlines are not in the Bussiness of losing baggage, i may be worried over nothing.
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Date Feb. 13 2023 23:19:16
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Ricardo
Posts: 14801
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
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RE: Air Travel with a Guitar (in reply to trivium91)
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Nothing is different in 27 years of flying with my best guitars (Conde Hermanos, Jernonimo Peña, Max Bishop, etc.). You get a hard case that doesn’t lock (TSA will break that shyt just to see the label) but won’t accidentally open either (zipper is ideal, or zipper rain cover I use on the Visenut) so latches won’t open. Don’t say ANYTHING just walk onboard with a big fat smile like nothing is wrong (if you want to pay for early boarding options, it could give a piece of mind but doesn’t matter if flight is full and you are not first class. Boarding group LMNOP, whatever, is fine, you will get on). If they warn of a full flight they will tag and bag it for you nicely. Most of the time they let you have a go to get it in the overhead bin yourself, it doesn’t HAVE to be right over your seat, or even near it, but don’t be a jerk about it, try to get it close to you. Sometimes they have closet space, or FIND a space for you. Last time, cuz I was so damn nice, some lady airline agent let me board with pregnant ladies/kids/elderly and first class BECAUSE of the guitar (I did not ask to do that).
If you can’t get it over head in a free bin, then don’t freak out. Just wait, or give it to the flight attendant and they will store it somehow or tag and bag it for you.
IF THEY TAG AND BAG IT: ask where to pick it up. Often like strollers and stuff they leave it there as you walk off plane. Sometimes it goes through baggage anyway. DON”T FREAK OUT. Just go collect it from baggage. Sometimes they have a special baggage area for oversized items, or “handle with care” stuff. I have collected guitars there as well. You should know in advance cuz they will tell you, or the guy that brings the strollers will tell you where it went. I have lost luggage before (not a guitar) but even still, they find the luggage and send it to your hotel where ever you are. One time I left my guitar on the sidewalk in Madrid after paying the cab. I went in to the Hotel, took a shower then realized no guitar. I went out to the lobby, they didn’t know anything. I walked outside and there it was on the sidewalk with 2 million people walking around it.
So, have no fear, relax, take your guitar, enjoy your trip. (Now here come the horror stories from everybody else) Guys, I have flown hundreds of times. The horror stories are one in millions of bad luck cases. Don’t live your lives that way.
_____________________________
CD's and transcriptions available here:
www.ricardomarlow.com
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Date Feb. 14 2023 12:53:21
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RobF
Posts: 1611
Joined: Aug. 24 2017
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RE: Air Travel with a Guitar (in reply to trivium91)
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It you’re doing a lot of air, bus, and train travel then a strong lightweight case like a Visesnut is a great thing to have, if you can afford one. You only need the one, too, as they can be adjusted to fit slight differences in guitar shapes so they are always snug in the case. The guitars that stay home don’t need one.
Regardless of whether it’s a Visenut or some other lightweight case, a slipcover really helps matters as it makes the case look more like a gig bag. Most airlines seem to cut a lot of slack for gig bags, I’ve been told they won’t force you to check one, and if there’s a concern about fitting in the overhead bin then it can often be put in one of the closets near the front. I’ve never had to check a case in a slipcover. Also, the people who pack a bus are often sensitive to gig bags if it’s not allowed on the bus and will take extra care when packing it in the storage underneath (although poor Goldwinghai had his stolen from a bus hold at the Malaga station).
The TKL style hard shell cases are pretty good, too, especially if you get one of the double arched models. But they’re heavy and quite often you’ll be asked to check it as baggage, especially if there’s anything else in the case besides the guitar (I was told strings, tuners, etc means an automatice check-in, don’t know why). Fragile stickers help, and I have a red seatbelt style belt that I wrap through the handle and around the case to secure it against accidental opening. Also helps make it visible in the conveyer. Speaking of the conveyer, often times it will be placed on the oversized conveyer and not the luggage conveyor, so once you’ve retrieved your suitcase then be ready to head over to the other line to grab your guitar. It’s often out before the luggage is, so that’s something to consider, too.
I’ve generally only travelled with a guitar (sometimes two) when I’ve had to. Carting a guitar around when travelling is such a pain in the butt that I wouldn’t do it unless necessary, but once it’s determined it’s required I don’t worry too much about it. Once the plane’s in the air it’s generally as safe as being in your living room, it’s the landing and baggage handlers that will be the problem, so if you can’t carry it on then try to gate check it, that’s better as you can often personally hand it over to the handler. Once the personal connection has been made they tend to look after you. In other words, don’t hand it off saying “Hey! watch my frikken’ guitar ya blinkin’ so and so!”. That often doesn’t help the cause, but handing it off with a smile generally works a charm, sometimes they’ll even wave it on board and put it in the closet if you’re nice and human about it.
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Date Feb. 14 2023 15:30:13
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trivium91
Posts: 208
Joined: Jan. 24 2022
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RE: Air Travel with a Guitar (in reply to Ricardo)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Ricardo
Nothing is different in 27 years of flying with my best guitars (Conde Hermanos, Jernonimo Peña, Max Bishop, etc.). You get a hard case that doesn’t lock (TSA will break that shyt just to see the label) but won’t accidentally open either (zipper is ideal, or zipper rain cover I use on the Visenut) so latches won’t open. Don’t say ANYTHING just walk onboard with a big fat smile like nothing is wrong (if you want to pay for early boarding options, it could give a piece of mind but doesn’t matter if flight is full and you are not first class. Boarding group LMNOP, whatever, is fine, you will get on). If they warn of a full flight they will tag and bag it for you nicely. Most of the time they let you have a go to get it in the overhead bin yourself, it doesn’t HAVE to be right over your seat, or even near it, but don’t be a jerk about it, try to get it close to you. Sometimes they have closet space, or FIND a space for you. Last time, cuz I was so damn nice, some lady airline agent let me board with pregnant ladies/kids/elderly and first class BECAUSE of the guitar (I did not ask to do that).
If you can’t get it over head in a free bin, then don’t freak out. Just wait, or give it to the flight attendant and they will store it somehow or tag and bag it for you.
IF THEY TAG AND BAG IT: ask where to pick it up. Often like strollers and stuff they leave it there as you walk off plane. Sometimes it goes through baggage anyway. DON”T FREAK OUT. Just go collect it from baggage. Sometimes they have a special baggage area for oversized items, or “handle with care” stuff. I have collected guitars there as well. You should know in advance cuz they will tell you, or the guy that brings the strollers will tell you where it went. I have lost luggage before (not a guitar) but even still, they find the luggage and send it to your hotel where ever you are. One time I left my guitar on the sidewalk in Madrid after paying the cab. I went in to the Hotel, took a shower then realized no guitar. I went out to the lobby, they didn’t know anything. I walked outside and there it was on the sidewalk with 2 million people walking around it.
So, have no fear, relax, take your guitar, enjoy your trip. (Now here come the horror stories from everybody else) Guys, I have flown hundreds of times. The horror stories are one in millions of bad luck cases. Don’t live your lives that way.
This is the case I have
https://www.amazon.ca/Gator-Classical-Acoustic-Approved-GTSA-GTRCLASS/dp/B01BGX810A/ref=asc_df_B01BGX810A/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=347439509941&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5565863503946984247&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1001841&hvtargid=pla-402948496530&psc=1
So you are saying just dont say anything to the agent? just pretend its a carry on bag? I did pay for priority boarding though it was likely a waste since I have a toddler with us anyways, we would have likely got it anyways. I know there are TSA rules about instruments in the US, just not sure as im flying from Canada to Mexico via a low cost airline. The one time I brought my guitar on an Air Canada flight I got a green tag and it was loaded on the plane last. I was really comfortable with this. Im not too comfortable having it on the baggage cart though, even though the case I have is pretty good and its a cheap guitar.
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Date Feb. 14 2023 16:23:50
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Ricardo
Posts: 14801
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
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RE: Air Travel with a Guitar (in reply to trivium91)
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I have flown to Turkey, lots of European countries (destination Spain of course), Canada, Dominican Republic (during covid)…. Every where on Earth it is the exact same situation. It IS a carry on, it does fit in most overhead bins (not all). The carry on restrictions of size are only for stuff that can fit under the seat in front of you, so ignore that thing. Obviously, so you don’t have TWO fat carry ons in your aisle don’t be a jerk…use a back pack instead of a carry on suitcase if you can. So the only place I had a different type of flying experience was from El Salvador to Nicaragua, over top of the volcanoes with a prop propeller plane….no over head bins on that little thing, guitar went underneath.
One last thing. Went to Vegas with Conde one time, and when I checked it, the poor guitar was ICE COLD. In the humid environment I ended up (just outside of Vegas toward the mountains) the cold guitar soaked up tons of water and sounded totally dead the entire day. It gradually dried out and sounded normal a day or so later. Unfortunately I had to do a private acoustic performance (no amplification), with the poor guitar in that state. On that trip I got sick, and flew back home and damaged my ears badly (they blocked up from pressure and never opened up for a week, and I got an infection, cured by antibiotics). I had to perform on Kennedy center stage and I was totally deaf. I am more concerned about THAT ever since, than the guitar.
_____________________________
CD's and transcriptions available here:
www.ricardomarlow.com
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Date Feb. 15 2023 18:11:05
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Ricardo
Posts: 14801
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
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RE: Air Travel with a Guitar (in reply to Stu)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Stu
weird this topic comes up. was just thinking about it too.
So Ricardo are you saying you just turn up with the geetar and take it onboard everytime? I always worry they will be dicks and ill end up being forced to put in the hold. therefore feel the need to book a seat for the instrument.
That is the plan yes. Like I said, there will be reasons they make you check it, but don’t freak out, it is not a big deal. They are not necessarily being jerks…everybody has to check stuff in that they planned to carry on (usually suitcases). But I have been in situations were everybody had to check their hand luggage that didn’’t fit under the seat, but they still got my guitar on. I did not have to say anything about it.
Ok, The only stressful time was one time there was a connecting flight. I had to collect my guitar from baggage claim first, then go through security all over again (normal connections are “in transit” and you bypass security for connections), my family was already on the plane by the time I got to the gate. But we both made it on board.
Next, a similar situation, but the connection was tight. By the time I got my guitar from baggage they closed the gate and the guy I was flying with and I had to get put on a different flight. Honestly, it wasn’t just me due to guitar…everybody else that had to get their stuff from baggage missed the flight so the airline had to accommodate a lot of people that day. This was a perfect storm thing where the plane had small bins, and the international plane the airline wanted to connect to had a specific time to leave…knowing full well all the passengers needed the extra time to pick up their bags. They screwed up the timing situation when they sold the tickets and paid for it by having to buy all these customers international seats on various other partner airlines. Later that day our next connection plane burst into flame on the tarmac, so we had to wait like 10 hours to get another plane to Spain. These are the one in a million type problems. My checked luggage and guitar all made it fine to destination, but it was late. (That was the same night was so exhausted and left my guitar on the sidewalk!  )
_____________________________
CD's and transcriptions available here:
www.ricardomarlow.com
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Date Feb. 17 2023 12:57:24
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