traveling with guitar

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Adam

Posts: 1156
Joined: Dec. 6 2006
From: Hamilton, ON

traveling with guitar

hola all! so i'm going to granada for a month, leaving at the end of may, and of course i'd like to bring my guitar with me, take some lessons + stay in shape. how should i go about bringing it over with me (it'll be at least one--probably 2--plane flights)? i have a pretty sturdy hard case for it, but i'm not sure if that's enough. would having them mark it as "fragile" work, or might they let me carry it on + stow it somewhere? i can't buy it a seat like i know some do, i just can't afford that...do i need a special travel case? any help would be so, so appreciated - thanks!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 7 2007 0:19:17

Guest

RE: traveling with guitar (in reply to Adam)

well dont right fragile on it cause theyll just bang it round more. I would insure it and make sure the case is locked when u give it to them. Usually they would put instruments on top of racks not underneath other luggage so it should be o.k, but better safe than sorry. good luck

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 7 2007 2:18:40

hassurbanipal

Posts: 191
Joined: Jul. 14 2006
From: belgium

RE: traveling with guitar (in reply to Adam)

hey Rampart,

I have been flying a lot of times lately with my guitar. I've never had a problem when I asked to take it with me on the plane. Sometimes they put it in front like they do with weelchairs or another time you can put it in the cabine above you......really, no questions where asked so hopefully you can do the same?

greetings

andy

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Plus je connais les hommes, plus j'admire les chiens."
E. Satie

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 7 2007 8:20:25

Adam

Posts: 1156
Joined: Dec. 6 2006
From: Hamilton, ON

RE: traveling with guitar (in reply to Adam)

Thanks so much! That's comforting: I hope you're right + they let me do the same :)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 7 2007 8:29:28

hassurbanipal

Posts: 191
Joined: Jul. 14 2006
From: belgium

RE: traveling with guitar (in reply to Adam)

sometimes when you book a flight you can put it as an anouncement on the voucher. I did that once but after that not one airline complaint about me taking the guitar on the plane....so, good luck

_____________________________

Plus je connais les hommes, plus j'admire les chiens."
E. Satie

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 7 2007 8:52:31

Jay Olson

Posts: 2
Joined: Aug. 3 2006
From: Canada

RE: traveling with guitar (in reply to Adam)

Carrying your guitar on board and putting it into the coat closet or overhead bin is the best. In the U.S., there is supposedly a letter of official policy from the TSA stating that (prefoessional) musicians are allowed to bring their instruments (i.e. guitars) on board. In spite of that, actual policy varies according to the airline, whether you are flying domestic or international, what kind of plane it is, and most importantly, according to whoever happens to be working at the airport the day you fly.

If you cannot take the guitar on board, then ask to gate check it. This is what people with strollers do. The agent at the gate takes the guitar and puts it in the luggage compartment before takeoff. At the conclusion of the flight, you wait outside the door of the plane, and an agent fetches it from the luggage compartment and hands it to you. This should be safe enough if you have a reasonable case.

If you have to check the guitar, make sure it is packed well. Some sort of padding in the case might be good. On flights passing through the U.S., you are not allowed to lock your luggage (so they can open it and inspect it). To make sure your case doesn't pop open, you can get special luggage straps which close with a D-clip. Given the no-locks rule, these are useful for your normal luggage too.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 7 2007 13:15:25

Taranto

Posts: 213
Joined: Apr. 7 2005

RE: traveling with guitar (in reply to Adam)

This is what I have experienced and might or might not be the case.

US airliners won't let you take it with you to passengers cabin. Canadian airliners will let only if it is in a soft bag. European airliners will have no problem with letting you take it to passenger area.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 7 2007 15:44:40

Adam

Posts: 1156
Joined: Dec. 6 2006
From: Hamilton, ON

RE: traveling with guitar (in reply to Adam)

Muy interesante, taranto! That might be good news - my flight's NYC to London (then London to Granada), so is it a matter of which country's airline I take, as opposed to where I take it from?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 7 2007 16:00:53

Taranto

Posts: 213
Joined: Apr. 7 2005

RE: traveling with guitar (in reply to Adam)

I would say both.

My guess is that in NY you will have to give it to the luggage room. On the return way (Spanish airport) they will let you go with the guitar but if the airplane is operated by an American airline, the airplane personnel will try to take the guitar to the luggage room .

By the way if your guitar gets damaged you can get a maximum of $600-700 from the airline company. So if your guitar is worth more either arrange an insurance or contact your airline customer service in advance and try to negotiate something.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 7 2007 16:33:34

jrabbani

Posts: 192
Joined: Jun. 28 2006
From: Los Angeles

RE: traveling with guitar (in reply to Adam)

ramparts
this is what i have done in the past, and it has worked every time:
bring someone to the airport with you.
have them hold your instrument (aways from the check in counter) as you are checking in, so that they do not see it, thus they do not question it.
after you check in, get your guitar and proceed to whatever terminal.
after that, you should be able to walk right on with it because security doesn't even care, and when you start to board, the crew figures your guitar was already checked in! so they will put it in the overhead bins or they will put where the flight attendants keep their belongings.

I have the TSA letter, I will post it in the TABS section.
good luck
juben

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 7 2007 17:33:08

Adam

Posts: 1156
Joined: Dec. 6 2006
From: Hamilton, ON

RE: traveling with guitar (in reply to Adam)

Juben! Brilliant, man, thanks

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 7 2007 18:33:13

duende121

Posts: 86
Joined: Aug. 24 2005

RE: traveling with guitar (in reply to Adam)

Good luck I think you have good advices but it is a stress to travel with guitar because you never know ... Once they told me that if I wanted to take my guitar on board I would have to pay a seat for her( professional musicians do that!)...I would anyway suggest you to have a hard case and a soft one, so you can always give the empty hard case as luggage and take the guitar with you in a soft one. It will be easier to find a place for it on board, even above your head. And do not take your best guitar but the cheap one.

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¡Vamos!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 8 2007 9:17:17

Ailsa

Posts: 2277
Joined: Apr. 17 2007
From: South East England

RE: traveling with guitar - or buy a... (in reply to Adam)

Hola all,

I've got a slightly different query - I go over to Spain often, and want to have a guitar there to practice on. I want to buy something and leave it there to avoid "traveling with guitar"! But I'm just looking for a practice instrument so my fingers don't forget which direction to move in. My beloved guitar stays in the UK!

Shall I just buy something serviceable here in UK and take it over, or is there somewhere I could go to buy one in Spain (bearing in mind I don't need anything fabulous or expensive)? Our apartment is near Almeria. (People keep telling me that's the wrong side of Andalucia for flamenco, but it's still Spain and it's still great!).

If anyone has any suggestions where to purchase in Spain, that would be really helpful.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 9 2007 10:13:16

Zorro02

Posts: 151
Joined: Feb. 23 2007

RE: traveling with guitar - or buy a... (in reply to Ailsa)

Hola Ailsa
Get a local newspaper and look in the classifides for a flamenco guitar. I picked up an Alhambra model flamenco for 125 Euro, in really good condition.
It is not the best guitar but suits my requirements when I am in Spain
Dont' be affraid to haggle, the Spaniards expect it.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 9 2007 13:42:17