How can I fly with a guitar?
During my upcoming holiday to the USA I'm thinking about buying a new guitar as the exchange rate is extremely favorable. Excuse my naivety but I have never flown with a guitar before. What is a recommended way to go about this? Could I take it as carry on luggage or would it have to be checked? If checked luggage what kind of precautions should I take to keep it safe? Are there any problems with flying US budget carriers? If I do buy the guitar I'm expecting to have to make two flights with it, one domestic flight with Virgin America and an international flight with Air NZ.
Best Answer
In my experience I've found quite a few travellers with guitars, so it's fairly common. Most seemed to use some form of rocket atttached to the back, but fuel for this is hard to come by in certain areas of the world, and often requires FAA approval to use in the States.
;)
No seriously, lots of people do, and much like travelling with a snowboard it generally just goes into the oversize baggage area, often at no extra cost to you. This is both domestic and international. But it's definitely important to check with your airline, as everyone has different rules - I'd hate to know what RyanAir would do to you if you tried with them ;)
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How much does it cost to fly with a guitar?
American/Delta/United Domestic checked baggage fees: $30 for first checked bag, $40 for the second, $150 for the third.Is it OK to take my guitar on as hand luggage?
Guitars. Your guitar can't be taken into the cabin as hand baggage but you may be able to buy an extra seat so it travels next to you. This can't be done online so contact us or your travel agent at least 24 hours before you fly. Each guitar checked into the hold counts as 1 item of your checked baggage allowance.Flying With Your Guitar - What to do
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Answer 2
You need to check the airline you are flying with. (try searching for excess bagage or musical instrument and the name of your airline on google.) Some airlines do require you to buy an extra seat for your music instrument. Examples are here: klm, Lufthansa.
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