Question regarding guitars on airplanes

[samincolour]

Hey guys!

I want to book a few dates in Belgium (I'm in the UK) for the first time. I know some promoters and booking agents there who are helping me sort it out for November and we should have it wrapped up pretty soon.

Anyway, this is the first time I've attempted to book/consider something like this and after some Facebook opinions and general brainstorming for a few hours I've come up with a rough plan.

Here it is:

FRIDAY
Get a flight from Manchester to Antwerp

Get a train from Antwerp to Brussels

Play a show in Brussels, stay over at the booking agents house


SATURDAY

Catch a train from Brussels to Brugge

Play a show in Brugge

Stay in a hostel/hotel/B&B/whatever


SUNDAY

Catch a train from Brugge to Ghent

Play a show in Ghent

Stay at a hostel (there's one that is in a barge in the middle of a river, it looks bitchin' and it's cheap as hell too)


MONDAY

Train from Ghent to Brussels

Train from Brussels to Antwerp

Flight from Antwerp to Manchester

Manchester to home!



My plan was based around keeping costs at an absolute low, so if we go we will be taking guitars only and using a Belgian bands gear (entire backline including amp heads, snare, cymbals etc). We'll be going with another band too taking the party up to nine people.

This, surprisingly, is cheaper than hauling a van or two all the way from Hull (where I'm from, even though there's a P&O ferry terminal here) to Zeebrugge and going from there, and waaaay cheaper than going down to the Dover-Calais terminal and drive up into Belgium.

Obviously things will be even cheaper if we can hitch rides with the Belgian bands instead of getting trains everywhere!


My question:

Now, all of this is built around the premise that we can take guitars onto planes. I know it can physically be done, but has anyone done it? If so, what is the best way to go about it? Paying for expensive flight cases is not an option at the moment!

Massive thanks in advance everyone!

Cheers,

Sam
http://www.facebook.com/thecolourline

 

[Edika]

Depends on which flight company you will be using and how large are your cases. In a non low cost company if the dimensions of the case are not too large maybe you can take it as a handbag on board. Otherwise you have to book a seat which of course will raise the cost. In some companies there are special fares for musical instruments but they might be expensive enough that it would be cheaper to buy flight cases. Ryan Air for example charges 100 Euros for instruments per trip.
I have seen people take guitars in soft cases and keeping them between their legs but mostly for domestic flights. Personally I have taken my Carvin guitar with the molded Carvin hard case and they allowed it. It is however rather small in size, just a bit bigger than the guitar itself. My advice should be to measure the size of the cases and contact the air company to see if it will fit in the overboard cabinets. If not then you will have to give it as luggage. I advise you then to wrap the guitars as you would to ship them with the post office and preferably with bubble-wrap around the whole case. Like so you can give your guitars as regular luggage and take a hand luggage on board.
In the hostels I hope you took a private room in order to safe keep the guitars, otherwise I would advise to rent a locker or sleep with them!

 

[asher]

I've only flown with a hard case once, and it was an SKB flight case with a TSA lock so I checked it. Came through fine. I've flown with an electric in a soft case/gig bag multiple times though, never with any issue. I frequently find a space in the overheads where the bags are low enough that the guitar can just sit on top of them, even on packed flights, or I politely ask a flight attendant if there's a coat closet or something that it can be slid into. I've also seen people bring stuff through in hard cases, though usually shaped ones - I guess they just go in the overheads.

 

[Stealthdjentstic]

Unbolt the guitar/s. sove them in a duffel bag and bam, success.

 

[asher]

Unbolt the guitar/s. sove them in a duffel bag and bam, success.

Note: only works for bolt ons. I'd have issues bringing my Se22 home that way

 

[Stealthdjentstic]

Thats why bolt-on > X.

 

[samincolour]

I've only flown with a hard case once, and it was an SKB flight case with a TSA lock so I checked it. Came through fine. I've flown with an electric in a soft case/gig bag multiple times though, never with any issue. I frequently find a space in the overheads where the bags are low enough that the guitar can just sit on top of them, even on packed flights, or I politely ask a flight attendant if there's a coat closet or something that it can be slid into. I've also seen people bring stuff through in hard cases, though usually shaped ones - I guess they just go in the overheads.

I didn't realise soft cases were allowed on flights, hence people took hard/flight cases... That makes EVERYTHING easier! Is that for domestic flights or short haul? Manchester to Antwerp is about 1 and a half hours.

 

[Codeman]

I have done this before.

AFAIK British Airways is the only company that officialy lets you carry a guitar OR guitar-sized instrument as an additional hand luggage.
For other companies you should give them a call and ask about it.

But unoficcialy as long as it's in a soft bag/case they should be too bitchy about it, even if it doesnt fit in the overhead compartiment most planes have a sort of vertical compartiment (for hanging/storing suits and uniforms mainly suited for 1st class passengers) that you can store your guitar in.

 

[asher]

I didn't realise soft cases were allowed on flights, hence people took hard/flight cases... That makes EVERYTHING easier! Is that for domestic flights or short haul? Manchester to Antwerp is about 1 and a half hours.

I've flown across the US (5-6 hours) with it like that, including a bunch of layovers in small planes and bigass planes with nonstop.

 

[capone1]

Did some shows in Vegas from west Michigan and I ended up being the only one that got to carry on my guitar. I think I was just lucky though as everybody else had to check theirs.