Taking a guitar on board a plane.

[MementoMori]

Hi, I'm going back home in just over two weeks and I'm toying with the idea of bringing my guitar if possible.

I don't have a hard case, I can't afford one atm.

These are the rules for hand luggage with Singapore Airlines:

In the interest of ensuring our passengers’ safety and comfort while onboard, Singapore Airlines would like to seek your co-operation in adhering to the following cabin baggage rules -

· First or Business Class passengers may carry two items*
· Economy Class passengers are allowed one item
· Total weight of each cabin bag must not exceed 7 kg
· The total dimensions of the cabin bag (width, length and height) should not exceed 115cm (45 inches)

* subject to specific aircraft cabin space, stowage availability and any local country specific requirements

In addition to the entitlement above, personal items such as a handbag, an overcoat, personal laptop and reading materials may also be carried into the cabin.

So obviously I will be pushing it by attempting to take my guitar on as hand luggage and I'm not happy about it going in the hold. I'm thinking of checking it in as a fragile item, as I will also be doing this for my bike helmet and gear in another bag. However, I've not checked anything in as fragile before so, well I've never checked in a guitar before so I don't really know what to do about it.

Has anyone done this before recently and if so, how did you do it?

Any tips will be greatly appreciated!

The guitar is an electric one BTW, and can be seen being played by my biker hobbit in GBC. Cheers.
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[olionel]

go and get the cheapest hardcase you can find... or just go silly with bubble wrap or somthing....

or leave it here with someone you know, and get a cheapo crap guitar at home to mess around with...
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[Cigaro]

I remember hearing somewhere that the change in temperature, etc in the hold can damage instruments. I'd pay extra for it to go as hand luggage, if nessecary.

[Rookie]

It could cause them to go out of tune, I don't think it really damages much.

Measure your guitar I suppose! If it's less than 115cm long, you're laughing - as long as it's under 7kg.

They might see it as a security issue also though - you could garrot someone with those strings.

[craigie b]

Hey, I cannot imagine you being allowed to take a guitar on board as hand luggage. The best best is buy a hard case, as suggested, or buy a lot of bubble wrap and a box and pack it securely.

If you was feeling adventurous, I suppose you could take the strings of, remove the neck and if you wrapped it all properly, it may get in as hand luggage.

[Walloper]

Ladies.... It is entirely up the airline.

Singapore Airlines.... Under Airlines in the Yellow pages.
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[Itchy]

Hold on , is this going to be a Justin Brown UK on a G String , door to door busker type travel to the UK type affair?

https://www.doortodoorbusker.com/

Precis

A Kiwi stranded in the UK, who has to Busk door to door to get enough money to buy a ticket to go back home.

Otherwise if it'll cost more than £50 leave it and buy one here.

[Walloper]

[AJI]

I definitely wouldn't put it in the hold without a hard case, and as someone else said, it can be bad for the wood.

Taking it with you is the only option. It'll be easily less than 7kg I would have thought, all three of mine are comfortably. Height wise you should be okay.

Do as Joe Strummer used to do and take it on board with no hard case, no soft case, nothing. Pay for an extra seat for it Though you'd probs have to remove the strings cos the nannies would presume they were for garotting the cabin crew.
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[Stevep]

My Son carries his very expensive Gibson guitars as hand luggage and has never been stopped or told he cant. The only thing that ever happened is he was asked to play Star Spangled Banner at JFK and we all had to sing it for him so he could remember it. He always carrys a mini amp as well as hand luggage.
BA did for a while just after 9/11 stop musical instruments being carried but they lost so much revenue to the US airlines they revoked it after a couple of weeks.
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Harleys run Forever

[neatbik]

ive taken guitars on planes quite a few times. just use a good hardcase and detune it as the pressure can affect the wood, and you dont want the neck to bow too much.
ive never had any problems like this, just make sure the case is lockable

[MoshizZ]

Guitars on planes?

Have you not seen where assasins keep big fuckoff sniper rifles in guitar cases?!


In answer to the question i dont know, ring them and ask!
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[Trip]

[Kara]

When I used to be in a band we checked our gear in as cargo to go in the hold, a good hard case should be ok. It didn't have any real affect on my bass I don't think and that was a grands worth of Warwick.

Don't however expect your case to be intact, if I'd have continued playing I would have got a metal case because it does get wrecked.
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