Traveling abroad with your guitar

[xzatious]

Just wondering if anyone had tips for traveling with a guitar. I'm in Bocas del Toro, Panama, without my guitar and it is killing me. I didn't bring it for fear on a number of levels and I was just wondering what others do when traveling. If I had an inexpensive classical I would have brought it probably, but I think honestly the only way I would have felt comfortable bringing my guitar would have been buying it a seat.

I am especially glad I didn't bring it becase I would have had a heart attack in customs. A half an hour wait 50 feet from the baggage claim that seemed rather open to the public.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[adrian]

xzatious,

Here's an article we wrote and published on the subject: http://www.guitarsalon.com/index.php?site_url=146

Also, please read the official policy page regarding travelling with musical instruments here: http://www.tsa.gov/public/interapp/editorial/editorial_1235.xml

And a memo from the TSA regarding the same: http://www.guitarsalon.com/templates/pdf/tsa_memo.pdf

[DWPC]

There's no way to assure a guitar will travel safely or securely. If you do everything right, some counter agent or baggage handler can still defeat all your planning. The TSA memos linked by Adrian above are advisories to the airlines; i.e., they may allow instruments as carry-ons if they otherwise meet size restrictions. As far as I know no airline has a general policy permitting guitars as carry-ons. The carrier can still require you to check your guitar; its purely up to the agents.
Aside the the actual hazards, the added aggravation and worry are considerable. Avoid it unless you absolutely have to. I brought a new guitar home from Spain a few months ago and the airline lost it for two days, utterly ruining the end of a wonderful trip. Since I had to get it home I had no choice, but I'll never opt to travel with any guitar I that I'd be concerned about if it was damaged or lost.
My advice: unless you have a real need to travel with a fine guitar, leave it home. If you simply can't do without a guitar while away from home, take a beater in a gig bag; hopefully they'll let you carry it on. If not, no big deal. And I'd bet you can find find yourself a playable guitar in Panama for $50; cheap compared to the stress of taking a fine guitar along.

[Pepe Vergara]

The best way I found to travel with a guitar in plane is to carry it with me to the plane. That means to carry it naked or with a softbag maximum. Usually, with a naked guitar, you attract admiration or one or two smiles, hard to argue. The problem is that you may get a ding or two. Or nowdays, they may see a problem with you taking the tuners off and using them as a weapon. What about the bass strings? You may be able to kill a person or two with those. So, nowdays, it is hard to travel with it.

[Jubilee Valence]

Hey xzatious! Not advice, but rather, a quick follow up to Pepe's-I flew home from Okinawa getting discharged from USMC in 1977 with a Hummingbird & a Jumbo(NICE copies),both w/ decent cases and my ..."baby", a flamenco blanca that I had gotten for so cheap, I just never got around to gettin' a case!(forgot Aria strat W/ case) As I boarded, a baggage guy(everybody was military, inc. crew etc.) took all of 'em off and the counter folks explained that the guys would probably be more considerate of case/no case situation & be careful..& of course, they ALL knew those four geetars belonged to "that 'Marine',w/ the stripes torn off his sleeves"...to their credit, the USAF boys treated 'em like eggs! --true story,-Jubi

[Don Owens Jr]

Hey xzatious! Not advice, but rather, a quick follow up to Pepe's-I flew home from Okinawa getting discharged from USMC in 1977 with a Hummingbird & a Jumbo(NICE copies),both w/ decent cases and my ..."baby", a flamenco blanca that I had gotten for so cheap, I just never got around to gettin' a case!(forgot Aria strat W/ case) As I boarded, a baggage guy(everybody was military, inc. crew etc.) took all of 'em off and the counter folks explained that the guys would probably be more considerate of case/no case situation & be careful..& of course, they ALL knew those four geetars belonged to "that 'Marine',w/ the stripes torn off his sleeves"...to their credit, the USAF boys treated 'em like eggs! --true story,-JubiHey JV, I went to Oki in 1977. I was at Hansen with 4th Marines. Who were you with?

[Jubilee Valence]

Hey Don! Didn't 'ya see me (CLASSICAL) at Kadena,gettin' on the plane home, w/ one finger salute? lol..I'll open new thread. Jubi ---XZATIOUS,--that blanca went everywhere w/ scars,wounds etc & she's just recently been retired.Because of price($99) I just got a "sunlite"--not nearly as bulletproof,but, well----replaceable...just for whatever.Amazing for the $--Jubi

[Don Owens Jr]

Hey Don! Didn't 'ya see me (CLASSICAL) at Kadena,gettin' on the plane home, w/ one finger salute? lol..I'll open new thread. Jubi ---XZATIOUS,--that blanca went everywhere w/ scars,wounds etc & she's just recently been retired.Because of price($99) I just got a "sunlite"--not nearly as bulletproof,but, well----replaceable...just for whatever.Amazing for the $--JubiNo, all I really saw was the humidity and the smell :lol:

[flamingo]

I brought a new guitar home from Spain a few months ago and the airline lost it for two days, utterly ruining the end of a wonderful trip. Since I had to get it home I .

Hi DWPC,
Would you explain about being lost for two days. Did they ever find it?

[rumbamaster]

I just came back from a trip from Europe with my guitar on-board and had no problems. It was carried in a hardshell case with case cover. Basically it comes down to two things. Luck and charm. If you're real polite, smile and carry your guitar indiscriminately you should have no problem. But every now and then you will get an employee who just won't budge and make you check in your guitar. That is why you should ALWAYS use a hardshell case. (If you care about the guitar). If you have a hardshell and make it all the way to the cabin then great, but if not then at least your guitar has some protection should it be checked in. But if all you have is a gig bag and you're forced to check it in then you're screwed. I can't imagine what a guitar might look like if it was checked in with a gig bag. The thought is to brutal to comprehend!

[DWPC]

I brought a new guitar home from Spain a few months ago and the airline lost it for two days, utterly ruining the end of a wonderful trip. Since I had to get it home I .

Hi DWPC,
Would you explain about being lost for two days. Did they ever find it?

British Airways in Barcelona would not let me carry the guitar with me and insisted I check it with pur baggage. This meant it had to be transferred for our US flight at Heathrow. When we got to LA, it took well over an hour to get through Immigration. When we got to the International baggage claim area, all the bags from our flight had been sitting with no supervision. The guitar and our largest suitcase were nowhere to be seen. A BA agent told me to go look in a special "oversize bag" area; nothing there; and this area was isolated and completely without security...anyone could have grabbed it and walked it through customs. At LAX, they rarely check baggage claims against the tag. I filled out a lost luggage form and two miserable days later it showed up at LAX. I was glad to see it, but the experience soured our return home.

[flamingo]

Wow, I am glad that you get your guitar. I am going to Spain to study, with an empty case, on the way back I will bring a guitar that I will purchase in Spain. I just bought a Calton case, even though, I am nervous.